Lajes (Azores) (LPLA/TER) 2007

[J.J.]

Some background info related to the latest A-10 Thunderbolt II ("Warthog") stopovers at Lajes:

Twelve DM jets were deployed with the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) at Bagram AB, Afghanistan. They left their home base on April 7, 2007. At least some of the aircraft arrived at Bagram AB on April 17.

According to a 355th FW PA news article, after the six-month deployment only ten aircraft returned home to Davis-Monthan AFB on October 26. And it´s still unclear to me why the remaining two passed Lajes in mid-November.

The MD and BC jets (probably only ten alltogether) were originally deployed with an ANG "Rainbow Team" for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) to the 438th Air Expeditionary Group (AEG) at Al Asad Airfield, Iraq (mainly operated by the USMC with deployed land-based F/A-18 Hornets/Super Hornets, AV-8 Harriers, EA-6B Prowlers and helicopters).

In November, all of these deployed ANG Hogs (the very first combat-deployed A-10Cs!!!) were relocated from Al Asad Airfield to Bagram AB in <52 hrs of Warning Order following worldwide grounding of F-15 fleet after the F-15C mishap on November 2. In this case, the Hogs were forward-deployed to fulfil combat missions for twelve F-15Es already deployed to Bagram AB with the 336th EFS from Seymour Johnson AFB).

The PA and ID jets which passed Lajes in late-September 2007 returned to CONUS after they were relieved by the MD and BC jets at Al Asad Airfield.