Two A-10s returning to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, after a mission last week got a call for help from coalition ground forces. Capt. Michael Meridith reports that Capt. Dennis Hargis from San Antonio, who was nearing the end of his six-month deployment, said the situation was “dire” when he and his wingman arrived over the scene of a 10-vehicle convoy under attack from both sides by heavy machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades. The shock of the Hogs’ initial pass failed to stop the enemy attack. Hargis called it a “four-mile kill zone” and said a nearby orchard was “just alive with muzzle flashes.” He got clearance to fire from the ground commander despite his troops closeness to the enemy. Hargis fired an initial 300 rounds from his seven-barrel Gatling gun, stopping fire from the orchard. It took six passes over the next 10 minutes by he and his wingman to quiet the enemy fire, all the while getting instructions from the ground troops as to direction and distance.
Schiess Highlights Space Force’s Role in Epic Fury
Sept. 15, 2026
Guardians are playing a critical role in U.S. operations against Iran, providing electronic warfare effects to stifle enemy air defense and communication systems and other space capabilities vital to the war effort, Gen. Douglas Schiess said in one of his first appearances since swearing in as Chief of Space Operations.
