The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing logged its final night mission with the A-10C in late January. The wing is transitioning to an MQ-9 Reaper mission, according to a Feb. 2 release. Maj. Patrick Coggin flew tail number 188 and Lt. Col. Toby Brallier flew tail number 216 on the final sortie. The pilots conducted a flight lead upgrade certification near Whiteman AFB, Mo., before returning to the 188th’s Det. 1 Razorback Range at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, Ark., for additional close air support training on Jan. 29. “As we get closer to June, we will experience a lot of historical moments at the 188th,” said Col. Mark Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander. “It’s bittersweet in that we’re losing our aircraft but we’re excited about the future of our wing and the cutting-edge mission with which the Air Force has entrusted us.” The wing, which has been divesting two Warthogs per month since September 2013, currently has nine A-10Cs on station. Two more are scheduled to leave this month, states the release.
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.