On Thursday, Arizona Congressman Ron Barber’s gamble with the future of Air Force’s A-10 paid off in a roll call vote on the House floor.
A bipartisan vote resulted in a 300 to 114 victory which will prevent the USAF from divesting the A-10 in FY2015. A-10 pilots said that Barber deserves high praise now that the issue will move to the Senate, with vote expected in early July.
“This is a victory for those brave men and women in our armed forces and engaged in ground combat who depend on the A-10,” Barber said tonight. “I am fighting for the A-10 to remain in service because there is no better and more effective aircraft for close air support of our soldiers and Marines on the ground.”
The amendment prohibits the Pentagon from spending any money to “divest, retire, transfer or place in storage, or prepare to divest, retire, transfer of place in storage any A-10 aircraft.” It also prohibits the Pentagon from closing any active or reserve unit that flies or is otherwise associated with the A-10.
Former A-10 pilot Lt. Col. (ret) Tom Norris said immediately after the vote, “Ron Barber and a team of representatives sponsored an amendment to the House Appropriations Bill tonight. The result was a major victory for our troops on the ground! Thankfully Rep Barber is not trying to sell missiles and respects our troops on the ground enough to give them the very best CAS aircraft in the world!”
Norris, a legend in the A-10 community concluded, “Next up — the Senate Appropriations Committee vote — please call all Senators on the committee. This fight is not over.”
Radio show host, James T. Harris, who was the first to reveal to the residents of southern Arizona that the Air Force was targeting the plane, and as a result its home at the Davis Monthan Air Force base, has worked closely with A-10 pilots to get the word out and gather support from the public. On Thursday, Harris remembered one of the plane’s biggest champions, Lt. Colonel Muck Brown who passed away this year. “A heart-felt thank you must go to the spirit of Muck Brown, Congressman Barber, Tom Norris, Chuck Wooten, and the residents of Tucson who care about the mission of CAS. until there is something better, I will continue to fight for the A-10. Our troops deserve it. Now to the Senate.”
In the Senate, the A-10 will have the support of its most stalwart champion; Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.
In a Senate hearing in March, General John Campbell, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, who has commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and also commanded the 101st Airborne Division, also praised the airframe during his testimony. “Commanding the 101st in RC-East [in Afghanistan] we had A-10 capability come in and provide close air support to our soldiers in very bad terrain. What I think the soldiers on the ground, both the special operators and conventional forces, would tell you it’s a game changer,” he said. “It’s ugly, it’s loud, but when it comes in…it just makes a difference, and so it would be a game changer.”
The Warthog then won the support of Arizona Senator John McCain, who questioned the sanity of mothballing the A-10 before an adequate replacement is fully operational.
Barber’s proposed an amendment to the 2015 defense appropriation bill had appeared to pass on a voice vote on Wednesday but was forced to a roll call vote tonight.
Barber has fought hard for the A-10, and surprised many when he moved to propose the amendment rather than allow the matter to be taken up by the Senate, but tonight there was nothing but kind words for the congressman from southern Arizona.
CD2 Candidate and Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Chuck Wooten has been watching this process very closely with daily interaction with the A-10 community to save the aircraft from premature elimination from the Air Force inventory.
In the wake of tonight’s vote, Wooten offered a statement saying that the vote to save the A-10 “is a clear win for our war fighters whose very lives depend on it. It’s also a clear win for the taxpayers who have already paid for this extraordinary weapon system and keeping it will not be precious dollars down the drain.”
“I roundly applaud the efforts of those who so actively fought to keep the A-10 in the air for a while longer. I must, however question the tactics by Congressman Ron Barber and his approach to engage in such risky maneuvers,” concluded Wooten.
Winslow Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project said, “The 300-114 margin was a lopsided result which shows that the political support for the A-10 extends well beyond just those with A-10 bases in their state or district. The House of Representatives stood tall for a weapon that is both effective and cheap.”
For a list of senators’ contact numbers and the A-10’s capabilities click here.
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