As the Marines egressed, the A-10s flew directly at them, shooting the 30mm rounds over their heads at the Taliban who were in close pursuit behind. As Cavazos said: “While they were in the building it was easier to shoot that close to them, 40 to 50 meters or so most of the time. But once on foot it was a little more hairy.
“With their strobe lights on, marking their positions, it allowed us to shoot closer to them. We got inside 25 meters numerous times with the gun as they ran, carrying their wounded. What they saw coming at them was an A-10 with every light on at a very low altitude, tracer fire reaching up towards it from the Taliban, and suddenly the nose would fire and the 30mm shells would be on their way, screaming over their heads. The sound and force of 60 hand grenades a second going off behind you followed by the sound of the gun had to be incredible. Afterwards, we had a chance to meet these Marines, and they told us that every time we fired that close to them it made them feel more and more like they were going to actually live.”
The experience of having so many 30mm rounds pass just over his head was not lost on the Marines’ Team Chief, nor the effect the weapon had on the pursuing Taliban. He wrote in his account, “It is hard to describe what it’s like to see 30mm rounds from an A-10 impact less than 50 meters from you. All I can say is the combination of the flash of the guns firing, the sound it makes and the way the ground shook around us gave me the first real indication that we were really going to make it back that night. Every time the A-10s made a pass it was like a rallying call for our entire section… With deadly accurate and danger close fire they ceased a pursing enemy determined to finish us off.”
How Two A-10 Pilots Saved A Group Of Marines Who Were Cornered And Under Siege By The Taliban
and yet the AF Brass wants to get rid of the A-10 even lying about statistics
from 2015
At What Point Does The USAF's War Against The A-10 Become Sabotage?
“With their strobe lights on, marking their positions, it allowed us to shoot closer to them. We got inside 25 meters numerous times with the gun as they ran, carrying their wounded. What they saw coming at them was an A-10 with every light on at a very low altitude, tracer fire reaching up towards it from the Taliban, and suddenly the nose would fire and the 30mm shells would be on their way, screaming over their heads. The sound and force of 60 hand grenades a second going off behind you followed by the sound of the gun had to be incredible. Afterwards, we had a chance to meet these Marines, and they told us that every time we fired that close to them it made them feel more and more like they were going to actually live.”
The experience of having so many 30mm rounds pass just over his head was not lost on the Marines’ Team Chief, nor the effect the weapon had on the pursuing Taliban. He wrote in his account, “It is hard to describe what it’s like to see 30mm rounds from an A-10 impact less than 50 meters from you. All I can say is the combination of the flash of the guns firing, the sound it makes and the way the ground shook around us gave me the first real indication that we were really going to make it back that night. Every time the A-10s made a pass it was like a rallying call for our entire section… With deadly accurate and danger close fire they ceased a pursing enemy determined to finish us off.”
How Two A-10 Pilots Saved A Group Of Marines Who Were Cornered And Under Siege By The Taliban
and yet the AF Brass wants to get rid of the A-10 even lying about statistics
from 2015
At What Point Does The USAF's War Against The A-10 Become Sabotage?
It's my favorite ground attack aircraft. For fighter aircraft I've always been partial to the F-15 Eagle.
