Maj. Tyler Schultz and Capt. Samantha Harvey awarded DFCs
The Military Times reports that A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) pilots Major Tyler Schultz and Captain Samantha Harvey of the 354th Fighter Squadron were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses for their actions over al-Shaddadi, Syria last May 2d as they provided close air support for American troops engaged in firefights with ISIS fighters;
The call first came from an American joint terminal attack controller, who reported that his team was surrounded and under direct fire from ISIS fighters.
Schultz and Harvey then executed multiple “gun runs” against an enemy force that had pinned down the American ground team.
First, the two pilots located the friendly forces and began to assess the enemy’s coordinated attack.
“Talking with the JTAC — I learned what fear sounds like,” Harvey said. “All that mattered was he needed us at that moment.”
While Schultz executed four strafe runs against the enemy fighters, Harvey descended in order to conduct a show of force maneuver to deter further attacks.
“It was dark, but I had a job to do,” Harvey said. “I thought to myself, this is the moment that I’ve been training for.”
The team’s coordination and quick response under pressure was credited with saving more than 50 Americans.
Category: Air Force
First!
BUUURRRTTTTTTTTTT!!
(spew alert)
Nice!
I thought for sure I had it today!
And a great big thank you from the crowd on the ground in America !!!
Great job and Keep up the fire !!!
HEROES!
We need more like you two – thank you for setting the example.
BZ!
But I thought the A10 Hogs were obsolete? /sarc. Bravo to the pilots.
“Harvey descended in order to conduct a show of force maneuver to deter further attacks.” Maybe someone can explain that to me. I prefer a show of force to be unloading on anything and everything that isn’t friendly.
Probably something ballsy like flying an A-10 20 feet off the ground, at top speed, guns a blazing, directly at the Enemy.
Maybe she was not armed? I dunno. Just guessing.
I have no first- or second-hand knowledge (and some would drop both qualifiers, but…)
I am thinking that there were no obvious targets available to her, but she knew the bad guys were still around and wanted to let them know that if they gave her a chance, she’d BUUUURRRRRPPP all over them.
The A-10 is feared by our enemies in the air because of what it can do on the battle field.
From what I understand, there are many air maneuvers that can scatter the rats and while the good guys stay on position the A-10 pilots can destroy the enemy.
Since they were designed to crack open Soviet main battle tanks like sardine cans, I think the fears the squishy people on the ground have is justified.
I think the sound of the brass balls clanging was the intent of the maneuver.
Captain Samantha Harvey has more balls than all of our Stolen Valor thieves, combined.
Good job zoomies! As my old Team Sgt used to say, “mans best friend is an A-10”.
If I had the option to do it all over again….
Bravo Zulu, Zoomies!
Love me some A-10.
Ahhh, the sweet, sweet sound of *BRRRRRRRRRRRT!*!
Do military photographers tell officers to say cheese?
I never have !
Good job the Air Force! Always good to hear about a weapon system that does the job it was designed for, with operators who are trained for the job the weapon was designed for. The A-10 is hands down the best at ground attack.
Somewhat off topic, but I’ve noticed how the Pentagon oscillates between “stupid” and “smart” on aircraft weapons. Back in the 1960’s we had “stupid” with the TFX, the plane that was gonna do it all and wound up incapable of anything. Eventually with some work it made a good medium bomber in the FB-11. Then we had a “smart” period which gave us the F-14, F-15, F-16 and A-10, each with a different role they excelled at. Then we got stupid again with the F-35, the plane that’s gonna do it all because, yeah, we got it right this time. Not!
The OV-10D was nice with four M-60’s.
Still in use.
I’ve heard mixed commentary concerning the F-14.
Regarding the F-15, F-16, and A-10, they share one thing in common: their designs were all strongly influenced by a guy named John Boyd.
Actually the FB-111B made an excellent penetration bomber. It’s a pity it supposed to be a fighter…
The Navy dropped out and eventually got their swing-wing fighter, the Tomcat. It’s a pity the Marines didn’t do that this time to get their V/STOL aircraft this time, and let the Navy/AF design new fighters. If they wanted commonality, then let the Navy pick a design and have the AF buy it as well.
I liked the vaark, but then again
my time in the USAF was with the Vaark so obviously I am a biased nut job F-111 nerd.
A brief F-111 model rundown:
SAC version FB-111A (380th & 509th BW)some converted to F-111G’s(27th, RAAF)(TF30-P7/TF30-P109 engine D model avionics & intake)
has heavier landing gear and longer wings.
TAC versions: F-111A,D,E,F
(A series)474th/347thprov./27th/366th,(TF30-P3 engine)(splitter plate intake) (1st turbo fan afterburning engine)
(D series)
27th(TF30-P9/TF30-P109 engine),(1st digital avionics aircraft,1st series with the triple plow II intake),
(E series)
(A model avionics, triple plow II intakes) 20th/27th (TF30-P3/TF30-P109 engine),
(F series)
366th/48th/27th(TF30-P100/TF30-P109 engine),(improved digital avionics, Pave TAC, triple plow II intakes)
Navy version: F-111B…1st acft to have the Phoenix missile system, 7 were made(TF30-P12 engine splitter plate intake(4 acft) also had heavier landing gear & the longer wings) last 3 built had the triple plow II intakes
ECM “SparkVaark” version: EF-111A(rebuilt and modified F-111A’s 366th/20th,27th FW’s) (TF30-P3 engine, splitter plate intake)
Australian (RAAF) Version: F-111C, RF-111C (TF30-P3/TF30-P109 engine, Has the A model splitter plate intake also has the heavier landing gear & longer wings of the FB & B series)
F-111G(tacticalised FB-111A(TF30-P7/TF30-P109 engine, triple plow II intake)
And all except the C models were based at Vaark city with the 27th TFW Cannon AFB, NM (A,E,D,F,EF & the FB’s modified into G’s) at 1 time or another, and all I have to say is, it is 1 of the most boring cattle manure smelling air force bases you could find yourself stationed at, after awhile
You actually begin to despise the bright sun, since it is never ending day in and day out for every season, what a difference going from there to England made, where you rarely saw the sun…. It was an interesting adventure to say the least though, in no small way thanks to the F-111.
Well Done! Damned well done Sir and Ma’am.
Heroic. Everyone makes fun of pilots because they get to go back to the rear and play golf. But the comfort that a warbird brings to the battlefield is amazing.
I still remember the first time I heard the A-10, it was during a Southern Watch in the 90s and they were practicing at the impact area in Kuwait. They were 8ks away and you could hear them clear as day. I figured all A10 pilots must be as deaf as artillerymen.
Everyone likes to bag on Airedales because they sleep on clean sheets every night, but when you need a Fast Mover or a Warthog for CAS…
Holy war!
BLAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWPPPPPP
….
BLAAAAWWWWWWWWWPPPPPP!
…
HOLY SHIT!!!!
LOL!!
Well Done, Air Force.
Gotta LOVE the A-10 and I personally love the moniker “Warthog”… massive props and salutes to both Major Schultz and BRASS BAWLS Capt. Harvey….she laid it all on the line. Women Zoomies know they have a lot to prove (like Women MMA Fighters and they ALWAYS “Bring It” when asked.
WARTHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWGS
R
4EVER!!!
Puttin’ the fear of GOD into the enemies
of the Republic since 1972.
Note: Yes, Captain Harvey. That’s what you signed on the line for. Thanks for bringin’ the pain.
*This is a paid political advertisement for
GruntPAC, LLC
Ladies and Gentlemen of TAH. I give you a repeat performance of ny experience with the A-10 :Before my years with Dustoff as a flight medic, I was (right after AIT) assigned as a medic to a 155 ARTY unit with the Big Red One. True story’ REFORGER 79, in the woods somewhere near Wurzburg, I found (what I thought) was a quite place to take a wiz….silence, solitude. Half way through “draining the the main vain” above my head, no more than tree top level an effin A-10 THUNDERBOLT 2 (WARTHOG) shatters the silence and scares the bejesus out of me. I swear I didn’t hear it until that SOB was right over my head. As I walked back to the TOC with piss all over my field pants, I said to myself: self, I’m glad that SOB is on our side.