A History of the A-10 Warthog

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, also widely known by the nickname A-10 Warthog, is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF) and has been in service since 1977. The A-10 was designed to provide close air support (CAS) to ground troops by attacking enemy armored vehicles, tanks, and other ground forces; it is the only production-built aircraft designed solely for CAS to have served with the USAF.  Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets, a role called forward air controller (FAC)-airborne.

It served in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), the American-led intervention against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, where the aircraft distinguished itself. The A-10 also participated in other conflicts such as the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Iraq War, and against the Islamic State in the Middle East (Wikipedia).

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About the speaker 

Gary Campbell is a freelance Artist/ Illustrator/Photographer who has spent his entire life living and working in the Bux Mont area.

His father was a Master Sargent in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict working with Army Intelligence at a secret mountaintop base in Ethiopia, keeping an ear on the Soviet War Machine. The University of the Arts, Bucks Country Community College, and the Fliesor Art Memorial are some of his many school adventures.

For twenty years Gary owned and operated his own classic auto restoration shop in Willow Grove, eventually selling to work at the Naval Air Warfare Center/ Aircraft Division in Warminster with FSEC (Field Systems Engineering Corp.) Gary designed and fabricated custom fixtures to facilitate the transfer of fragile and high value items. A lifelong model maker, Gary's models and artwork have been displayed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Intrepid Museum in NYC, Wildwood Air Museum, Maguire AFB and the Pentagon. He has designed and painted numerous nose art murals on private and military aircraft to include the NJ and Pa National Guard, Marine Air Group 49, and many reserve and active units. He has spent over twenty years volunteering at local historical groups.

Gary's field of interests include the early years of space exploration, the Cold War and early development of military jet aviation (Korea through Vietnam). He has flown the Stearman, T-34, SNJ, AT-6, L-29, L-39 and CJ-6, a Chinese copy of the Russian Yak. Familiarization flights include the CH-53, C-141, C-47, and the KC-135 Strato Tanker.

Gary worked for Tinius Olsen, a global manufacturer and supplier of materials testing machines, next to the defunct Naval Air Station JRB Willow Grove (now Biddle Air National Guard Base) for over 20 years in industrial manufacturing and retired in 2025. He is blessed with a daughter and three adorable grandchildren.

Most recently, Gary has embarked on a new adventure: children’s storybook author! He wrote, illustrated and published his first book, The Fairy and the Frog, and has plans for bringing many more stories to life!