A-10 Pilot Recounts Deadly Strike on High-Value Target in Afghanistan

The "Airborne Assassin" Mission

• 🎯 A veteran A-10 pilot recounts a mission in Afghanistan tasked with eliminating a high-value, time-sensitive target.
• ⚠️ The pilot describes frustrations with the A-10C model's communication standards, leading to multiple conflicting messages from different command elements.
• 💥 Despite the target being located with family nearby, the strike was authorized with an acceptable collateral damage estimate of "plus nine".

Execution and Aftermath

• ✈️ The pilot, as lead, executed two gun runs on the target area, firing approximately 500 rounds.
• 💔 Upon returning for Battle Damage Assessment (BDA), the pilot observed the entire village had gathered, and counted 16 bodies being removed.
• ❓ The experience left a lasting impact, questioning the cost and justification of the strike, especially given the lack of clear intelligence on the target's immediate threat.

Reflections on Combat and Intel

• 🧠 The pilot expresses a desire for clearer intel debriefs and understanding the chain of decision-making for such strikes, particularly when civilian casualties are high.
• 🕊️ He likens the situation to "swatting" incidents where false intel leads to devastating consequences, questioning the accountability and transparency of the process.
• 🎖️ The discussion touches on the glamorization of fighter pilot careers versus the psychological burden of carrying out missions with significant collateral damage, highlighting the need for a complete understanding of the "price of doing business."