The U.S. Air Force’s 355th Wing has flown the final A-10C Thunderbolt II mission at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, ending A-10 operations at the base after about 50 years. The farewell flight took place on Wednesday, with a two-ship formation flown by Lt. Col. Rodney Dwyer and Lt. Col. Ryan Rutter as the aircraft passed over Tucson and the installation one last time.
The final flight marks the close of a long chapter for Davis-Monthan, where the A-10 first arrived in 1976. The aircraft has been a signature presence at the base for decades, and its departure ends a major close-air-support mission role there. The aircraft involved were assigned to the 355th Wing, which carried out the last A-10C sortie from the installation.
The Air Force is ending A-10 operations at Davis-Monthan as part of a broader fleet and basing transition. Local reporting says the remaining aircraft are being reassigned, while Davis-Monthan shifts its focus to rescue and special operations missions. The final flyover is a concrete milestone in the service’s A-10 divestment and realignment, with implications for force structure, basing and maintenance.