A-10 Thunderbolt II - Homeward bound

KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq—Two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to the 303rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron here taxi to the runway before the squadron’s final mission supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the unit’s eight-month deployment, squadron pilots flew 1,164 combat sorties and 3,360 flying hours without combat damage. Squadron airmen also helped establish two bases in Iraq. The reservists left Nov. 18 for Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., where they will rejoin other airmen of the 442nd Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Williams)