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Maryland Retires Last A-10s, Inactivates 104th Fighter Squadron as Flying Mission Ends

The 175th Wing now pivots to a cyber-focused role after a planned F-16 transfer fell through with the change in administration.

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A-10C Thunderbolt II 79-0087 at rest at the Hagerstown Aviation Museum, housed in the factory where it was originally built almost 50 years ago. (Image credit: Andrew Stover / Jet A Aviation on Flickr)
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Overview

  • Ceremonies at Warfield Air National Guard Base and in Hagerstown marked the departure of the final two A-10Cs and the formal casing of the 175th Operations and Maintenance groups.
  • Maryland is now the only U.S. state without an Air National Guard flying mission following the Air Force’s divestment directive announced in March 2024.
  • The last two Maryland A-10s are being transferred to the Michigan Air National Guard, with other aircraft previously flown to the Davis-Monthan boneyard and one preserved at the Hagerstown Aviation Museum.
  • About 545 to 550 airmen are affected and are being offered cross-training into cyberspace and intelligence roles, with options to relocate or retire.
  • Efforts by state leaders to secure D.C. Air Guard F-16s collapsed after the administration change in January, leaving no replacement aircraft despite the 104th’s century-long lineage and nine combat deployments in the past two decades.