The Maryland Air National Guard (ANG) said goodbye to their last two A-10s this week. It marks the end of Maryland’s ANG flying operations, making Maryland the first state to be without a ANG flying mission.
The 175th Wing hosted a formal goodbye to the aircraft at Martin Airport, Warfield Air National Guard Base in Middle River, MD., and deactivated the Air Guard’s 175th Operations Group, 175th Maintenance Group and all subordinate units. Governor Wes Moore and military leaders spoke, paying tribute to the aircraft and the men and women who made it happen.
“Thank you to every Airman who has worn these patches, turned wrenches on these jets, flown these missions, and given so much of themselves to this noble calling,” said Maryland ANG Brig. Gen. Drew E. Dougherty. “You will always be part of the proud history of the Maryland ANG, these two outstanding Groups, and you will always carry on our proud and distinguished legacy.”
All A-10s will be retired by 2026
Although the A-10 is being retired, the last two planes from Maryland have been transferred to the Michigan ANG. Maryland ANG’s other A-10s were flown earlier this year to the Arizona boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB.
The fight to retire or save the A-10 lasted for years, but eventually Congress agreed to retire them, and so the sun is setting on the A-10. The USAF is even accelerating their decommissioning, budgeting $57 million to have all A-10s retired in 2026.
The loss of Maryland ANG’s A-10s also comes as part of a USAF plan to turn the 175th into a cyber wing. Maryland ANG had to divest all of their A-10s from the 104th Fighter Squadron by Sep 30, 2025.
From A-10s to Cyberspace
The 104th was the longest-standing operational A-10 SQN, with a storied history and heritage going back more than 100 years. About 550 people with the 104th will now move onto other things, including various cyber roles with the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group, which executes offensive and defensive cyber operations and includes an intelligence squadron.
USAF hopes that the new wing will create a natural synergy with nearby Fort Meade, which hosts U.S. Cyber Command HQ, the National Security Agency, and the Air Force’s 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing.
“Some of our pilots, some of our maintainers, they’re going to keep doing what they do, but with another unit,” said Deputy Wing Commander Dave Wright, “Some in the local area. Some not. It just depends of how it works for them.”
“While the mission is changing, the role of defending this country has not changed,” added Wright, “So a lot of these folks are going to be the sheepdogs that are protecting Americans. They’re just going to be doing it in a different mission space.”
