Airmen and the local community gathered as Davis-Monthan hosted the A-10’s final public range day at the Barry M. Goldwater Range.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, located in the Barry M. Goldwater Range near Gila Bend, Arizona, celebrated its last public Range Day with the A-10C Thunderbolt II on June 24, 2026. The announcement comes as the model nears imminent retirement, despite congressional approval to save the iconic plane.
“As the A-10C Thunderbolt II made one of its final passes over the Barry M. Goldwater Range near Gila Bend, Arizona, Airmen assigned to the 355th Wing, community members and civic leaders gathered to witness the familiar roar that had echoed in the skies over Tucson for nearly five decades, marking one of the aircraft’s final days of range,” the news release said.
For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that, although the Press release mentioned “one of the plane’s last days of range,” the title and title explicitly mentioned that “it was the A-10’s last day of range.”
Range Days are a traditional U.S. Air Force event held almost every other month at the Barry M. Goldwater Range by the 355th Wing. At these events, the A-10C executes a live-fire demonstration of its combat mission, captivating the public as well as Airmen, service members and their families.
Imminent retirement
The A-10C, better known as the Warthog, was scheduled to be retired at the end of 2026, however, it will now remain in service at least until the 2030s. In fact, the United States Congress is resisting attempts to completely retire the attack aircraft without replacing it.
The aircraft have participated in considerable actions against Iran during Operation Epic Fury, carrying a new nose refueling probe and electronic warfare pods, and returning with destruction marks representing Iranian bombs and warships. The lead-up to the type’s eventual sunset has also seen the Air Force deactivate other units and associated activities.
This includes the closure of Detachment 1 of the 40th Test Flight Test Squadron in December 2025, a geographically separate unit at Davis-Monthan Air Base that executed A-10 developmental test operations. On April 3, 2026, the US Air Force also ended A-10C training when the 357th Fighter Squadron graduated the last group of student pilots at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
End of range day
Describing the latest Field Day as “powerful and precise,” the service said it was “a living, breathing demonstration of everything the A-10 mission stood for: discipline, dedication and an unwavering commitment to those on the ground watching.”
Also among the spectators was retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Glen “Wally” Moorhead, who has witnessed the A-10 during 38 years of service. Moorhead delivered the first A-10 to Davis-Monthan nearly five decades ago and was also one of the first pilots of the A-10C variant.
“The attack culture is a special culture within the United States Air Force,” Moorhead reflected. “The people who fly the planes, the people who work on them, load them and run them, that mission culture is just strong, it’s extremely strong. And it’s always been a source of pride for me.”
Meanwhile, Tucson natives have come to see Range Days as more than just live-fire and acrobatic displays. “The roar of the machine gun and the sight of a wild boar in the clouds have become a message from the base to the city that supports it; a message that says, without words, that the people inside that fence are constantly mission-ready,” the statement said.
Retired Air Force Col. Bill Pitts, who flew the A-10 for more than 14 years in his 26-year career, reflected on the event’s community ties: “The attitude, the atmosphere around the A-10 is special. The pilots come to love each other and the attack community is a unique group.”
Other recent rank days
The recent Range Days before the last one at Gila Bend have been held since the beginning of the year. March 27, 2026, May 1, May 28 and June 11. Hosted by the 357th Fighter Generation Squadron (357th FGS), Field Days are attended by Airmen, civic leaders, Civil Air Patrol cadets and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets, where they witness the “installation strike and rescue mission.”
A-10 Warthog Strafing Run! I think it was about 107°F up there in the firing tower.
I had to keep my phone and camera in the shade between passes so they wouldn’t overheat and I wouldn’t be able to record! pic.twitter.com/TbJOgVJr1w
—Andrew Kelly (@andrewkphotos) June 30, 2026
Airmen in attendance “recognized as high performers had the opportunity to participate in an A-10 range day to see the mission that supports their work.” As for the A-10, a caption on one image said the range day “demonstrated the aircraft’s speed and maneuverability while supporting pilot proficiency in dynamic training environments.”
