An A-10 pilot describes what it's like to protect troops under fire
As Lt. Col. Mike Drowley says in his TEDx Talk, he's an attack pilot, but he sees himself as also being a Marine rifleman, Army infantryman, and Navy SEAL, because when he's flying in support of those people, he has to fly like its his own boots on the ground, his own face catching the heat and shrapnel from enemy artillery. And he wants to spend 15 minutes describing that world for you.
Drowley is now a full colonel and the commander of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. But don't let the name fool you, the 355th primarily operates A-10s and, while Drowley has flown F-15s, F-16s, and training aircraft, his career has centered on the beloved Warthog.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/military-culture/a10-warthog-attack-pilot-tedtalk
