Six-Month Mission To Begin In Early October

A dozen A-10 "Warthog" airplanes and more than 300 airmen attached to the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard are scheduled to be deployed to the Middle East early in October. And while they are not specifically part of the current campaign against ISIS, the airplanes could provide air support for ground troops in that fight.

The deployment is expected to last six months, according to the Indiana Air National Guard. Col. Patrick R. Renwick, 122nd Fighter Wing commander, who said in a statement that the airplane is "uniquely suited for the Combatant Commander's needs," and the "Blacksnakes" are "the right team to bring that capability to combat."

The Hill reports that the 122nd Fighter Wing will send 303 airmen, while the Terre Haute (IN) Air Guard base will send five.

Renwick said the deployment is "historic for its length and size relative to previous Air National Guard deployments, which in the past have ranged from 30 to 90 days."

(A-10 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.in.ng.mil