The audacity of two A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots to assist a comrade

The Iraq War (2003-2011) began with an invasion in which the United States and its allies had a great military advantage.

The ambush by several MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighters against two F-15 Eagles over Iraq
When Abrams and Challenger overwhelmed in 1991 tanks like the ones Russia still uses

Iraqi forces were overwhelmed by the military might of the allied countries, but not all battles were easy. Allied combatants faced some very complicated situations, such as the one that occurred near Baghdad in April 2003, when a US armored column, Task Force 2-69, encountered an Iraqi force consisting of T-72 main battle tanks, supported by armored infantry vehicles and anti-aircraft artillery at the Muthanna Bridge, near Baghdad, in the midst of a sandstorm that made it difficult for allied forces to receive air support.

In that U.S. armored column was one A-10 pilot, John "Coke" Blocher, acting as JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller), directing air operations in the area. Coke was hoping to return home in time for the birth of his first child. Amid this desperate situation and despite all the adversities, two A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft pilots, Raymond "Donk" Strasburger and Greg "Billy Bob" Thornton, came to the aid of their comrade, in a close air support mission that tested their preparation and the endurance of their aircraft.

Donk and Billy Bob were awarded the Silver Star for this action in recognition of putting their lives at great risk in aid of a friendly force in desperate straits. Yesterday, the YouTube channel Yarnhub released an excellent video recreating that desperate standoff around Muthanna Bridge (the video has an audio track and English subtitles, you can turn them on in the bottom bar of the player):

You can see some screenshots from this video here, in which Yarnhub once again demonstrates the extraordinary quality of its work.

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Main photo: U.S. Air Force. A file photo of two A-10 attack aircraft in 2014.