{"id":60517,"date":"2025-08-17T20:50:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T18:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=60517"},"modified":"2026-08-17T02:10:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T00:10:34","slug":"the-audacity-of-two-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-pilots-to-assist-a-comrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/08\/17\/the-audacity-of-two-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-pilots-to-assist-a-comrade\/","title":{"rendered":"The audacity of two A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots to assist a comrade"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The ambush by several MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighters against two F-15 Eagles over Iraq<\/a><\/rel>
\nWhen Abrams and Challenger overwhelmed in 1991 tanks like the ones Russia still uses<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

Iraqi forces were overwhelmed by the military might of the allied countries<\/strong>, 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<\/strong>, 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<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An A-10 flying over Iraq in June 2003 (Photo: NARA<\/a>).<\/div>\n

In that U.S. armored column was one A-10 pilot, John \"Coke\" Blocher, acting as JTAC<\/strong> (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<\/strong>. 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<\/strong>, in a close air support mission that tested their preparation and the endurance of their aircraft.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An A-10 at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, in December 2003 (Photo: NARA<\/a>).<\/div>\n

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