Summary

  • The US Air Force plans to retire the A-10 Warthog fleet by 2029 due to changes in warfare requirements.
  • Lieutenant Colonel John “Karl” Marx had an illustrious 37-year career as an A-10 Warthog driver before retiring.
  • Lt. Col. Marx became the highest-time A-10 pilot ever, with 1161 combat hours and numerous awards.

The Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, known much better to civilians and military types by its beloved “Warthog” nickname, made its maiden flight on May 10, 1972. Like the other fifty-something (and older) warbirds in the US Armed Forces fleets – the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and the Lockheed P-3 Orion come immediately to mind – it’s safe to say that the Warthog is older than most of the pilots flying it.

There is at least one noteworthy exception to that sweeping generalization, and Simple Flying will now discuss his remarkable career. Col. John “Karl” Marx recently retired from the US Air Force after a remarkable 37-year career as a Warthog driver.

Related

Why Does The USAF Want To Retire The A-10 Warthog?

The US Air Force has firmed up plans to retire its A-10 ‘Warthog’ fleet by 2029. In a report by Defense News, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said Close Air Support was less of a requirement these days and that the low- and slow-flying aircraft wouldn’t survive in a war with an enemy such as China. Permission from Congress came after years of resistance and will see the A-10 removed from the fleet over the coming half-decade. The USAF will focus instead on multi-role aircraft like the F-35. I can agree, to some extent, that the A-10 is unsuitable for some modern warfare missions, but in other situations – developing countries, for example – it could be a strategic advantage to keep at least a small fleet. It’s tough, cost-effective, and can’t be matched in CAS. Eyebrows raise over the cost of maintenance, but surely a complex modern jet like the F-35 costs a fair bit to keep flying too? What do you think about the A-10 leaving the USAF? Share your thoughts below!

John “Karl” Marks’s early career

“Karl” was 26 years of age when he received his proverbial “baptism of fire” during the 1991 Persian Gulf War (AKA Operation Desert Storm). He earned his USAF commission via Officer Training School (OTS) in 1987. He would’ve earned his pilot’s wings from Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) either that year or the following year.

“Blooded” in Desert Storm

During the Gulf War, “Karl” – a 1st Lieutenant – got his first taste of combat and rose to the occasion.

Paired up with his flight lead, then-Capt. Eric “Fish” Solomonson, Lieutenant Marks destroyed 23 of then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s main battle tanks (MBTs) over three missions on the same day, February 25, 1991.

Since then, according to a statement for the 442nd Fighter Wing, “Karl” deployed 12 more times and responded to 48 troops-in-contact situations (i.e., close air support [CAS] missions) over 358 combat sorties. In 2001, he transferred from the active-duty Air Force to the Air Force Reserve (USAFR).

Lt. Col. Marks’ breadth of accomplishments

Fast-forward 30 years to September 1, 2021, and, according to Maj. Shelley Ecklebe of the 442nd Fighter Wing, in an article published on the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) website, Lt. Col. John Marks “became the only pilot to reach 7,000 hours in the A-10C Thunderbolt II.”

He retired on August 23, 2024, in a ceremony held in the 5-Bay maintenance hangar on Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. His tally of accomplishments in the A-10 reads as follows:

  • Highest-time A-10 pilot ever
  • 1161 combat hours
  • 39,340 rounds of 30mm depleted uranium ammunition expended in combat
  • 141,500 rounds fired in non-combat situations, bringing his total to 180,840 30mm rounds
  • Nearly 350 bombs dropped
  • 59 AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles fired

Marks also earned the following awards and decorations:

In his own words

John Marks said in a September 2021 interview with Maj. Ecklebe:

“I’ve been luck [sic] enough to deploy quite a bit over my career, there’s no way I could pick just one highlight. If I were absolutely forced to pick, I would call it a tie between eliminating 23 Iraqi tanks on February 25th, 1991, during Desert Storm flying with Eric ‘Fish’ Salomonson, and the mission in Afghanistan’s Kunar Valley in 2014 when I was able to use every skill I ever learned as an A-10 pilot to help extract Jaguar 20 from an intense Troops-in-Contact situation when they were nearly surrounded by Taliban.”

“Other highlights that come to mind are: strafing enemy positions in Afghanistan’s Tagab Valley at dusk with Todd ‘Riddler’ Riddle; eliminating an entire force of Taliban ‘Red Unit’ fighters at night with Brad ‘Roadie’ Jones in 2018; a crazy 8-plus hour night mission in 2003 with Terry ‘Goof’ Gostomski, the details of which I will leave out.”

“Overall, I just feel humbled and grateful to be celebrating this milestone today. The quality and caliber of fighter pilots in today’s force keeps me young, keeps me humble, and motivates me daily.”

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