Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) interview on the merits of the A-10 "Warthog"

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In this interview, Air Force Technical Sergeant Robert Gutierrez discusses a firefight, in which he directed A-10 "Warthogs" from the ground against enemy targets within close proximity ("Danger Close"). For his heroism during this battle, Sergeant Gutierrez was awarded the Air Force Cross.

Background: On 5 October, 2009, Sergeant Gutierrez, a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) embedded with a special operations team in Afghanistan, was on a kill/capture mission for a high-value Taliban leader. The special operations team met the enemy, who was well prepared for a firefight, and became split and pinned down in a compound by intense, accurate, and effective small arms fire.

This portion of the interview picks up after Sergeant Gutierrez describes taking a bullet to the chest and the medical attention he received under fire. He was forced to abort a remotely piloted aircraft due to misidentification of the target (it was targeting their building). His team had also received a show of force flyby by F-16s, which departed early because their aircraft were low on fuel.

Sergeant Gutierrez describes how a flight of A-10s' lethal 30 MM strafe killed the enemy (who was within 20 feet of Gutierrez's position) and ultimately saved the lives of his teammates.

This video exemplifies why ground commanders still require "close-in" firepower (effects within 100 meters) on the spectrum of close air support (CAS), and why the A-10 is currently the world's premier CAS aircraft for these effects.