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A Sunday unlike any other

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Meridith
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  Capt. Dennis Hargis will never forget last Sunday, and it's likely that those whose lives he saved won't either. 

The 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron A-10 pilot from San Antonio, Texas, was mere days away from the end of his six-month deployment here when he received the call that nearby friendly troops were in contact with the enemy. Although he and his wingman had been returning to base from another mission in southern Afghanistan, they immediately raced to the scene. 

"We got on station and realized the situation was dire," Captain Hargis said. "A ten-vehicle convoy had come under ambush from two sides by heavy machine gun and mortar fire and multiple RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades]." 

Captain Hargis and his wingman swung into action, diving through the steep terrain from more than 20,000 ft. to reach the convoy. When the initial shock of the aircrafts' arrival failed to stop the attack, the A-10s realized the magnitude of what the convoy was facing. 

"It was a four-mile kill zone of constant ambush," said Captain Hargis. "An orchard near the convoy was just alive with muzzle flashes. The ground commander was calling up to us, saying 'we need your help!' I told my wingman we were going in and told the ground commander that because of his proximity to the enemy the bullets would come close. He gave us the go-ahead." 

Captain Hargis rolled in with an initial blast of 300 rounds from his 30 mm, seven-barrel Gatling gun, stopping the attack from the orchard. For the next 10 minutes, he and his wingman made multiple passes - six in all - until the enemy fire was silenced. 

"The guys on the ground did an extremely good job of telling me where the enemy fire was coming from and at what distance," said Captain Hargis. 

With the attack halted, the convoy was able to get to waiting helicopters and evacuate their wounded to medical care. Captain Hargis was later able to experience firsthand what his efforts meant when he was personally thanked by some of the wounded convoy members during a visit to the military hospital here. 

"Talking to them was a very emotional experience for me. In fact, the whole mission was one of the most intense and memorable experiences of my life. It's the toughest part of the job, but for A-10 pilots, this is what we train for everyday. Taking care of the guys on the ground is our first and foremost mission."