That is good news Paul! Let's see just how long it lasts. Poor Hawg really is up against it when it's owner no longer wants it. Same thing happened with the premature retirement of the SR-71 which did leave USA with a reconnaissance gap - which may even still exist. I think there is more "love" in Congress for the A-10 though.
It just seems crazy for a lay person like me for the USAF to enter into a multi-million dollar program to build wing sets for the Hawg to keep it flying another 20 years and then in the next breath want to send them to the bone yard - such incredible waste. A great percentage of CAS can and is done by other assets but they do not have that "In your face" aspect that the Hawg offers - both to intimidate the bad guys and lift the morale of the good guys. This is what will be lost of the Hawg goes. Very difficult decision when a finite amount of money can only go around just so far.
Whilst there is all this crap to be dealt with over in the "Great Sandpit" and beyond, the Hawg has a vital role and must stay I say!
BTW, my "bling" has arrived for my future Hawg build - 4 x GBU-38's plus the "Sniper" pod. This is the sort of load out I'm aiming for.