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recognize the situation the guys on the ground are in . . . and you do what you can, as quickly as you can, to help your fellow soldiers down there,” Campbell remembered later. Campbell’s plane was also designed spe- cifically for close-air support. She was flying an A-10 Thunderbolt. Its nickname in the Air Force is “Warthog.” An actual warthog is not very attrac- tive or graceful, and neither is the plane. In fact, it’s kind of an ugly thing. Even though it is not as sleek or fast as some of the military’s other fighter

Campbell’s A-10 Thunderbolt features wing-mounted cannons along with air-to-ground missiles.

jets, that’s not the point. The Warthog is designed to fly low and slow, so it can get in close to the tar- get and have enough time to fire. It’s a tough, durable plane, constructed like a flying tank. Titanium armor protects the outside, and it’s loaded with powerful weapons.

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