Fighting Season by Rick Herter

An A-10 Thunderbolt II, also more affectionately known as the "Warthog", or "Hawg" for short, is taxiing by after leaving the arming area at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan. This painting was commissioned by the Red Devils of the 107th Fighter Squadron. The 107th is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Detroit.

This "Hawg" painting is a dramatic departure from most of the artist's previous A-10 paintings. The Commander of the unit wanted a ground scene that not only paid tribute to the airplane but to the dedicated airmen and maintenance troops that help keep the airplanes flying and the mission sorties on schedule. In the background is a 104th Fighter Squadron A-10 being prepared by the ground crew. The young airmen are pulling the arming pins from the bombs and doing one last close look over the aircraft before saluting the pilot and releasing the "Hawg" to taxi away and takeoff on another combat mission.