Capt. Rick Mitchell, pilot, prepares an A-10 Thunderbolt II for a nighttime sortie over Afghanistan with the help of a crew chief on the ground, Staff Sgt. Scott Gaitley, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in early August.  Both are deployed from the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve A-10 unit, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.  (US Air Force photo/Maj. David Kurle)