WATCH: Sen. Kelly Delivers Commencement Speech for Newest A-10 Pilots at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly congratulated the Air Force’s newest A-10 pilots at a graduation ceremony yesterday with the 357th fighter squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The dozen graduating airmen completed a syllabus of 83 hours of flight time across more than 40 sorties, 100 hours of simulator training and 268 hours of academic instruction over a six-month period. Upon graduation, these Airmen become the U.S. Air Force’s newest qualified wingmen, able to deploy with operational units should they be called upon.

As the graduation’s guest speaker, Senator Kelly shared personal stories about his time learning to fly attack aircraft in the Navy and words of wisdom with the pilots who will be deployed all over the world, from Korea to here at home.

Kelly, a 25-year veteran of the Navy, has flown close air support missions in combat and continues to be vocal in his opposition to the Biden administration’s proposal to partially retire the A-10. Recently, Kelly raised concerns with the country’s highest ranking military officer, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to review the Department of Defense’s budget request for the next fiscal year. Kelly has also introduced the bipartisan A-10 Resolution recognizing the A-10 aircraft as a critical component of America’s national security and the most effective and cost-efficient Close Air Support attack aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory.

Kelly, a 25-year veteran of the Navy, has flown close air support missions including in combat and continues to be vocal in his opposition to the Biden administration’s proposal to partially retire the A-10. Recently, Kelly raised concerns with the country’s highest ranking military officer, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to review the Department of Defense’s budget request for the next fiscal year. Kelly has also introduced the bipartisan A-10 Resolution recognizing the A-10 aircraft as a critical component of America’s national security and the most effective and cost-efficient Close Air Support attack aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory.

Kelly has experience as a combat pilot and test pilot, logging more than 5,000 hours in more than 50 different aircraft, completing 375 carrier landings. Kelly also flew 39 combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm.

You can watch the speech HERE.