Hogs in the Sand: A Gulf War A-10 Pilot's Combat Journal

by Buck Wyndham

I am awed by my destructive power. With a small squeeze of the gun trigger under my right index finger, I can rip the turret off a thirty-ton battle tank and throw it 200 feet across the desert, while the rest of the tank burns in an explosion of white-hot, burning phosphorescence. But the cold, morbid reality of it does not exist from where I sit and watch it happen. There's no dramatic chord. No deafening explosion. No screams suddenly stifled. The soundtrack of a pilot's war is mostly silent. The mighty, iconic A-10 Warthog was first thrust into battle in Operation Desert Storm. The men who took it through walls of flak and surface-to-air missiles to help defeat the world's fourth-largest army were as untested as their airplanes, so they relied on personal determination and the amazing A-10 to accomplish their missions, despite the odds. Hogs in the Sand is the epic and deeply-personal year-long journey of one of those pilots as he fights an increasingly terrifying war, all the while attempting to win over a woman and keep control of his internal demons. For anyone who has admired the Warthog, seen it in action, or called upon it to be their salvation, this story will fulfill a desire to virtually strap into the cockpit, while gaining unprecedented understanding of the mind of a modern combat pilot.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, History, War, Memoir, Military History

442 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2020

About the author

Buck Wyndham graduated from college and joined the Air Force to fly his dream airplane, the A-10 Thunderbolt II―also called the "Warthog." He became one of the very first pilots to take the mighty Warthog into battle, flying numerous missions during Operation Desert Storm.

He went on to fly the T-38 Talon as an instructor, training new Air Force pilots. He is currently a Captain for a major U.S. airline, and also continues to fly privately-owned, surplus military jets as a test pilot and instructor.

Buck has written several articles for magazines including Warbirds, Classic Jet Journal, and Warbird Digest. A skilled photographer and videographer, he also enjoys vintage aircraft, studying history, 3D printing, collecting tools, driving his rail speeder, and exploring ghost towns. He is working on his next book, a novel entitled Red Air.

Reviews

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonably interesting. Could have done without all the Sarah nonsense, in fact I skipped whole sections of this ridiculous puppy love BS

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly bland, with only average writing. Feels a bit sanitized. I would rather his detailed dreams had been edited out.

> Most annoying of all, we don’t have access to satellite photos of enemy targets, photos that could help us plan tactics for attacking them. We know the pictures are being taken, but because of the ridiculous classification rules under which that part of the US intelligence community operates, many potential users of such images, like us, are not cleared to see them. The rationale is that the photos reveal certain capabilities of our satellites. CNN, while it obviously won’t be showing any classified photos, will at least provide us with basic information about how the war is going. A front-line combat squadron getting wartime intel from CNN is truly a preposterous situation

> A maintenance crewman was working on an A-10 down on the flight line, and he apparently forgot to disconnect the electrical connector or “pigtail” that connects the airplane to its Maverick missiles before starting his work. An electrical surge traveled into one of the missiles, causing it to ignite with a loud whoosh and shoot across the ramp, unarmed and unguided. It embedded itself deep into one of the steel revetment walls and scared the hell out of everyone nearby.

> I’ve come to realize that I am capable of maintaining myself in a mindset of gung-ho, tears-in-the-eyes, flag-waving patriotism, if it’s necessary. I’ve developed the ability to ignore most of the effects of the annoying inner voice that sometimes whispers to me, You’re killing real people out there.

> Several guys in the Wing have begun talking about boresighting their Maverick missiles to the same reference point to which the A-10’s cannon is always aimed. That way, they can film their strafe targets by using the Maverick video recorder. We’ll get on CNN yet.

> Colonel Sorrin is our Wing commander back at Alconbury. He rode a transport plane down here to Saudi Arabia a week ago, ostensibly so he could support his troops and check up on us. Since he arrived here, it’s also become fairly obvious he’s determined to get himself a medal or two by flying some combat missions.

> The location of the targets was so off-kilter with what the A-10 was designed to do, it momentarily stunned us. The Hog has now clearly moved into a different realm of existence in this war. Instead of close air support (CAS) near the edge of the enemy border, we have begun doing deep battlefield air interdiction (BAI), a role for which we have limited training and not much capability. And even less enthusiasm

> My eyelid twitch is still there, all day, every day. It’s still my only physical manifestation of stress. My mind seems to be processing and eliminating most of my stress, and it’s doing it in the form of nightmares. I have them almost nightly, and they are clearly the outlet for my demons

> Returning here seemed ridiculous. I wanted to be out there shooting Mavericks at bad guys because that’s the only thing that has ever really made me feel totally alive.

[Jens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful about how Desert Shield to Desert Storm back to peacetime was experienced by an A10 pilot. It was a good and personal story. The many alarms and near-misses could easily be mistaken for training drills, but it was simply a very unbalanced war. The book makes one eager to fly and jealous of the pilot life.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ SIMPLY OUTSTANDING ⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a retired USAF veteran, I found this to be one of the finest books on military aviation I have ever read !!!

[Michael Janes]

[Audiobook] DNF, Ch 10/22. Was enjoying it but it didn’t grab my attention and I have other stuff to move onto. May revisit.

[Don Alesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buck is the real deal. He is the quiet hero and attack pilot of the mighty A10. It's affectionally known as the "Warthog." "Hogs In The Sand" is his memoir of flying the A10 in Dessert Storm. It reads like a novel. This book is just as much about Buck and his fellow pilots as it is about this amazing jet. There is even a touch of potential romance involved.
I couldn't put it down and I'm sure you won't either. One of the best books about Desert Storm.

[Joshua Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and a story worth telling.

Thanks for sharing your story Buck, you paint a vivid picture that provides the rest of the world that may only dream of flying these a glimpse of the adventures that may be had and the realities of war.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buck Wyndham’s “Hogs in the Sand: A Gulf War A-10 Pilot’s Combat Journal” is a masterful, pulse-pounding chronicle that puts readers right in the cockpit of the legendary A-10 Warthog during the harrowing days of Operation Desert Storm. Wyndham, who dreamed of flying the A-10 from childhood, brings passion and authenticity to every page, opening an unfiltered window into the life—both extraordinary and mundane—of a combat pilot. The memoir thrives on its candid, often visceral storytelling. Wyndham weaves together electrifying accounts of aerial warfare—dodging flak, executing low-altitude attack runs, and witnessing the raw power of the Warthog’s fearsome cannon—with introspective moments that reveal the psychological toll of war. He doesn’t sanitize the emotional cost; instead, he bravely shares moments of anxiety, stress, and self-doubt, allowing us to empathize deeply with the man behind the flight suit. A striking passage reflects his awe at his own destructive power and the eerie detachment that comes with pushing the limits of deadly machinery: “With a small squeeze of the gun trigger...I can rip the turret off a thirty-ton battle tank… But the cold, morbid reality of it does not exist from where I sit and watch it happen. The soundtrack of a pilot’s war is mostly silent.” But “Hogs in the Sand” is more than a combat memoir. It’s also a full-fledged journal of daily life in a war zone—behind the adrenaline, there’s boredom, technical snags, and even a budding romance that offers a rare, humanizing counterpoint to the stark landscape of battle. Wyndham captures the camaraderie, gallows humor, and resilience that keep squadrons sane amid chaos. The technical detail is spot on, but never overwhelming. Whether you’re an aviation buff or a newcomer, the narrative remains accessible and engaging, blending tactical insight with riveting storytelling. Readers routinely compare Wyndham’s work favorably to other military aviation memoirs, praising its humility, honesty, and “reads-like-a-novel” pacing. If you want a vivid, unforgettable glimpse into the cockpit—and psyche—of an A-10 pilot at war, “Hogs in the Sand” is a must-read.

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

In Hogs in the Sand, A-10 Warthog attack pilot Buck Wyndham's journal takes the reader into the cockpit on training missions over Great Britain and into combat during Desert Shield/Storm. The technical details, descriptive prose, and aerial accounts are a testament to A-10 pilots' talent and bravery, the awesome destructive power of the Hog, and the critical role they played in this conflict.

While the adrenaline-inducing combat sorties are the highlight, the recurring accounts of foul-weather flying and technical failures are equally riveting. The author and his squadron rely on constant vigilance, artful teamwork, and brazen courage to survive each mission.

While the aerial outings read like an action novel, "Hogs" slows down in parts to detail the day-to-day tedium and monotony of a deployment, delve into a love interest, and provide an unabashedly honest look into the warrior psyche as it processes near-death, killing, and doubt. Some readers may find the ground time a lot less interesting than the combat, but it's part of the author's story. The introspective parts reveal a patently human story of self-reflective humility that provides an interesting contrast to the prevailing "cocky pilot" attitude.

Military history and aviation buffs will likely enjoy this book's highly detailed aerial combat accounts.

Review by Ingo Kaufman (February 2023)

[Micah Treptau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of an A-10 pilot during Desert Storm, showing the awesome, awful, and mundane. A surprising amount of the book shows the training leading up to Buck's deployment, the squadron's down-time in Saudi Arabia, and the missions themselves.

[Michael DeRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The actual combat parts were good. Not sure why he had so much about Sarah only to end the war shot down in another way.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read and taught me a lot. Seemed genuine and real. Liked the personal tough he gave it with regards to his emotions and liked how he talked about his squadron mates. Opened up a whole new genre to me: post WWII fighter pilot memoirs.

[Tom McCleary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hogs... sand... and Sarah. Author spent 25% of the book swooning over Sarah. I'm done with Sarah. This could have been an epic book.

[Regina Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Outstanding Job

This work kept my attention thru out its entirety. I felt that I was in the cockpit with him. Also, I wondered if he was going to get the girl. I enjoyed it tremendously!

[Don Alesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Reads like a novel even though it's a memoir.

Buck is the real deal. He is the quiet hero and attack pilot of the mighty A10. Affectionately known as the Warthog. "Hogs In the Sand" is his memoir of flying the A10 in Desert Storm. It reads like a novel. The book is just as much about Buck and his fellow pilots as it is about this amazing ground attack jet. There is even a touch of potential romance involved. I couldn't put it down and I'm sure you won't either. One of the best books on Dessert Storm.

[Brandon Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

This book was everything I hoped it would be. It was full of enough technical terms for any aviation enthusiast to appreciate but not so much that someone who is new to aviation or military would get frustrated with. Being a veteran of Afghanistan I can relate to how he portrays his view of war from his perspective from the beginning, middle, and the time he leaves Saudi Arabia. I think what he experiences is a feeling that a lot of veterans go through during a war. It was an exciting read and I highly recommend it. Buck writes his story in a way that you can really feel connected to him. He writes honestly and gives himself credit when it is due but doesn’t write with so much bravado that leaves you rolling your eyes and questioning the validity of his story. He seems like a great guy and I would love to meet him someday and get an autographed copy of his book.

[Ryan Wohldmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! Living through Buck Wyndham’s journal, he takes you on a fantastic journey all the way through Desert Storm, even before and after. It is a fascinating look into the mind of a fighter pilot. Most fascinating to me is his revaluations after the war when he gets to see the carnage he caused up close. He really lets you peer into his thoughts and experience it first hand. Cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who even has the slightest interest in aviation or military life!

[jeff gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great aircraft

The author Keeps moving. Not a lot of bs and oh look at me. He seemed to rarely use his cannon , I thought was one of the A10’s best weapons

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wyndham gives us a lot of insight - into the role of the A-10 Warthog in Desert Storm, what he was thinking and feeling during the conflict, and life as a member of the armed forces in the Persian Gulf during this time.
Wyndham walks us through training exercises and his combat missions in Kuwait and Iraq. I learned quite a bit - A-10's adjusted their tactics from the hill hopping they were trained for in Europe to higher altitudes in Kuwait and Iraq - often flying at 20,000 feet and dive bombing target. I didn't realize the extent to which A-10's relied on air tankers as well as the critical role of AWACS in coordinating the various attack aircraft. Also interesting that most of the ordinance dispensed was bombs and Maverick missiles, with limited use of the 30 mm chain gun.
Wyndham also talks us through what he was thinking and feeling throughout - facing anxiety, the missions where he felt the most stress, the missions that he particularly enjoyed, what drove morale up and down, some of the challenges faced by him and fellow pilots.
There are also descriptions of camp life and his time in the area after the war concluded.
A well written insightful book that offers a look into A-10 operations during Operation Desert Storm.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wyndham wanted to be an A-10 pilot ever since he was 11 years old, when he first saw the planes fly over a South Carolina beach. The author achieved his goal, entering the Air Force and finally getting to pilot the so-called Warthog, a sturdy, air-to-ground attack plane famous for flying low and taking a lot of incoming fire. “In addition to the world’s most powerful forward-firing aircraft-mounted gun protruding from its snout,” writes Wyndham, still as enthused as he was in childhood, “the Warthog’s thick, Hershey-bar–shaped wings could carry a vast assortment of bombs, rockets, and missiles. The plane was designed to kill just about anything on a battlefield.” When Wyndham joined up, Warthog pilots did little more than fly intense Cold War exercises, but he and his comrades soon found themselves on the front lines of a very hot war in the Middle East. In the battle against Saddam Hussein’s military—the fourth largest in the world at the time—the Warthogs were the bulwark protecting the rest of the United States advance. The Gulf War put the Warthog’s dexterity to the ultimate test and tried the author’s nerves both on the battlefield and off. Wyndham’s prose is taut and punchy, capturing the speed and violence of his missions: “I level out momentarily, then roll and dive for the deck. The bad guys are going to be very pissed off in just a few seconds, and they’ll probably start shooting at me. As I head toward the cover of a nearby hill, I jink aggressively, throwing the airplane around in an unpredictable way to foil their aim.” Based on the author’s diaries, the book recounts the Gulf War on nearly a day-to-day basis, tracking not only Wyndham’s missions, but also his attempts to win the heart of an assistant maintenance officer. It’s a sometimes disturbing ode to a very deadly machine—the author does not let himself spend much time thinking about the people on the receiving end of his bombs—but it makes for a unique examination of a war that was primarily won in the air.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buc Wyndham's book is about his experiences in Operation Desert Storm flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II (commonly called the "Warthog").

He describes some of the training for and some of the operations and incidents he was involved in. He's obviously a keen flyer and makes some really good points about keeping a clear head under pressure, clear and concise radio calls, the importance of quick & logical thinking, making tactical decisions when flying a malfunctioning or under performing aircraft and sticking to the checklist. I think anyone with an interest in flying could learn something here.

I liked they way he put things. I also like his view on US involvement in wars ... "Operation Desert Storm, should serve as a benchmark for how wars should be fought—with clear and moral objectives, a well-defined enemy, broad political and popular support, and a pre-defined “end game.” Any time our nation strays from these guidelines, we get mired in quagmires that weaken us, and we risk ruining a generation of our brightest and best young people."

An excellent memoir from a pilot flying the A-10 in Operation Desert Storm.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably closer to a 4 but was a bit personal to me, I was in high school at RAF Alconbury when Desert Storm/Shield took place, I remember one of the girls coming to school crying because her dad was being deployed. Curious to see if there were any names I recognized but few last names were used in the book.

The bombing tactics were interesting; despite being modestly familiar with the A-10's role, I had Hollywood-ized expectations that it's Close Air Support was literally being called in by ground forces on the radio and flying in at low altitude to use the chain gun on tanks. Though they may do a little of that, the book did a great job of explaining the mission/tactics in Kuwait (dive bombing from a safe altitude to remove targets before they were a problem for the ground attack). Very interesting.

The dreams, and love interest, while a part of the daily life and journal style of writing, could have been a little more limited or skipped, but overall it was a good read. It did bog down toward the later stages of the campaign, lots of similar days, but that is a taste of the experience of the troops on the ground/in the air. I appreciate the detailed account.

[Caroline Haddad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting account of the 1st Gulf War from a fighter pilots view

I was excited to read Buck’s book, we had been teammates in university and I was a fan of the A-10. What I did not realize was that his narrative would transform me back in time, to when I was a young airline pilot and involved in the same war, in a different capacity. His chronological timekeeping was great and the details of his flying were en pointe. I had a friend who was with the SF guys out west so it was particularly heartening to known that Buck was potentially one of the pilots who kept our guys safe well behind enemy lines.

The plot twist with his romance added a human touch to a dark subject. As I look back, it’s funny to think we could have shopped at the same gold dealers, rested at the same hotel in Catania, eaten at the same pizza joint or even bumped into each other on the streets of Saudi.

A great read whether you were there or just interested in a fighter pilots story.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently received my pilot wings for the Air Force and found out the next platform i'm going to will be the A-10C (a more modern version of the A-model that Buck flew in the book). This book was recommended to me by some other "Hog Drivers" who loved this read. Buck does his best to simplify alot of the fighter pilot-isms but to be honest it would be tough to follow and stay invested in if you don't have that background solely because he puts the focus of the book on aspects of piloting that the casual reader might not appreciate or understand. With that being said however, Buck's storytelling is (IMHO) well-done. The journal style is a wonderful and well-chosen format for the setting and the humor involved is well-placed and drew multiple chuckles out of me. Highly recommend to those aspiring to be fighter pilots and extremely recommend to those wanting to follow Buck's footsteps to be Hog drivers. An inspiring read!

[Tony Milazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's real value in reading about the experiences of a junior officer learning not only a remarkable machine but of what war sharply pulls into focus. I laughed because of the antics these guys get into when they're bored. It brought me back to my days in a USAF flying squadron of being a professional and a 20-something man not fully in grasp of my maturity.

When the writing centers on flying and combat, the anecdotes sing. The book massively lurches to a crawl whenever the topic of Lt Wyndham's crush on a MX officer lady comes up. Worst of all there's no resolution, so this love story dissipates into nothingness.

Consider this book a lesser companion to William L. Smallwood's Warthog, which is mandatory reading for a Gulf War/A-10 fan.

[Craig Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest and play by play look into the life of an attack pilot's life in a combat zone and the aftermath that follows.

This book isn't written in a way that throws a ton of action at you all in one go. Instead, Wyndham has chosen to follow an almost journal format (literally in places) in the way he presents his story.

Definitely a must read if you're interested in military non-fiction. Especially if you're used to reading books written by a member of the ground forces who were present in Operation Desert Storm.

[Dave O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pilot's perspective of War time in the A-10 Warthog

The A-10 has always been my favorite airplane after the FB-111. New England had 2 Air National Guard Wings', MA was the 104th FW, now flying F-15C's. CT was the 103rd FW, now flying C130's.

This book brought me into the jet like I was the pilot. Being in HS when this war started I had followed this closely. This book gave me a whole new perspective on what pilots went through.

[Regan Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good first hand account of the first gulf war from an A-10 pilot's perspective. The war stories and combat avaition alone make it a good read. But the author makes it personal by telling of his stress-induced nightmares and his love-life / love interest. The book indirectly highlights the struggle of getting accurate and timely intelligence to the warfighter at a classificaiton they can use - I suppose this is/will be a difficulty in every conflict.

[Marke F. Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many memories reborn…

Perhaps not for everyone but for someone who flew Hogs at Bentwaters and Vipers in “the war” this was a gem to read and brought back so many memories…most of them good but all largely forgotten. To those of us blessed to fly fighters in our youth and now understand how truly lucky we were…here’s to us.

[H. A. Swanfeldt III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, very detailed pilot stories

Great read for anyone who is an airplane fan. The author does a solid job recounting intimate details of his time in the Air Force and during the first Iraq war. Quick read and the reader gets a great sense of what life was like serving in Iraq in 1991.