- Table View
- List View
99mTc-Sestamibi: Clinical Applications
by Hans-Jürgen Biersack Hojjat Ahmadzadehfar Jan Bucerius99mTc-sestamibi is a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radiotracer that is widely used for the imaging of myocardial perfusion, as well as a variety of malignant and benign diseases. 99mTc-Sestamibi - Clinical Applications provides a detailed and informative overview of almost all the oncologic and non-oncologic applications of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT, including several relatively rare indications. Different disease-related protocols for 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT are presented, and for each disease a comprehensive summary of the relevant pathology and epidemiology is provided. Throughout, there is a strong emphasis on the practical aspects of use of this popular tracer, including instructions for the preparation of several commercially available tracer kits. Clinical practitioners will find this book to be an invaluable guide to the application and benefits of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT in both the inpatient and the outpatient setting.
The 99th Koala: Rescue and resilience on Kangaroo Island
by Kailas WildIn last summer&’s devastating fires, Kangaroo Island lost half of its koala population, with many more left injured and starving. This is the inspiring and sometimes confronting story of someone who went to help and ended up a koala dad. When Kailas Wild – arborist by trade and conservationist at heart – heard that there were injured koalas on Kangaroo Island who could only be reached by a tree climber, he drove 1500 kms to volunteer. Seven weeks later, he had crowd-funded sixty-five thousand dollars, participated in the rescue of over 100 koalas and had formed a special bond with a baby koala – Joey Kai. His social media postings gained tens of thousands of views and press attention around Australia and overseas, including the BBC, The Times (London), The New York Times and The Daily Mail. The 99th Koala shares that experience, in words and pictures, and introduces us to some of the koalas of Kangaroo Island. Sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful, Kai&’s story above all commemorates our unique wildlife, and demonstrates the power of one person trying to make a difference. &‘At a time when many people have felt helpless to act against the immensity of the fires or the threat of climate change, Kai's daily descriptions and videos of saving helpless animals have been a welcome dose of personal courage and deep humanity.&’ ABC
The 9th Annual Of The Year's Best SF
by Judith MerrilJudith Merril's collection of stories and poems some by renown authors.
The 9th Australian Division Versus The Africa Corps: [Illustrated Edition]
by Colonel Ward MillerIllustrated with 7 maps and 15 photosIn April and May 1941, the previously successful blitzkrieg tactics of the German Army met defeat by the outnumbered Australian forces of the 9th Division at Tobruk. The Australian infantry achieved victory through a successful all-around defense against tank attacks in force. By employing all available assets in a combined arms effort, well-supported light infantry forces defeated a heavier armored force.The 9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps: An Infantry Division Against Tanks-Tobruk, Libya, 1941 provides the reader with a valuable historical context for evaluating how light infantry forces can confront armored attacks. This CSI special study also reveals how light infantry forces operated and were supported and sustained in a desert environment-a message that has continuing relevance for today's Army.
9th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference: Proceedings of EMBEC 2024, June 9-13, 2024, Portorož, Slovenia, Volume 1 (IFMBE Proceedings #112)
by Samo Mahnič-Kalamiza Tomaž Jarm Rok ŠmercThis book informs on new trends, challenges, and solutions, in the multidisciplinary field of biomedical engineering. It covers traditional topics in biomechanics and biomedical signal processing, as well as recent trends relating to the applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning methods in medicine and biology, and to bioengineering education. Gathering the second volume of the proceedings of the 9th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC 2024), held on June 9-13, 2024, in Portorož, Slovenia, this book bridges fundamental and clinically-oriented research, emphasizing the role of translational research in biomedical engineering. It aims at inspiring and fostering communication and collaboration between engineers, physicists, biologists, physicians and other professionals dealing with cutting-edge themes in and advanced technologies serving the broad field of biology and healthcare.
9th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference: Proceedings of EMBEC 2024, June 9-13, 2024, Portorož, Slovenia, Volume 2 (IFMBE Proceedings #113)
by Samo Mahnič-Kalamiza Tomaž Jarm Rok ŠmercThis book informs on new trends, challenges, and solutions, in the multidisciplinary field of biomedical engineering. It covers traditional topics in biomechanics and biomedical signal processing, as well as recent trends relating to the applications of artificial intelligence and IoT in healthcare, wearable devices for patient monitoring, monitoring of medical devices, machine learning applications in medical data, among others. Gathering the second volume of the proceedings of the 9th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC 2024), held on June 9-13, 2024, in Portorož, Slovenia, this book bridges fundamental and clinically-oriented research, emphasizing the role of translational research in biomedical engineering. It aims at inspiring and fostering communication and collaboration between engineers, physicists, biologists, physicians and other professionals dealing with cutting-edge themes in and advanced technologies serving the broad field of biology and healthcare.
The 9th Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment 1861–1865: A Biographical Roster
by Richard Michael AllenThe 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th Georgia volunteer infantry regiments spent most of the Civil War fighting under Brig. Gen. George Thomas “Tige” Anderson in Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Until now, no biographical roster of their members has ever been published. These Georgians saw it all, from the bloody battle of First Manassas through the ferocious combat of Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and the long siege of Petersburg. They finally furled their banners at Appomattox. Nearly 5,000 men passed through these four Georgia regiments. These rosters offer a long overdue record of these men. Each roster is organized by company in a simple and easy to use format. Entries feature full names (if known), promotions, demotions, casualties, transfers, and resignations for every rank—an unprecedented look into men and the structure and evolution of these organizations. They include the most comprehensive examination of the personnel originally enlisted and their subsequent service histories within these units in chronological order for the first time. Compiler and author Richard Allen has spent nearly two decades researching scores of archives and other sources to prepare these rosters. He utilized primary sources such as the Official Records, Compiled Service Records, newspaper accounts, diaries, letters, census information, burial records, and a variety of documents from both published sources and private collections. Students of the Civil War, genealogists, and enthusiasts of Georgia history will find these rosters invaluable. Everyone who uses them owes Rick Allen a hearty, and heartfelt, thank you.
The 9th Girl (Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska #4)
by Tami HoagOn a frigid New Year's Eve in Minneapolis, a young woman is found brutally murdered--the ninth so far this year in a string of grisly slayings. Homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska fear that it's the work of a serial killer they call Doc Holiday, a transient who has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. <P><P>But as Kovac and Liska uncover the truth, they find that the monsters in the ninth girl's life may live closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: Which is the greater evil--the devil you know or the devil you don't?een a crime of opportunity? Their greatest fear is that not only is she their ninth Jane Doe of the year, but that she may be the ninth victim of a vicious transient serial killer they have come to call Doc Holiday. Crisscrossing America's heartland, Doc Holiday chooses his victims at random, snatching them in one city and leaving them in another, always on a holiday. If Zombie Doe is one of his, he has brought his gruesome game to a new and more terrifying level. But as Kovac and Liska begin to uncover the truth, they will find that the monsters in their ninth girl's life may have lived closer to home. And even as another young woman disappears, they have to ask the question: which is the greater evil--the devil you know or the devil you don't?
The 9th Girl (Kovac & Liska)
by Tami HoagIn THE 9th GIRL, Tami Hoag - the Sunday Times bestselling author of A THIN DARK LINE - returns with book four in the gripping Kovac & Liska detective series. A serial killer is kidnapping young women. Have they saved his 9th victim from danger? As Detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska stand over the brutally disfigured remains of an adolescent girl in the early hours of New Year's Day, they suspect they've stumbled across the ninth victim of the notorious Doc Holiday. A horribly sadistic killer who kidnaps women during the holidays. But with the girl's identity obscured by her injuries, they have little to go on. Until Liska discovers that one of her son's friends - Gray - is missing...And it seems that everyone who knew Gray is telling lies. Liska and Kovac are in a race against time to discover whether this is indeed the ninth girl, or an entirely different nightmare altogether...New York Times bestseller Tami Hoag takes the reader behind the picket fences of small-town America, she finds the most gruesome killers and twisted predators.Watch out for the next book in the Kovac and Liska crime thriller series THE BITTER SEASONA middle-aged couple - hacked to death in their own home - with a samurai sword. Normal people. Who were they? And why were they targeted? Twenty years ago a policeman was murdered in his own back garden and the killer was never caught. One woman might link these mysteries. But she is being watched. Can Detectives Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac find her before it is too late? THE BITTER SEASON is the next gripping thriller in the series.
The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam: Unparalleled and Unequaled (American Warriors Series)
by Major General Ira A. Hunt Jr.&“This outstanding book is a must read for those trying to understand the Vietnam War and its guerrilla warfare tactics&”—from the author of Losing Vietnam (Post Library). Of all the military assignments in Vietnam, perhaps none was more challenging than the defense of the Mekong River Delta region. Operating deep within the Viet Cong-controlled Delta, the 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army was charged with protecting the area and its population against Communist insurgents and ensuring the success of the South Vietnamese government&’s pacification program. Faced with unrelenting physical hardships, a tenacious enemy, and the region&’s rugged terrain, the 9th Division established strategies and quantifiable goals for completing their mission, effectively writing a blueprint for combating guerilla warfare that influenced army tacticians for decades to come. In The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam, Ira A. Hunt Jr. details the innovative strategies of the 9th Division in their fight to overcome the Viet Cong. Based on Hunt&’s experience as colonel and division chief of staff, the volume documents how the 9th Division&’s combat effectiveness peaked in 1969. A wealth of illustrative material, including photos, maps, charts, and tables, deepens understanding of the region&’s hazardous environment and clarifies the circumstances of the division&’s failures and successes. A welcome addition to scholarship on the Vietnam War, The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam will find an audience with enthusiasts and scholars of military history. &“General Hunt set about proving that the claims of the 9th Infantry Division&’s brilliant performance in Vietnam were founded on fact. He succeeded and far more.&”—Jack N. Merritt, General, U.S. Army, Retired
The 9th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research: Greening Energy to Shape a Sustainable Future (Environmental Science and Engineering)
by Nídia S. Caetano Manuel Carlos FelgueirasThis is the 9th edition of the International Conference on Energy and Environment Research, ICEER 2022, took place in the middle of September, ISEP, Porto, Portugal (Hybrid). This book includes all the well-presented papers in ICEER 2022.The maturity of this conference series has now been reached, with a large number of participants from academia, as well as a few coming from the professional field. Linking together energy and environment research is not an easy task. However, it is now understood that these fields are interconnected and that the answer to the challenge of a sustainable future depends enormously on the willingness and capability of problem thinking in an integrated manner. This book presents the participants in ICEER 2022 contribution toward sustainability, through energy and environment research, thanks for all.
9th International Conference on Mobility, IoT and Smart Cities: EAI Mobility IoT 2022 (EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing)
by Lucia Knapcikova Shakib ZohrehvandiThis proceeding features papers from EAI Mobility IoT 2022 – the 9th International Conference on Mobility, IoT and Smart Cities, which took place December 15-16, 2022, Bratislava, Slovakia and online. The conference focuses on innovative technologies influencing industry and connectivity sectors in industrial, urban, social and sustainable development. The papers cover many topics in mobility, including car manufacturing, e-mobility, smart cities, smart factories (Industry 4.0), smart logistics, social mobility, technological innovations, sustainability, multicultural development, Internet of Things sectors, etc. The papers are applicable to researchers, academics, students, and professionals.
9th International Conference on Practical Applications of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #375)
by Ross Overbeek Miguel P. Rocha Florentino Fdez-Riverola Juan F. PazThis proceedings presents recent practical applications of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. It contains the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Practical Applications of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics held at University of Salamanca, Spain, at June 3rd-5th, 2015. The International Conference on Practical Applications of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (PACBB) is an annual international meeting dedicated to emerging and challenging applied research in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Biological and biomedical research are increasingly driven by experimental techniques that challenge our ability to analyse, process and extract meaningful knowledge from the underlying data. The impressive capabilities of next generation sequencing technologies, together with novel and ever evolving distinct types of omics data technologies, have put an increasingly complex set of challenges for the growing fields of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. The analysis of the datasets produced and their integration call for new algorithms and approaches from fields such as Databases, Statistics, Data Mining, Machine Learning, Optimization, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. Clearly, Biology is more and more a science of information requiring tools from the computational sciences.
9th International Conference on Robotic, Vision, Signal Processing and Power Applications: Empowering Research and Innovation (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #398)
by Mohd Tafir Mustaffa Haidi Ibrahim Shahid Iqbal Soo Siang TeohThe proceeding is a collection of research papers presented, at the 9th International Conference on Robotics, Vision, Signal Processing & Power Applications (ROVISP 2016), by researchers, scientists, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all around the globe to present their research results and development activities for oral or poster presentations. The topics of interest are as follows but are not limited to: * Robotics, Control, Mechatronics and Automation * Vision, Image, and Signal Processing * Artificial Intelligence and Computer Applications * Electronic Design and Applications * Telecommunication Systems and Applications * Power System and Industrial Applications * Engineering Education
9th International Conference on the Development of Biomedical Engineering in Vietnam: Proceedings of BME 9, 2022, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Translational Healthcare Technology from Advanced to Low and Middle-Income Countries in the Era of Covid and Digital Transformation (IFMBE Proceedings #95)
by Van Toi Vo Thi-Hiep Nguyen Binh Long Vong Ngoc Bich Le Thanh Qua NguyenThis book presents cutting-edge research and developments in the field of biomedical engineering, with a special emphasis on results achieved in Vietnam and neighboring low- and middle-income countries. Covering both fundamental and applied research, and focusing on the theme of “Translational Healthcare Technology from Advanced to Low and Middle Income Countries in the Era of Covid and Digital Transformation”, it reports on the design, fabrication, and application of low-cost and portable medical devices, biosensors, and microfluidic devices, on improved methods for biological data acquisition and analysis, on nanoparticles for biological applications, and on new achievements in biomechanics, tissue engineering, and regeneration. It describes the developments of molecular and cellular biology techniques, neuroengineering techniques, and statistical and computational methods, including artificial intelligence, for biomedical applications. It also discusses strategies to address some relevant issues in biomedical education and entrepreneurship. Gathering the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on The Development of Biomedical Engineering in Vietnam, BME 9, held on December 27-29, 2022, in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, the book offers important answers to current challenges in the field and a source of inspiration for scientists, engineers, and researchers with various backgrounds working in different research institutes, companies, and countries.
9th International Symposium on High-Temperature Metallurgical Processing (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series)
by Dean Gregurek Baojun Zhao Tao Jiang Jiann-Yang Hwang Zhiwei Peng Shijie Wang Mark William Kennedy Onuralp Yücel Ender Keskinkilic Jerome P Downey Rafael. PadillaIn recent years, global metallurgical industries have experienced fast and prosperous growth. High-temperature metallurgical technology is the backbone to support the technical, environmental, and economical needs for the growth. This collection features contributions covering the advancements and developments of new high-temperature metallurgical technologies and their applications to the areas of processing of minerals; extraction of metals; preparation of metallic, refractory and ceramic materials; treatment and recycling of slag and wastes; and saving of energy and protection of environment. The volume will have a broad impact on the academics and professionals serving the metallurgical industries around the world.
9th International Workshop on Spoken Dialogue System Technology (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #579)
by Luis Fernando D’Haro Rafael E. Banchs Haizhou LiThis book presents the outcomes of the 9th International Workshop on Spoken Dialogue Systems (IWSDS), “Towards creating more human-like conversational agent technologies”. It compiles and provides a synopsis of current global research to push forward the state of the art in dialogue technologies, including advances in the context of the classical problems of language understanding, dialogue management and language generation, as well as cognitive topics related to the human nature of conversational phenomena, such as humor, empathy and social context understanding and awareness.
The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club Ser. #9)
by James Patterson Maxine PaetroThe most personalA young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick. The most dangerousThe same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria. The most exciting Women's Murder Club novel everLindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich--and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women's Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her own life on the line--but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!
The 9th Man (Luke Daniels #1)
by Grant Blackwood Steve BerryFrom New York Times bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series comes a thrilling, action-packed historical adventure that sends Luke Daniels on an international manhunt for the truth about the assassination of President John Kennedy. Luke Daniels is in London, between assignments with the Magellan Billet, when he receives a frantic call from an old friend. Jillian Stein is in trouble. She made a mistake and now her life may be in danger. She needs Luke&’s help. Immediately. Racing to Belgium Luke quickly finds that she was right. A shadow team of highly-trained operatives are there on the hunt. Intervening, he finds himself embroiled in a war between two determined sides — one seeking the truth, the other trying to escape the past — a war that has already claimed one life and is about to claim more. Thomas Rowland is a Washington insider, a kingmaker, problem-solver, but also a man with a past. For him everything turns with what happened on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. What history has recorded is wrong. There is more to the story, much more, and Thomas Rowland is at the center of that terrible reality. But forces are working against him, and Rowland will do anything to keep the world from learning what actually happened on that fateful day, including killing Luke, Jillian and anyone else who might be a threat. In a race from Belgium, to Luxembourg, to the bayous of Louisiana and the Wyoming wilderness, to a final confrontation in the Bahamas, Luke Daniels confronts a series of shocking truths which not only rewrite history but will forever change his own life — as he comes face to face with the ninth man.
9th WCEAM Research Papers: Volume 1 Proceedings of 2014 World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering)
by Joe Amadi-Echendu Changela Hoohlo Joe MathewEngineering asset management encompasses all types of engineered assets including built environment, infrastructure, plant, equipment, hardware systems and components. Following the release of ISO 5500x set of standards, the 9th WCEAM addresses the hugely important issue of what constitutes the body of knowledge in Engineering Asset Management. Topics discussed by Congress delegates are grouped into a number of tracks including strategies for investment and divestment of assets, operations and maintenance of assets, assessments of assets condition, risk and vulnerability, technologies and systems for management of asset, standards, education, training and certification. These proceedings include a sample of the wide range of topics presented during the 9th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management in Pretoria South Africa 28 - 31 October, 2014 and complements other emerging publications and standards that embrace the wide ranging issues concerning the management of engineered physical assets.
A
by André AlexisA is a work of fiction in which André Alexis presents the compelling narrative of Alexander Baddeley, a Toronto book reviewer obsessed with the work of the elusive and mythical poet Avery Andrews. Baddeley is in awe of Andrews's ability as a poet—more than anything he wants to understand the inspiration behind his work—so much so that, following in the footsteps of countless pilgrims throughout literary history, Baddeley tracks Andrews down thinking that meeting his literary hero will provide some answers. Their meeting results in a meditation and a revelation about the creative act itself that generates more and more questions about what it means to be "inspired"
A: The Emergence of Social-Cultural Reality (Routledge Advances in Translation and Interpreting Studies)
by Kobus MaraisThis volume outlines a theory of translation, set within the framework of Peircean semiotics, which challenges the linguistic bias in translation studies by proposing a semiotic theory that accounts for all instances of translation, not only interlinguistic translation. In particular, the volume explores cases of translation which does not include language at all. The book begins by examining different conceptualizations of translation to highlight how linguistic bias in translation studies and semiotics has informed these fields and their development. The volume then outlines a complexity theory of translation based on semiotics which incorporates process philosophy, semiotics, and translation theory. It posits that translation is the complex systemic process underlying semiosis, the result of which produces semiotic forms. The book concludes by looking at the implications of this conceptualization of translation on social-cultural emergence theory through an interdisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from semiotics, social semiotics, and development studies. Paving the way for scholars to analyze translational aspects of all semiotic phenomena, this volume is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in translation studies, semiotics, multimodal studies, cultural studies, and development studies.
A-1 K-9 A Six-Week Schedule of Dog Training Made as Easy as A-B-C 1-2-3
by Anet HaithcoxA safe, humane method of teaching your pet basic obedience, for puppies as young as 7 weeks as well as older dogs of any age, formulated for the beginner dog.
A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2002-07
by Gary Wetzel Jim LaurierIn the early 1970s, the USAF, still fresh in the mire of the Vietnam War, began the search for a more effective aircraft to conduct the CAS mission. With aircraft losses climbing, the need for an aircraft that could withstand punishment as well as deliver it was unmistakable. Looking at past experience in Southeast Asia as well as the present and future threat in Western Europe of a numerically superior Soviet Army, the USAF demanded that the new aircraft be built around a 30 mm cannon. Fairchild Republic won the resulting A-X competition in 1973 and General Electric was chosen the following year to build the jet's GAU-8 30 mm main gun. Some 715 A-10s were subsequently built between 1975 and 1984. The A-10 was never a favourite amongst the USAF's senior staff, and prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 they had attempted to transfer the aircraft to the US Army and Marine Corps. Everything changed when Operation Desert Storm began, as the A-10 quickly showed what it was capable of. Reprieved from premature retirement, the A-10 would see combat in the Balkans during the mid-1990s and over Iraq in Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch until Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, the Bush administration responded with the instigation of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in October 2001. A-10 aircraft first entered the fray during Operation Anaconda in March 2002, flying first from an airfield in Pakistan and then from Bagram AB in Afghanistan. During Anaconda four A-10s flying from Pakistan provided 21 straight hours of FAC (A)/CAS coverage. Since then the flexibility of the A-10 has persisted, with units moving through airfields in Afghanistan under AEF deployments. This ongoing commitment has seen active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard squadrons rotating through Bagram and Kandahar airfields in support of Coalition forces in-theatre. The premier CAS aircraft in Afghanistan, the once disposable A-10 has become indispensable. With new upgrades, the 'digital' A-10C has seen its arsenal expanded to include the latest generation of ordnance. The untold story of the A-10 in Enduring Freedom will be explored and presented as never before through first hand interviews and photography from those involved, along with official military achieves. This title is the first of three planned covering the combat experience of the USAF's A-10 Thunderbolt II units. Follow-on volumes will examine the role of the Warthog during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2008-14
by Jim Laurier Gary WetzelThe untold story of A-10 units in Operation Enduring Freedom reaches its conclusion with this second of two volumes focusing on the type's combat missions in Afghanistan. Featuring numerous first-hand accounts and photography from those who experienced the conflict, along with imagery from official military archives, this book offers a unique and detailed insight into the record of the A-10 in one of the 21st Century's most significant conflicts.Initially, the A-10 Thunderbolt was not a favorite of the USAF, which, prior to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, was hoping to shunt this Cold War relic onto the US Army and Marine Corps. But since then, the 'Warthog', with its formidable armament, ruggedness and flexibility, has continually proven itself in combat and evolved into the world's premiere close support aircraft. In 2002 the Thunderbolt was at the forefront of Operation Enduring Freedom, the US occupation of Afghanistan.