"I also notice that the A10s were lead by an Idaho National Guard Lt Colonel on his first combat mission."

The above is a "red-herring", and is irrelevant. A large number of servicemen, regulars and reserves, deployed to the region would probably be on "their first combat mission". The US Air Force does not operate dual standards, there is not one standard for regulars and another, lower standard, for Air National Guard. If you are passed out of an OTU as "combat capable" on any given type of aircraft, then you have met the required standard, so please do not imply that "in theatre" these pilots were part-timers, or poorly trained, they did after all carry-out a text book attack - unfortunately against the wrong target. But they had been assured by their controller on the ground, who must have been in a position to see the targets, that there were no friendlies in the area.