MEDIA CONTEST: Combat Hammer -- Desert Lightning makes thunder in Florida Published Dec. 26, 2006 News Entry 2 ACC MEDIA CONTEST -- The mythological Norse god Thor wielded a war hammer that turned to thunder when he threw it at his adversaries to protect the world. The nine 354th Fighter Squadron A-10 Thunderbolts that left Thursday bound for Combat Hammer, a live-fire exercise at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., departed to do the same thing as the deity -- release weapons that create thunder. The exercise is reserved for only the most experienced Airmen because it's not a familiarization course; it's a highly scrutinized evaluation process for all members of the team - pilots and munitions personnel. The exercise allows pilots and ground crew to hone their skills with AGM-65 Mavericks, an air-to-surface missile designed for close air support, so they too can protect the world. The maintainers, bomb loaders and munitions Airmen are subject to the scrutiny of evaluators who observe every action until required to arm and launch the aircraft. After the planes deapart, evaluators sit with the ground team to explain what they could do to improve. "There is no grading system because it's not a competition. The focus of the evaluation is enhancement," said Master Sgt. Paul Hayter, NCO in charge of the 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and deployed first sergeant. Airmen will take the information they learned and teach their peers how to perform better in their respective career fields. "It's a trickle-down effect," said Senior Airman Brian Tucker, load team crewmember, who plans to teach other Airmen the tactics he learns during the exercise. "The evaluation doesn't end when the aircraft takes off; due to the multiple areas of evaluations, pilots are held to the same scrutiny. They are expected to destroy mobile and stationary targets after engaging simulated aggressors, which prepares them to dominate any situation in a deployed location," said Capt. Darrell Watson, 354th Fighter Squadron assistant weapons officer. "We will have to break through a line of F-16s, initiate realistic tactics for the simulated ground threats, such as shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles, then finally strike the targets with live Mavericks," said Captain Watson. Each of the 18 missiles has a telemetry kit, which allows evaluators to observe the performance of the pilots - who regard firing live Mavericks as a unique experience. "Half the pilots participating have never shot the weapon, and the other half have only done it once or twice. Personally, I have only fired a Maverick once," said Captain Watson. The price tag on each weapon explains why only half of the pilots fired Mavericks in the past and why participation in this exercise is generally limited to one or two fighter squadrons per year. At $165,000 per missile, the Bulldogs feel fortunate to step up to the test this year, said Captain Watson. However, the vital tactics the Bulldogs practice at Eglin AFB will be worth the price while they continue to fight in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. Though Thor didn't have to practice throwing his hammer, the Bulldogs do. They are men and women who play their part to unleash precision weapons on their enemies with ever-increasing accuracy and lethality, boosted by their improved skills from Combat Hammer.