442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
10/16/2008 - SALINA, Kan. -- Day three of Hawgsmoke 2008 continued Oct. 16 with a viewing of the bombing and gunnery portion of the competition at Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan.
More than a year of planning went into Hawgsmoke 2008, the United States Air Force's biennial A-10 bombing and tactical gunnery competition. Part of the planning included orchestrating a way for members of the press, community leaders and other distinguished visitors to view the weapons employment portion of the competition from a hilltop vantage point at the Kansas Air National Guard's 34,000-acre range facility operated by 184th Intelligence Wing.
"I've lived in Salina a couple of years, but I'm overwhelmed with the amount of support we've received from the city," said Lt. Col. Jeff Maddex, the 184th's range commander. "This was all coordinated across two states - Missouri and Kansas - and required a lot of communication. It's really great to see it all come together."
For many of those invited to attend, it was their first experience with the A-10. For others like Aaron White, a Marine veteran of Desert Storm and Somalia and a member of the Salina Chamber of Commerce, it was a glimpse into the past.
"This brings back memories for me [when] I got to call in air-support on some armaments during training once," Mr. White said. "I expected Marine air-support and to my surprise they sent an A-10. I was very impressed. I remember thinking this should be a Marine plane. It's mean and ugly, just like us."
As the A-10's closed in on their appointed gunnery targets, smoke surrounded the plane, warning the viewers of the deep, belligerent roar soon to follow as the warthog unleashed it's super- sonic wrath on the goal beneath.
"The noise intrigues me more than anything. I can't imagine being on the receiving end of it," said Rob Exline, a visitor from the UMB Bank, board of directors. "I didn't know what to expect from today but it has absolutely lived up to my expectations. This is all very exciting for Salina."
Hawgsmoke 2008 is all about the A-10 and its pilots but today, the Air Force made an impression on a small group of citizens.
After viewing these aircraft and pilots in action the visitors departed the damp grassy hill-top in central Kansas thankful they were not on a rocky hill-top in Afghanistan, dreading an on-coming storm-front moving in from a United States Air Force-dominated sky.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot from the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., fires the plane's 30-mm cannon toward a target at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16. Fourteen A-10 units from across the Air Force competed this week in Hawgsmoke 2008, a bienniel A-10 bombing and aerial gunnery competition hosted by the 442nd FW. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington) Hi-res
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 110th Fighter Wing, a Michigan Air National Guard unit based at Battle Creek, Mich., turns to engage a target at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16. Fourteen A-10 units from across the Air Force competed this week in Hawgsmoke 2008, a bienniel A-10 bombing and aerial gunnery competition hosted by the Air Force Reserve's 442nd Fighter Wing, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Kent Kagarise) Hi-res
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 917th Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., turns to engage a target at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16. Fourteen A-10 units from across the Air Force competed this week in Hawgsmoke 2008, a bienniel A-10 bombing and aerial gunnery competition hosted by the Air Force Reserve's 442nd Fighter Wing, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Vertreese) Hi-res
An A-10 Thunderbolt II from the 917th Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., turns to engage a target at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16. Fourteen A-10 units from across the Air Force competed this week in Hawgsmoke 2008, a bienniel A-10 bombing and aerial gunnery competition hosted by the Air Force Reserve's 442nd Fighter Wing, based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington) Hi-res
Thirty-millimeter bullets fired from an A-10 Thunderbolt II impact a strafe pit at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16. Fourteen A-10 squadrons from across the Air Force competed in Hawgsmoke 2008 Oct. 14 to 18. Hawgsmoke is a bienniel A-10 bombing and aerial gunnery competition, which was hosted this year by the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Vertreese) Hi-res
Distinguished visitors and news media watch A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft make strafing and bombing runs at the Smoky Hill Range near Salina, Kan., Oct. 16 as part of Hawgsmoke 2008. The four-day event is a bienniel gathering of A-10 squadrons from across the Air Force to compete in a bombing and aerial gunnery competition. This year's Hawgsmoke was hosted by the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bill Huntington) Hi-res
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