Tyndall AFB hones air-to-ground skills in Combat Hammer

The 325th Fighter Wing deployed from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to Hill Air Force Base in Utah for a 10-day air-to-ground weapons evaluation Aug. 4–14, joining the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron for Weapon System Evaluation Program–Combat Hammer 26.07. The event focused on assessing the F-35A Lightning II’s precision-guided munitions and sharpening the wing’s ability to operate with live ordnance away from home station, in line with Air Combat Command’s emphasis on readiness, lethality, and Agile Combat Employment.

“Combat Hammer allowed us to have hands-on exposure, specifically to air-to-ground weapons that the F-35 can carry,” said Capt. Simon Little, 95th Fighter Squadron pilot. “We’re able to have those weapons on the aircraft, for the first time for some pilots.”

Unlike Tyndall’s largely overwater ranges, Hill AFB’s access to the Utah Test and Training Range offered mountain terrain, low-level routes, and varied ground targets. “At Tyndall, we don’t get a ton of exposure to our air-to-ground mission set, just because we primarily train in the Gulf of America,” Little said. “So being here allows us exposure on different terrain — we get experience flying low level around the mountains and using terrain masking, different techniques and to target specific things on the ground.”

Live weapons employment added intensity and realism for aircrews. “Anytime you have a live munition on the aircraft, the stress level is naturally a little higher,” Little said. “We train for this every day, but there is a distinct realism that comes with the ability to employ catastrophic ordnance … it’s a sobering reminder of what we do in the F-35. We are in the business of protecting America and our values, and I think the first time you get exposure to that, it’s a little bit of a sobering reminder of what we do and how we do it.”

The effort leaned heavily on maintainers and munitions specialists. The 325th Maintenance and Munitions Squadrons teamed with Hill’s WSEP cadre to support the 95th Fighter Squadron, arriving a week ahead of flying to conduct a dedicated “bomb week,” building weapons from components and then shifting to round-the-clock operations once sorties began.

“We are evaluated on the ability to properly build up ammunition with all the components on hand and ensuring that we start the serviceability of assets from start to finish,” said Staff Sgt. John Neer, a precision-guided munitions inspector with the 325th Munitions Squadron. “We get 24-hours’ notice of what [munitions] are expected for the next day, what needs to be getting greened up, finished and out to the line, so it’s very quick.”

The unit intentionally operated lean, stressing flexibility and cross-functional know-how. “Here, we’re doing it as a 14-man team, as opposed to a 50-man team,” Neer said. “We brought individuals who can accomplish all the [different components] into a smaller team. So we really count on the individuals’ expertise, and we have to trust that they’re doing things correctly.”

The pace also gave newer munitions Airmen first-time experience assembling live weapons, with three team members building live ordnance for the first time. “It’s great getting to spread the wealth and let other people learn,” Neer said. “We’re letting members take on leadership roles, even if they might be small, so they can grow in areas they’ve never experienced before. It’s going to be incredibly rewarding to have our newer guys experience the feeling of success that comes with doing our job correctly.”

For aircrews and ground teams alike, the exercise highlighted how every specialty feeds combat power. “It takes an entire team to execute the fundamentals of ‘fly, fight, and win’ and achieve our objectives,” Little said. “Being here allows us to see how every single role contributes directly to the team’s success or failure. We need everybody on the team to buy in, and we need everyone to carry their weight.”