The airmen of the 55th Fighter Squadron from Shaw AFB, S.C., participating in Combat Hammer at Hill AFB, Utah, are experiencing some rare fighter pilot thrills, according to Lt. Col. Tom Littleton. The 55th FS director of operations says the opportunity to drop air-to-ground weapons in this type of combat exercise happens only about twice in a pilot’s career. And, during Hammer, the 55th FS becomes the first USAF operational fighter squadron to train, become certified, and drop a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. Shaw has sent some 123 airmen and several F-16s to Hill.
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA