Hawgsmoke is a biennial

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

(USAF) bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition for

A-10 Thunderbolt II The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...

units. It is hosted by the winners of the previous competition and provides both skills competition and an opportunity to share in the camaraderie and fellowship within the A-10 community.

Operations

Remembering the fallen

Hawgsmoke opens with a remembrance ceremony for fallen comrades. Following the reading of the names of all fallen A-10 pilots, a

missing-man formation The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flypast of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot, a well-known military service member or veteran, or a well-known political figure. T ...

flies overhead. At the conclusion, the participants drink a shot of

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...

then smash the shot glasses, in honor and remembrance of old friends and colleagues.

Competition

The competition itself takes place over two days and includes team and individual scoring of

strafing Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...

, high-altitude

dive-bombing A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact throughou ...

, 30-degree dive-bombing, low-angle high-delivery,

Maverick missile The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air ...

precision, and team

tactics Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tact ...

History

Hawgsmoke grew out of the discontinued "

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

" Air Force Worldwide Gunnery Competition. Gunsmoke had been the USAF's air-to-ground gunnery and bombing competition involving multiple airframes, first held in 1949 and then biennially (except for 1963–1980) from 1954 to 1995 at

Nellis Air Force Base Nellis Air Force Base ("Nellis" colloq.) is a United States Air Force installation in southern Nevada. Nellis hosts air combat exercises such as Exercise Red Flag and close air support exercises such as Green Flag-West flown in " Military ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Cliff Latta of the

172d Fighter Squadron The 172nd Attack Squadron (172 ATKS) is a unit of the Michigan Air National Guard 110th Wing located at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek, Michigan. The 172nd is equipped with the MQ-9 Reaper drone. The squadron was first organ ...

is credited with initiating the first Hawgsmoke competition at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

which was hosted by the

Michigan Air National Guard The Michigan Air National Guard (MI ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Michigan, United States of America. It is, along with the Michigan Army National Guard, an element of the Michigan National Guard. The Michigan Air National Guard is a ...

's 172d FS from

Battle Creek Air National Guard Base W. K. Kellogg Airport is a city-owned, public-use, joint civil-military airport located three nautical miles (6 kilometre, km) west of the central business district of Battle Creek, Michigan, Battle Creek, a city in Calhoun County, Mich ...

. A-10 units from around the world sent four aircraft and associated crew to compete in ground attack and target destruction events. The 118th Fighter Squadron from the

Connecticut Air National Guard The Connecticut Air National Guard (CT ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Connecticut, United States of America. It is, along with the Connecticut Army National Guard, an element of the Connecticut National Guard. As state militia units, ...

won the first event and in turn hosted Hawgsmoke 2002, at

Fort Drum Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. In 2002 17 teams and 62 aircraft competed. The overall winner was the four-member team from the

47th Fighter Squadron The 47th Fighter Squadron is an Air Force Reserve Command unit based at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, where it flies Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and is assigned to the 442d Operations Group. The squadron was first ...

from

Barksdale Air Force Base Barksdale Air Force Base (Barksdale AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base in northwest Louisiana, United States, in Bossier Parish. It is contiguous to Bossier City, Louisiana, along the base's western and northwestern edge. Barksdale AFB ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. Hawgsmoke 2002 emphasized target acquisition and focused on accurately dropping practice bombs, firing the

AGM-65 Maverick The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air ...

missile, and strafing proficiency with the 30 mm

GAU-8 The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm hydraulically driven seven-barrel Gatling-style autocannon that is primarily mounted in the United States Air Force's Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Designed to destroy a wide variety of g ...

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a cyc ...

. Hawgsmoke 2004 was hosted by the 47th FS and held at

England Air Park Alexandria International Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles (5 mi, 7 km) west of the central business district of Alexandria, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. The airport is operated by the ...

, Louisiana. The competition grew to include 18 teams and more than 70 aircraft. Weather conditions forced the cancellation of the competition events and consequently the event became known as "Hawgwash" 2004. As there was no winner in 2004 the

355th Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation * 355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit * 355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force * 355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Ai ...

was selected to host the 2006 event. It was held 22–25 March at

Davis Monthan Air Force Base Davis may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Davis (Antarctica) * Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago) * Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land Canada * Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community * Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. Hawgsmoke 2006 coincided the 30th Anniversary of the A-10; consequently, over 140 aircraft flew in to take part. The 303d Fighter Squadron from

Whiteman Air Force Base Whiteman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located just south of Knob Noster, Missouri, United States. The base is the current home of the B-2 Spirit bomber. It is named for 2nd Lt George Whiteman, who was killed during the attack ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

emerged the winner. October 14 to 18, 2008, the 303d hosted Hawgsmoke 2008 at

Salina Airport Salina Regional Airport , formerly Salina Municipal Airport, is three miles southwest of Salina, Kansas, United States. The airport is owned by the Salina Airport Authority. It is used for general aviation, with service by one passenger airline, ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. The location was chosen because of its location near the Smoky Hill Range,

and the ample ramp space. The

Idaho Air National Guard The Idaho Air National Guard (ID ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Idaho, United States of America. It is, along with the Idaho Army National Guard, an element of the Idaho National Guard. As state militia units, the units in the Idaho Ai ...

's 190th Fighter Squadron based at Gowen Air National Guard Base, Boise, Idaho, won the prize for Top Team. Hawgsmoke 2010 was held between 13–15 October 2010, again at Gowen ANGB. The home-based 190th FS won Top Team in the competition for the second time in a row. The 190th won a second prize when Maj. Scott Downey was named top pilot at Hawgsmoke 2010. Hawgsmoke 2008 Spectators

The

hosted Hawgsmoke 2012, between 15–17 August 2012 at

and utilized the

Barry M. Goldwater Range The Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range or Barry M. Goldwater Range (BMGR), formerly known as Luke Air Force Range, is a bombing range in the U.S. state of Arizona, between the Mexico–United States border and Interstate 8 straddling the Cabeza P ...

. Davis Monthan's resident

357th Fighter Squadron The 357th Fighter Squadron is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft training pilots for close air support missions. The squadron was first activ ...

won the prestigious Al “Mud” Moore Trophy for Top Overall A-10 unit. Hawgsmoke 2014 was held again at Davis Monthan AFB, with 355 FW hosting the event between 9–12 July 2012. The 14 A-10 units made extensive use of the Barry M. Goldwater Range during the competition. The

, an

Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commiss ...

unit based at Davis-Monthan was awarded the Top Overall A-10 unit. 13 A-10 teams gathered to compete at Hawgsmoke 2016, once again taking place at Davis Monthan. Running from 1–3 June 2016, pilots expended their ordnance over the vast Barry M. Goldwater Range. Davis Monthan's 47th FS was again named Top Overall A-10 unit. Capt. David "Gnome" Knighton of the 47th FS won the top pilot trophy at Hawgsmoke 2016. Hawgsmoke 2018 took place from 17 to 20 October 2018 at Whiteman AFB. The Cannon Range located near

Laquey, Missouri Zip Code:65534 Area Code: 573 Laquey (pronounced "Lake-way") is an unincorporated community in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. The community is on Missouri Route P approximately one mile south of I-44. It is about seven miles southwes ...

, was used for the competition.

74th Fighter Squadron The 74th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II ground attack aircr ...

from

Moody AFB Moody Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation near Valdosta, Georgia. Geography The base is in northeastern Lowndes County, Georgia, with the eastern border of the base following the Lanier County line. Georgia State Rout ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

won the prize for Top A-10 Unit. The 74th also won Top Tactical and Top Conventional team awards. Hawgsmoke 2020 was due to be hosted by the 74th FS at Moody AFB, but took place from 14 to 17 April 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The 190th FS outperformed twelve other A-10 units to win Hawgsmoke 2021 after winning the Top Overall Team Award, Top Overall Flying Team, Top Tactical Team & Top BSA award. Other awards were: Individual Top Gun Overall, Captain Taylor ‘Pistol’ Price, 104th FS; Individual Top Gun Dive Bomb, Lieutenant Colonel Aaron ‘Puff’ Palan, 358th FS; Individual Top Gun Low Bomb, Captain Taylor ‘Pistol’ Price; Individual Top Gun Strafe, Captain Taylor ‘Petrie’ Bye, 75th FS; Weapons Load Competition, Staff Sergeant Riley McIrvin, Airman First Class Maria Bermudez and Senior Airman Najee King, 354th Aircraft Maintenance Unit; Marshalling Award, 354th AMU, Airman First Class Derek Delosh; & Overall Maintenance Award, 104th AMU. Hawgsmoke 2022 was held between 6–9 September 2022 at Gowen ANGB. The home-based 190 FS won the competition for a fourth time, beating 14

active duty Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service. India The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one ...

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

, and

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...

units.

List of winners

*2000 – 118th Fighter Squadron *2002 –

*2004 – None *2006 - 303d Fighter Squadron *2008 - 190th Fighter Squadron *2010 - 190th Fighter Squadron *2012 -

*2014 -

*2016 -

*2018 -

*2020 – None *2021 - 190th Fighter Squadron *2022 - 190th Fighter Squadron

2008 participants

25th Fighter Squadron The 25th Fighter Squadron is part of the US Air Force's 51st Operations Group, 51st Fighter Wing, at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. Mission ...

45th Fighter Squadron The 45th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force Reserve unit. It is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 924th Fighter Group and stationed at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The squadron currently flies the Fa ...

* 66th Weapons Squadron *

75th Fighter Squadron The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thund ...

81st Fighter Squadron The 81st Fighter Squadron (81 FS) is a training squadron of the United States Air Force's Air Education and Training Command (AETC), stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. It is a Geographically Separate Unit of the 14th Operations Group, ...

* 103d Fighter Squadron *

104th Fighter Squadron The 104th Fighter Squadron (104th FS), nicknamed ''the Fightin' O's'', is a unit of the Maryland Air National Guard 175th Wing stationed at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland. The 104th is equipped with the Fairchild Repub ...

* 190th Fighter Squadron * 303d Fighter Squadron *

354th Fighter Squadron The 354th Fighter Squadron (354 FS) is part of the 355th Fighter Wing at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft conducting close air support missions. The squadron conducts Close Air Support, Air Int ...

358th Fighter Squadron The 358th Fighter Squadron is part of the 495th Fighter Group at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. The squadron was reactivated there in 2015. The squadron was formerly part of the 355th Operations Group at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Ari ...

Operations

Remembering the fallen

Competition

History

Categories

List of winners

2008 participants

References

Notes

Bibliography

See also