This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If you hear jets streaking overhead, followed by explosions, don't worry: Obama's mythical Texas invasion has not expanded to include Utah.
But Hill Air Force Base's 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron is bringing the hammer down as it tests air-to-ground munitions through Thursday over federally owned expanses of the northwest Utah desert.
Really. The operation is even called "Combat Hammer," HAFB spokesman Micah Garbarino says.
"Units deployed here, as well as off-station units, will employ munitions in realistic combat scenarios at the Utah Test and Training Range," he said. "With support from the 388th Fighter Wing and 75th Air Base Wing, 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron airmen collect and analyze data on how these precision guided munitions perform, along with their suitability for use in combat."
Garbarino warns that residents around the base, and certainly folks venturing out near the expansive, sparsely populated range area, "may notice increased aircraft noise and traffic during the exercise."
Twitter: @remims