Armament Airman wins ACE award

Published April 17, 2014
By Airman 1st Class Robert L. McIlrath
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A non-commissioned officer was received the ACE award for making perfect marks in the aircraft armament systems course. Staff Sgt. Luke A. Hatton, 363rd Training Squadron graduate and former aviation ordnanceman in the U.S. Marine Corps, earned the ACE award for achieving a 100 percent average throughout 12 blocks of training.

The F-16 aircraft armament course consists of 576 academic hours. Hatton is the first to receive the ACE award in three years.

"It's good to come over from a different branch and succeed," Hatton said, who felt relieved the transition from the sister branch went smoothly.

"Being a former Marine definitely helped him succeed," said Tech. Sgt. Derek A. Danker, an F-16 aircraft armament systems instructor. "He already had core values from the Marine Corps, and once he applied the Air Force core values there was no stopping him."

Throughout the 12-block course, Hatton pushed himself and his 11 classmates to succeed. The course is designed to train Airmen on how to operationally check and electrically test aircraft weapons release and gun systems.

"Whenever someone in class didn't understand something, I would explain stuff to help others out and that helped me learn more," he said.

"He would help out other people who were struggling," Danker said. "Sergeant Hatton was everything you could ask for in a student."

Hatton was relieved he aced the course.

"The only test I was nervous on was the last one," Hatton said. "I didn't want to go that far and not finish it."

Hatton, a reservist from Eastland, Texas, is assigned to the 301st Aviation Munitions Squadron, Carswell Field, Fort Worth, Texas.