Sure don't look like any carpenter ants that I have ever seen, though it's a bit difficult to get a good look at one. What color are the bodies?

What is your location?

Winged ones are your basic brown - non winged ones are a very deep red. Today there's litteraly dozens of dead winged ones scattered on the ground and almost no activity in the holes they were digging.

Even a big carpenter ant queen is rarely more than 3/4" long, and most of them are black. What part of the country do you live in? That could go a long way toward an ID. A better picture, especially of the non-winged ones, would also be a help.

Tucker

I'm in central Texas - about 60 miles southwest of Dallas

Perhaps termites?

Eeeek! Inch long termites?

no thats my willy

Not quite sure what those might be from that image. they are definitely a Hymenoptera of some sort. I am almost thinking A male ant in the genus Neivamyrmex. Can you post any other images or collect a sample of them?