CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – The Washington Air National Guard’s 111th Air Support Operations Squadron and 116th Air Support Operations Squadron ran an exercise here on May 4 and 5 simulating a joint service tactical operations center.
The exercise simulated a division-level operating center that would consist of about a thousand airmen and soldiers supporting front line troops in combat. Airmen of the 111th ASOS, working with their counterparts from the active duty Army and Army National Guard, coordinate air and artillery support that is crucial in maintaining battlefield superiority.
“The tactical operations center serves as a centralized hub for information to flow through so that the 111th ASOS can maintain control of the airspace and coordinate air support into the areas of the battlefield that will provide the biggest impact where it is needed most,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jason Roland of the 111th ASOS.
The 116th ASOS provided Tactical Air Control Party members in the simulator to call in air support, providing a level of realism to the training that allowed members of both units to practice their missions.
“It’s really an amazing simulator that integrates joint fires working between the Air Force and the Army,” said Roland.
The exercise included a simulated chemical attack that forced the airmen of the 111th ASOS to practice donning their gas masks and simulating the movement of a joint tactical operations center of over 1,000 soldiers and airmen to a safe location while still providing crucial air and artillery support to the troops on the front line.
This exercise was in preparation for their upcoming Warfighter 18-5 exercise later in 2018.
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This article was extracted from DVIDS.
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