{"id":3751,"date":"2018-12-29T16:35:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-29T14:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/afspecialwarfare.com\/?p=3751"},"modified":"2018-12-29T18:09:16","modified_gmt":"2018-12-29T16:09:16","slug":"high-stakes-for-the-battle-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afspecialwarfare.com\/high-stakes-for-the-battle-space\/","title":{"rendered":"High stakes for the battle space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\nHelicopters are flying overhead. Occasionally, there is an incoming swooping scream of a fighter. One voice reports a line of tanks incoming from the north \u2013 another demands a \u201csitrep.\u201d Suddenly, an aircraft is signing off. Someone else reports ground troops are on the move. An airman takes all of this information in over a pair of headphones, holed up in one spot and trying to track these movements. It\u2019s also the middle of the night. Night vision goggles (NVGs) are the only thing keeping that lone joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) from sitting in complete darkness with no way to map the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re taking fire!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The JTAC must prioritize. Ground troops need an exit route and the pilots need to know where the enemy is. It\u2019s dark, and everyone is on night vision. What are the steps?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 137th Combat Training Flight (CTF) has added to the operational capabilities and renown of Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City since it began in 2016. The 137th CTF has run a total of 32 students through the school since then. It offers initial qualification training for JTACs, who control the ground and air space on a battlefield to coordinate air and ground attacks targeted at the enemy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour whole career relies on this school,\u201d said Master Sgt. Benjamin Lake, 146th Air Support Operations Squadron JTAC, who is also an instructor for the course with the 137th CTF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tactical Air Control Party Airmen (TACPs) must pass the JTACQC within 18 months of their school dates, or they cannot remain in the career field. The stakes are high, with good reason. Through these JTACs, who are on the ground coordinating air strikes, the Air Force helps joint forces on the ground be more effective and protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so many more moving pieces, and it\u2019s so much more dynamic,\u201d said Senior Airman Brandon Cooke, who was in the Army before joining the 14th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) as a TACP airman. \u201cAs a JTAC, you\u2019re such a pivotal player on the battlefield, and I think that\u2019s highly critical to future operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COURSE OVERVIEW<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The course used to be four weeks long, but has been increased to five. This class, 19A, was the first class under this new schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The depth of the education they receive is unique to the 137th CTF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe get more one-on-one time with smaller class sizes,\u201d said Capt. Lawrence Wilson, 14th ASOS Air Liaison Officer (ALO) out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. \u201cYou can ask more in-depth questions and there\u2019s a chance to expand on topics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The max class size with the amount of instructors who are certified in the course is four. For the other training courses, a class size of 24 is normal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n