"Death on Call" - U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
Only a select few wear the Black Beret that symbolizes the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). The Air Force specialists are assigned to Army combat maneuver units around the world. On a battlefield, they form a tactical air control party team that plans, requests and directs air strikes against enemy targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A TACP is generally a two-airman team, working in an Army ground unit and directing close air support firepower toward enemy targets on the ground. Tactical Air Control Parties provide numerous critical functions on the modern battlefield including: (1) Advising ground forces on aircraft employment and capabilities; (2) Coordinating and controlling aerospace operations and (3) Participating in battle planning.
Tactical Air Command and Control Specialists are part of a team called a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). The mission is to advise US Army combat commanders on the use of Air Force air power. One example of air power is a fighter aircraft attacking targets close to friendly troops. This is Close Air Support and is a very important part of the TACP mission. It is the TACP's job to control the fighters and to make sure they attack the correct target. This unique mission requires operating on the battlefield. TACPs communicate with other tactical air and ground units by use of state-of-the-art radios, while mirroring the maneuver capabilities of our Army counterparts. Whether it's parachuting out of an airplane from 1000 feet with the 82nd Airborne Division, engaging in a tank assault with the 1st Armored Division, or operating deep behind enemy lines with the 75th Ranger Regiment, the TACP mission is the same…PUTTING BOMBS ON TARGET!
TACPs live, train, and deploy with the US Army units. When deployed, the TACPs live under austere field conditions, and are responsible for the coordination, de-confliction, and execution of all USAF attack aircraft. Qualified individuals, serving as Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs), provide final attack control to the pilots while the fighters are inbound to the target. The ETAC is responsible for ensuring that the pilot identifies and attacks the correct target while minimizing the risk to friendly ground forces. During peacetime, training is the major focus. This training can take the form of common skills testing (mission readiness), various weapons qualifications, chemical warfare and combat first aid training. At various times throughout the year, Army field training exercises (FTX) are conducted to evaluate combat readiness. The lengths of these exercises vary from a few days to a month.
The US Air Force Air Ground Operations School remains the only US service school devoted to instruction in coordinated joint air ground operations. Army faculty members are provided on a permanent basis by the US Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition, US Marine and a US Navy officers are permanently attached. Graduating students take with them a unique background and experience for enhancing professional knowledge and furthering continued interservice cooperation among their contemporaries.
Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller (ETAC -- pronounced E-TACK ) is a Tactical air party member who assists in mission planning and provides final control of close air support aircraft in support of ground forces. Utilizing their knowledge of munitions and their first-hand view of the battle, the ETAC requests the right combination of firepower to eliminate the ground target without causing casualties to nearby friendly ground forces. Once the enemy target has been positively identified, it is marked using smoke or other marking methods. When all the conditions have been met for the incoming aircraft to deliver its ordnance, the ETAC gives the "cleared hot" signal to the pilot, and suddenly, it's a bad day for the enemy.
During combat operations, an Air Liaison Officer (ALO), Forward Air Controller (FAC) or Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller (ETAC) is normally available for control of close air support missions. These individuals are the only authorized Air Force personnel permitted to routinely control CAS missions in support of US Army units or other ground maneuver units, allied or joint, when attached. During emergency combat operations however, when these individuals are not available, a designated individual may direct attacking aircraft for close air support.
Air Liaison Officers (ALOs) and enlisted Ground Terminal Attack Controllers (GTACs) have a unique mission. They wear Air Force uniforms but work closely with the Army. Their combat mission is to live and work on the ground with the army, request and control Air Force Close Air Support (CAS) and integrate it with the army scheme of maneuver on the battlefield.
Tactical Air Command and Control Specialists are part of a team called a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). The mission is to advise US Army combat commanders on the use of Air Force air power. One example of air power is a fighter aircraft attacking targets close to friendly troops. This is Close Air Support and is a very important part of the TACP mission. It is the TACP's job to control the fighters and to make sure they attack the correct target. This unique mission requires operating on the battlefield. TACPs communicate with other tactical air and ground units by use of state-of-the-art radios, while mirroring the maneuver capabilities of our Army counterparts. Whether it's parachuting out of an airplane from 1000 feet with the 82nd Airborne Division, engaging in a tank assault with the 1st Armored Division, or operating deep behind enemy lines with the 75th Ranger Regiment, the TACP mission is the same…PUTTING BOMBS ON TARGET!
TACPs live, train, and deploy with the US Army units. When deployed, the TACPs live under austere field conditions, and are responsible for the coordination, de-confliction, and execution of all USAF attack aircraft. Qualified individuals, serving as Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs), provide final attack control to the pilots while the fighters are inbound to the target. The ETAC is responsible for ensuring that the pilot identifies and attacks the correct target while minimizing the risk to friendly ground forces. During peacetime, training is the major focus. This training can take the form of common skills testing (mission readiness), various weapons qualifications, chemical warfare and combat first aid training. At various times throughout the year, Army field training exercises (FTX) are conducted to evaluate combat readiness. The lengths of these exercises vary from a few days to a month.
The US Air Force Air Ground Operations School remains the only US service school devoted to instruction in coordinated joint air ground operations. Army faculty members are provided on a permanent basis by the US Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition, US Marine and a US Navy officers are permanently attached. Graduating students take with them a unique background and experience for enhancing professional knowledge and furthering continued interservice cooperation among their contemporaries.
Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller (ETAC -- pronounced E-TACK ) is a Tactical air party member who assists in mission planning and provides final control of close air support aircraft in support of ground forces. Utilizing their knowledge of munitions and their first-hand view of the battle, the ETAC requests the right combination of firepower to eliminate the ground target without causing casualties to nearby friendly ground forces. Once the enemy target has been positively identified, it is marked using smoke or other marking methods. When all the conditions have been met for the incoming aircraft to deliver its ordnance, the ETAC gives the "cleared hot" signal to the pilot, and suddenly, it's a bad day for the enemy.
During combat operations, an Air Liaison Officer (ALO), Forward Air Controller (FAC) or Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller (ETAC) is normally available for control of close air support missions. These individuals are the only authorized Air Force personnel permitted to routinely control CAS missions in support of US Army units or other ground maneuver units, allied or joint, when attached. During emergency combat operations however, when these individuals are not available, a designated individual may direct attacking aircraft for close air support.
Air Liaison Officers (ALOs) and enlisted Ground Terminal Attack Controllers (GTACs) have a unique mission. They wear Air Force uniforms but work closely with the Army. Their combat mission is to live and work on the ground with the army, request and control Air Force Close Air Support (CAS) and integrate it with the army scheme of maneuver on the battlefield.