TACP operators, F-16 pilots reunite to share war stories

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Maurice
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Traversing through the war-torn streets of Afghanistan is a necessity that often comes with many dangers for U.S. military members. These are dangers 16 tactical air control party operators with the 8th Air Support Operations Squadron combated regularly this year, along with the help of their F-16 Fighting Falcon brethren of the 510th Fighter Squadron.

The Aviano Air Base TACP Airmen and F-16 pilots put their routine home station joint training to good use in eastern Afghanistan May to September 2010. While gone, the two formed vital links to effectively use combat airpower in the form of armed overwatch and weapons deployment to support ground troops.

With the 8th ASOS Airmen's recent return to home station late November, after an additional two months downrange, Lt. Col. Eric Chapital, 8th ASOS commander, and his staff, organized a special stop on the Airmen's reintegration checklist Dec. 2. The Airmen met up with some of the 510th FS pilots they worked with while in Afghanistan for a lessons learned "hotwash" and meet-and-greet.

During the hotwash four 510th FS pilots, to include Lt. Col. Gregory Sarakatsannis, the squadron commander, met up with the TACP to discuss four specific scenarios from the deployment. Both the pilot and TACP operator from each mission shared their individual stories from air and ground perspectives and then opened the floor for discussion and lessons learned.

"These guys in general have more experience than we do because they deploy more often for longer periods of time and they see more action," said Capt. Kevin DiFalco, 510th FS pilot who briefed the group about a successful mission downrange alongside 8th ASOS joint terminal attack controller , Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson. "Our lessons learned from them are very, very valuable because we don't have the opportunity to experience as much as they do on the ground.

"Additionally, the rapport that we've built [through training regularly here at home station] is good. For example, when Sergeant Thompson chose to have us strafe [conduct a low-flying attack], I really felt like he was comfortable with the F-16s. He knew what our capabilities were and used them instead of another asset. I think our training together helps them understand how we operate and it builds their trust and confidence in our ability to execute downrange."

Staff Sgt. Richard Stone, 8th ASOS JTAC, recalled a specific scenario during the hotwash in which Colonel Sarakatsannis was a valuable asset to his counterparts on the ground.

"The guys had gotten ambushed pretty badly and it was really helpful to have him on," said Sergeant Stone. "When the guys are on the ground, it's kind of hard to communicate because of all the mountains and all the stuff going on. The guys [on the ground] are running around, trying to talk on the radio, but the guy flying over, he can see them [from a clear distance], so he can tell me real time where they are and what he sees [clearing any confusion]."

Sergeant Stone recalled the joint mission in detail leading up to the colonel's multiple strafing runs to eventually put an end to the fire fight below.

While there were incidents such as this where Aviano F-16s had to go kinetic, more often than not, Sergeant Stone said, the F-16 support his team received was in the form of armed overwatch, an important aspect to effective use of airpower.

"It's reassuring for everybody on the ground to know there's aircraft overhead providing watch because they can look over walls and in other areas we can't see [from our ground position. For instance, the city walls in the area where we were at] were like 10 meters high, so you go down a road or a path and sometimes [hostiles] would pop up and shoot you from the wall and you can't see them," he said. "The aircraft can scan [those areas] though and tell you like 'hey, you have three guys against the wall here.'"

Staff Sgt. Peter Davey, 8th ASOS JTAC who also just returned, echoed Captain DiFalco's earlier comments on the downrange benefits both units, to include the other Aviano F-16 unit, the 555th Fighter Squadron, achieve by training together regularly throughout the year at home station.

"We're very lucky that we're actually on the same post as we're usually stationed [in separate locations]," he said. "Training together regularly lets us see what's going on in the pilot's head. We can go over to the squadron before a training mission and brief them prior ... and after the mission is complete we can debrief with them face-to-face. This is something you just can't get over the phone like you have to do with other units."

"Actually seeing the pilots and shaking their hands and seeing the capabilities and what they can do for us is just a different feeling," Sergeant Davey continued. "That trust is there and when they do come downrange and they're like 'I'm a 510th guy' or 'I'm a Triple Nickel guy,' I'm like OK, I can trust this guy. I mean, I trust every pilot ... but I've experienced working with them first-hand."

Captain DiFalco noted that he, like the rest of his pilot counterparts, is honored to work with 8th ASOS TACP Airmen and seizes every opportunity he can to not only learn from them, but share any knowledge or experience he has.

"I'm routinely amazed by what JTACs do on the ground and their ability to help the ground commander understand how to effectively use airpower," he said. "It's amazing to us because they are on the ground, often in a dicey situation, and they're able to communicate to us in the air while we're sitting up there and looking down and not necessarily immediately under any sort of threat. So, they are multi-tasking, understanding the airpower and acting as a liaison between the Army and the Air Force. Their communication skills are always high as is their situational awareness. It's impressive."

As the hotwash came to a close, both 510th FS and 8th ASOS Airmen left with an even better understanding and appreciation for one another and were ready to take lessons-learned back to their units for further discussion and education.

"We were able to identify the sort of things we need to focus on in the future, especially at Aviano with our ability to train together and work through some of these things," said Captain DiFalco. "We also identified some things that we can focus on to make future deployments better, not just between Aviano JTACS and pilots, but when they go out and work with other airframes and when we go downrange and work with other JTACs. I'm glad I could be a part of it."