TACP guts it out with Army brethren

Published Feb. 25, 2011
By Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary
AFCENT Combat Camera Correspondent

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, Afghanistan -- Often referred to as the last frontier, Afghanistan offers special operators the opportunity to conduct kinetic operations to root out and extinguish terrorist threats.

Tucked away in the harsh crags of the Afghan mountains are servicemembers whose primary goal is to hold the area and protect against terrorist threats hidden there. Among them are servicemembers who live by an unwritten creed - "to take the fight to the enemy."

Army Soldiers are taking over critical and strategic enemy strongholds, building up forward operating bases and combat outposts, and setting up resistance. It's a safe bet that wherever ground forces are, Tactical Air Control Party Airmen are embedded among them.

One of those TACPs is Senior Airman Jesse Medrano, a joint tactical air controller who provides liaison support between the Air Force and the Army, namely when calling in overhead support.

"Our primary job is to direct combat strike aircraft against enemy targets," said Tech. Sgt. Jason Rutledge, 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron Other Location - Alpha NCOIC. "We anticipate what the Army needs in certain situations and call in non-organic reinforcements to mitigate enemy threat."

Airman Mo, as he is commonly referred to, joined the Air Force in 2004 with aspirations of being a part of the special operations community.

"When the TACP recruiter came and gave his spiel, he sold me," the Airman said. "The tech(nical) school was only a fraction of the time as other special ops careers. I was eager to get in the fight so it was a good choice for me."

Airman Medrano's mission here is two pronged. As a JTAC, he aids the Army brigade and works at the tactical operations center advising on different Air Force assets that can be employed when troops are in contact. He also gets tasked to embed with platoons at austere military outposts, going on foot patrols and serving as an extra gun.

"When I am out there with the platoons, I am expected to be one of them and share the burden as well as do my job when things get hot," Airman Medrano said.

The length of the patrol, time outside the wire and the mission itself all decide what role Airman Medrano will provide for the team. If the patrol is on a population engagement or traffic control mission, he provides "overwatch," or protected surveillance of the area from a high vantage point, should a need for immediate action arise.

"Being at the platoon level is what we all signed up for. Afghanistan is a much more kinetic fight than other (areas of operation) and exactly what we all want to be a part of," the Airman said.

Airman Medrano is the perfect choice to have represent the TACP career field. His understanding of what his specialty can bring to the table is essential when trying to prove to the Army that having an Airman on the team is a good idea.

"The difficult part is when (things get hot), ground forces want to use organic assets," the Airman said. "You have to know your capabilities, sell the commander on what you can provide them and back it up with immediate air power when you're asked to perform."

Airman Medrano is very humble about being a Senior Airmen who shoulders the burden of someone who is at least two ranks above him.

"For a guy as talented a JTAC as he is, you don't see rank. You see that he's competent," Sergeant Rutledge said. "He's what you need representing us so the Army accepts us into their (fold)."

For a special operations career field, it's not just about rank, it's about being able to do the job when things get hot. It's about not freezing when the people relying on you need you most.

"There are two types of people in this career field: the person who focuses solely on the mission giving everything to it and then there's the person who prefers to stay back in garrison, make rank and focus our capabilities," Sergeant Rutledge said. "For people like Airman Medrano, it's all about the mission and not failing the guys he's attached to."

Airman Medrano is itching to get back to the platoon and help maintain control over newly-liberated terrorist strongholds.

"Being outside the wire in the mix of things with the Army and taking the fight to the enemy is what we train for," he said. "It's where I can make the biggest impact to the mission -- being that guy who is bringing the fight to the enemy while keeping our guys in the fight."