UNDISCLOSED LOCATION -- The night sky echoes with sonic booms and exploding munitions.
Tactical Air Control Party Specialists and Joint Forward Observers from the Combined Special Operations Task Force - Levant and the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, trained Close Air Support (CAS) allowing continuous support to ground forces while integrating the firepower of the AC-130J and F-15E Strike Eagles at an impact range on Saturday, August 20th. These airmen and soldiers trained in near total darkness, using radio communications and laser emitters to direct a beam, invisible to the naked eye to designate targets.
Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) trained alongside Army Joint Forward Observers (JFOs), Air force Special Tactics Officers (STOs) and Naval Special Warfare (SEALs). Their duty is to operate ahead of friendly forces, identifying targets and relaying targeting information to air support. In this exercise, the controllers conducted a complex series of combat scenarios involving everything from simple strikes to troops in contact (TIC) with medical evacuation calls (9-Line MEDEVACs). All while integrating the AC-130J with the F-15E. Expeditionary Maintenance Teams also took advantage of this training event to practice Integrated Combat Turn’s (ICTs), refueling and uploading munitions in the middle of the exercise.