47th FS instructor pilots impact training on the ground

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
Barksdale AFB, La. --  The primary mission of the 47th Fighter Squadron at Barksdale remains, for the time being, a schoolhouse for A-10 pilots. However, it is not the only opportunity instructor pilots here have to be involved with training Air Force personnel.

Recently, close to 90 members of the 917th Wing had the chance to hone their combat skills for 13 days in Savannah, Ga., during "Patriot Dixie."

The group of Airmen, which included 47th FS pilots, as well as maintainers from the 717th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron from Barksdale, helped Joint Terminal Attack Controllers fine-tune their combat skills before being deployed down range. The two groups of JTACs involved in the training were the 15th Air Support Operations Squadron, who are embedded with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., and the 6th Combat Training Squadron from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

By participating in training evolutions such as this one, the instructor pilots are ensuring that JTACs are capable of doing their job down range. In retrospect, the instructor pilots are actually guaranteeing better outcomes for close-air-support pilots in the future.

"For an A-10 pilot, the limiting factor in combat is finding the target - the window in the hut among 200 huts." says Lt. Col. Jim Macaulay, 917th Operations Group deputy commander, Wing. "JTACs used to be the unsung heroes. Now they are getting their due. We can't do our job without them."

JTACs are considered throughout the U.S. military as experts in air-to-ground operations, and like all military components, they continue to train on a regular basis to maintain their expertise in the field. Embedded with Army units, they are prepared to call in air strikes to destroy targets or close-air-support during engagements with enemy forces.

"This combined training with a dedicated premier air-to-ground platform such as the A-10 enhances our training effectiveness," said Maj. Francis Scolaro, 15th ASOS, director of operations. "Training with CAS experts (A-10s) greatly enhances the JTACs tactics, techniques and procedures when engaging the enemy in support of the ground commander's scheme of maneuver."

The 47th FS took six A-10 jets to Georgia to help. Pilots from the 47th FS were rotated in and out over the length of the exercise to fly sorties for the training scenarios.

The A-10s dropped BDU 33 training ordinance to simulate bombs and fired TP (training) rockets at targets on the ranges as they worked hand-in-hand with the 15th ASOS.

"We train to the level where we can deploy with any Army unit we need to," Major Scolaro said. "The only difference is how we get to the fight."

"It takes three or four years to grow a JTAC," the Major said. "If you lose one JTAC on the battlefield, you lose a lot of capability. So, we train to mitigate that in every possible way we can."

The 15th ASOS coordinated with the 47th FS to get what they felt was the best win-win training situation possible during the exercise.

Training for the 15th ASOS JTACs focused on incorporating lasers to mark targets and talking pilots on to targets visually.

A new asset in the JTAC equipment bag is the "rover," which has video down link capabilities. Personnel on the ground can actually see the target on a screen as seen from a targeting pod on the combat aircraft providing the close-air-support.

"It's definitely easier to conduct CAS with targeting pods and video down link capabilities as opposed to trying to verbally talk the pilot on to certain targets," Major Scolaro said.

JTACs on the ground are more than just an air traffic controller for dropping bombs.

"In a lot of cases, the aircrew have very accurate coordinates for the target, and it's simply a matter of us making sure the target area is free of friendlies and non-combatants before we approve the strike," said Capt. Pat McMahon, 15th ASOS, air liaison officer.

"However, in todays combat theater, it's hard to identify targets as they're often on
the move or in areas that could cause collateral damage. So it's up to us
and the aircrew to quickly come up with an accurate targeting solution and the best weapon that's quick, lethal and, in most cases, with no collateral damage," he added.

The A-10 is not the only combat aircraft assigned to the role of close-air-support. The rules have changed over the years and many combat aircraft have been thrown into the CAS role. Because of this, JTACs must train to work with numerous assets from different services as well as different countries.

"Each community brings a valuable piece of the puzzle to the fight - a good JTAC will know how to put it all together," said Capt. McMahon.

There were numerous sorties flown during "Patriot Dixie." But, very few jets would have gotten off the ground more than a few times had it not been for the maintainers back at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center.

From a maintainer's perspective, the exercise was not without its challenges.

Upon arrival at the CRTC, immediately, several maintenance issues popped up, said Senior Master Sgt. Bernard Woods, 717th AMXS, flight chief.

The maintainers immediately started generating all six aircraft in order to make the next day's mission.

"Everybody helped each other very well in the launch, recovery and maintenance of the A-10 during the entire deployment," Sergeant Woods said. "I didn't have to stress teamwork at all."

The weather too played a role in the training. Rain fall simulated what they may during a deployment to Afghanistan.

"There was a little heavy rainfall and severe weather we had to deal with. We had to recover aircraft and put four A-10's in a hangar to avoid structural damage from the heavy winds and hail," Sergeant Woods explained. "Some challenges we just had to endure."

"Patriot Dixie" is just one of many training evolutions that create scenarios in which JTACs could soon be put to the test down range.

"There is nothing worse than dropping a bomb on a farmer or civilians when you could have prevented it," said Major Scolaro. "We try to do everything we possibly can to prevent that. No one ever wants to hear about or read about it, nor do we ever want to do it. That's why we do this training."