47th Fighter Squadron trains to provide close air support

  • Published
  • By Andre Menard
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AFB La. --  The 47th Fighter Squadron deployed to Peterson AFB, Colo., in mid December to conduct close air support training with the A-10 Thunderbolts and the 13th Air Support Operational Squadron. 

Barksdale A-10s supported the Special Ops personnel out of Fort Carson, Colo., in forward air control, updating currencies while preparing them for an OEF/OIF deployment. Several of the upgraded personnel qualified to employ in combat as ground joint terminal attack controllers, according to Lt. Col. James Marks, 47 FS assistant director of operations. 

These airmen will forward deploy with Army units and serve as a direct link between the Air Force and the Army soldiers in need of air power. The JTACs from the 13th were intent on taking full advantage of the ground support training with the A-10s. 

"Usually we have to pack up all of our gear and go in search of support to maintain our currencies," says Tech. Sgt. John Campbell, a JTAC with the 13th ASOS. "So we wanted to give them a show, and perhaps, a reason to come back again." 

And a show they did give. The JTACs, with the help of Range Control, were able to put together urban villages complete with personnel acting as opposition forces; they fired off "Smokey SAM's" and popped simulated IEDs. 

Although the JTACs wanted to emphasize old school tactics, using grid referencing points, they also practiced with ROVER, a remotely operated video enhanced receiver, which is an enhancement on LITENING-AT targeting pods. With this new technology, the A-10s are able to transmit real-time video to people on the ground during close-air-support missions. 

Colonel Marks, a veteran forward air controller and A-10 pilot, was thoroughly impressed with the enthusiasm of the young troops. 

"They had really great scenarios, incorporating ground burst simulators and simulated MANPAD missile launches," he said. "They did a great job of attempting realistic training, incorporating situations that guys are going through right now in Afghanistan." 

But for Campbell, this training hit a bit closer to home. "I wrote these scenarios while deployed to Afghanistan, with hopes that we could put a great training exercise like this to work," he said. "Even with record-breaking low temperatures in Colorado, the jets were able to complete all but one sortie, which was due to high winds. 

"The maintainers did an outstanding job with the cold weather, keeping the jets fixed and able to support the training that we deployed for," said Colonel Marks, who described the deployment as huge success. 

"It was a chance to exercise the complete air to ground network of controlling air power, running the whole tactical coordination system from stem to stern and allowing the JTACs to accomplish not only their training, but the training their personnel may be getting also," he said.