9th Air Force hosts TACP forum

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tristan Hinderliter
  • 9th Air Force Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Tactical Air Control Party leaders from across the Air Force gathered at Shaw AFB Aug. 11-13 for a forum hosted by 9th Air Force in which they heard from senior leaders and collaborated on issues facing the career field.

Approximately 38 participants, mostly group commanders and above, as well as Major Command senior enlisted leaders, attended the forum. They represented Air Force Special Operations Command, Pacific Air Forces, United States Air Forces in Europe and the National Guard Bureau. Some came from as far as Germany and Afghanistan.

The TACP community is made up of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Air Liaison Officers. These JTACs and their officer counterparts embed with Army units and call in close air support to aid troops on the ground. They also advise ground commanders on capabilities of combat airpower.

"The forum was a unique opportunity for 9th Air Force to assemble all the senior leaders across the TACP community to address several long-standing issues in the career field," said Maj. Gen. H.D. Polumbo, Jr., 9th Air Force commander. "We addressed a number of challenges associated with readiness, training and equipment, and settled on a clearer way ahead for this unique group of battlefield Airmen."

Approximately 80 percent of the Air Force's TACP Airmen fall under 9th Air Force, which is the headquarters charged with organizing, training and equipping them.

The group addressed several key issues, including personnel and training, equipment standardization and career progression for the 13L ALO career field, said Maj. Aaron Seefeldt, an Air Battle Manager by trade and the 9th Air Force chief of training.

Master Sgt. Josh Littlefield, a JTAC who serves at the 9th Air Force superintendent of JTAC operations, helped Seefeldt organize the forum.

Littlefield, who has deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq, said it's important to him to support the JTACs in the field. He highlighted the importance of what these Airmen bring to the fight.

"JTACs have the most firepower on the battlefield," he said. "We can call in aircraft to support ground maneuver forces in remote places in Afghanistan where the terrain is really rugged. JTACs are fast and mobile when it comes to calling in lethal fire."

Polumbo said it's important that 9th Air Force be able to provide top-notch support to those Airmen who go into harm's way.

"I don't see any change in the demand for our battlefield Airmen" he said. "It's gonna continue - so we have to provide them the best training and equipment possible. This forum cemented our plan for the TACPs."