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Call for fire: Joint exercise ATLANTIC STRIKE trains JTACs

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nicholas Benroth
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
AVON PARK, Fla. --  A joint terminal attack controller watches from a distance as close air support rains down fire power on its targets and at the same time ensure their friendly's are safe and out of harm's way.

Although this is just part of what a JTAC can do, none of this can happen without the proper training. That's where the 11-day joint exercise ATLANTIC STRIKE 11-01 comes in.

ATLANTIC STRIKE is a multinational exercise which brings together members from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marines, and the armies of Slovenia, Canada and Germany. This exercise provides the opportunity to train in a real-world scenario and prepare them for joint environments in places like Afghanistan.

"The primary focus of ATLANTIC STRIKE is to provide JTACs with training that is rarely possible for us with mission requirements," said Tech. Sgt. Robert Callaway, 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing JTAC instructor. "This training provides us with an actual ground force to work with rather than having to simulate that."

ATLANTIC STRIKE takes a mission and breaks it into four sections. These include 'convoy lane', urban tactical, live drop scenarios and 'movement to contact'. Each has its own scenarios and specifically trains the JTACs on how to respond.


One of the tactical scenarios was 'movement to contact,' where a ground force was called in to move on an enemy village that was host to opposing forces and enemy weapons caches.
The mission of the JTACs during this section was to support the ground commander with any close air support that was needed during their assault on the village.

"During normal training a mission like this we would have just simulated what was happening," said Sergeant Callaway. "Now we can have the JTAC feel what it is like to have real soldiers in the field and work with the stress of keeping track of what's going on while being fired at by opposing forces."

Another major part of this exercise is the training of the joint fires observers (JFO). These are members who can go in the stead on JTAC members and can relay information from the battlefield back to a JTAC who is in a tactical operations center.

"We need the ability to send a fully trained and qualified member out with a unit when we don't have access to enough JTACs," said Sergeant Callaway. "The only thing a JFO cannot do is give the final order to call in an air strike- that is up to the JTAC."

ATLANTIC STRIKE is an exercise based on the training of JTACs and JFOs but it does more than just help these members. It gives crucial training to other exercise members as well.

"Most exercises focus on the bigger unit getting all the training and the smaller groups fall to the wayside," said Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, 9th Air Force commander. "During ATLANTIC STRIKE everyone who participates in this training gets a little something out of it."

One of the other members who participated in the exercise was the 823rd Base Defense Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, which played the ground forces during the 'movement to contact.'

"Working with 2nd Lt. Shane Watts, 823rd BDS flight commander and the other members of the squadron was great," said Sergeant Callaway. "These guys get some training out of this and so do we."