Certification training

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tyler Puterbaugh, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party, calls in an A-10C Thunderbolt II strafe run during a joint training with the 74th Fighter Squadron June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The 74th FS and the 7th ASOS conducted a two-week joint training to maximize their training and improve their efficiency. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

Coordinates confirmed

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ron Tyson, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party, confirms coordinates during a joint training with the 74th Fighter Squadron June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. TACPs from the 7th ASOS attended briefs, debriefs, academics lessons and controls training both with simulated and real life munitions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

Eyes on target

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kyle Spain, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron joint terminal attack controller instructor, left, Staff Sgt. Tyler Puterbaugh, middle, and Tech Sgt. Ron Tyson 7th ASOS tactical air control parties, right, identify a target during a sister squadron scenario June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The TACPs communicated with A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots to help direct airstrikes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

Joint training

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ron Tyson, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party, right, orders a strafe run while Staff Sgt. Tyler Puterbaugh, 7th ASOS TACP, finds the next target during a joint training June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The TACPs communicated target coordinates with the A-10C Thunderbolt pilots who performed strafe runs by firing .50-caliber rounds at the confirmed targets. The 74th FS and 7th ASOS formed a sister squadron close air support team and have trained together during IRON STRIKE and HUSTLER THUNDER. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

Strafe run

Airmen from the 7th Air Support Operations Squadron watch as an A-10C Thunderbolt II maneuvers during a joint training with the 74th Fighter Squadron June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. During the two-week training, Airmen from the 7th ASOS utilized the A-10 simulator to allow them to see and understand an A-10 pilot’s responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

A-10 soars

An A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 74th Fighter Squadron maneuvers after performing a strafing run during a joint training with the 7th Air Support Operations Squadron June 18, 2015, on Grand Bay Bombing and Gunnery Range at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. During the training, the tactical air control party completed requirements necessary to become certified joint terminal attack controllers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley/Released)

74th FS, 7th ASOS join forces as CAS team

Published June 26, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Ceaira Tinsley
23d Wing Public Affairs

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Airmen from the 7th Air Support Operations Squadron at Fort Bliss, Texas, traveled more than 1,500 miles to train with A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots from the 74th Fighter Squadron as a close air support team here, June 8-19.

The 74th FS and the 7th ASOS aligned as a sister-squadron CAS team to maximize their training opportunities, improve their efficiency, and ultimately save lives.

"To prevent meeting a (tactical control air control party) for a week and then never seeing them again; we decided to establish this habitual relationship," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col Ryan "Frag" Haden, 74th FS commander. "[Now] I have an ASOS that will bend over backwards to help me out when I need it ... and in the same token we will do the same thing for them."

The sister squadron partnership models the Battalion Air Liaison Officer Program that was once a built-in program that allotted CAS flying units and TACPs to train together regularly.

"The sister squadron idea came about last fall and it's an agreement between the (two squadron commanders)," said Capt. Kyle Spain, 7th ASOS joint terminal attack controller. "They got together and said 'the pilots at the 74th have a lot to learn from another member of the CAS team; and vice versa, the JTACs have a lot to learn from the pilots.' [They decided] to formalize and develop these two relationships and that's where the sister squadron memorandum of understanding (MOU) came about."

Since the MOU was signed earlier this year, the 74th FS and the 7th ASOS have taken full advantage of the opportunity to train together during this training and exercises like IRON STRIKE and HUSTLER THUNDER.

"Normally the 74th Fighter Squadron brings in JTAC teams to work with them on a regular weekly basis but this training in particular we did completely different," said Spain. "We came up the week prior to our CAS week and sat through three days of academics. It [included] CAS team academics geared at fighter and JTAC interaction and how to improve our CAS team."

While at Moody, the TACPs utilized the A-10 simulator that depicted the pilot's views in a deployed environment during a close air support mission. They supplemented this training with briefs, debriefs, academics lessons and controls training both live and dry.

"A lot of times downrange we don't have the luxury of being able to have a face-to-face brief but we can do that here," said Capt. Sean Griffin, 74th FS A-10 pilot. "That provides us the ability to really understand what they expect [from us] on the battle space and what we're expecting [from them]. Since our missions (capabilities) are so closely aligned, it's really good to be able to [train with them] so we can execute our mission more effectively."

Their alliance extends beyond the realm of a typical fighter squadron and ASOS. The mutual understanding of each other's capabilities and the comradery and foundation of trust the two squadrons have formed may be beneficial to them in more ways than one.

"The guy that you're working next to or that you fly with on a daily basis, that's the guy you're going to go to war with," said Haden. "You need to know him really well; better than a close friend, you've got to be on that next level. When they have a question, or they're deployed, somebody from the ASOS can pick up the phone and their established relationship leads them right back here. They don't have to guess or look around for the answer because they've got it."

The relationship bonds formed will assist in helping this sister squadron partnership last and endure an ever-changing Air Force.

"It's priceless and I'm not aware of another relationship in the Air Force between the JTACs and the fighter community like this," said Spain. "It has really taught us things both ways that you just can't put a value on because at the end of the day that value could be human lives; our brothers and sisters in arms. By knowing each other's mutual capabilities it facilitates safer CAS and at the end of the day it will save lives downrange."