Joint warfighters hone close air support skills at JRTC

  • Published
  • By Casey E. Bain
  • JFIIT USJFCOM
FT. POLK, La. --  Army special forces and joint fires observers trained with Air Force joint terminal attack controllers and Navy fighter aircrews during a recent two-week Joint Readiness Training Center and Air Force Green Flag East exercise here with assistance from U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team.

The training, led by the JRTC's Operations Group and GFE with support from JFIIT, focused units on improving mission-essential close air support skills they will use during upcoming deployments.

The Army's 1st Special Forces Group from Fort Lewis, Wash., JFOs from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky., JTACs from the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Campbell, Ky., and the Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron 11 at Naval Air Station-Oceana, Va., partnered to conduct the training.

"This is the best pre-deployment training we've ever experienced," said Navy Cmdr. J.J. Cummings, commander, Strike Fighter Squadron 11. "I can't wait to get back and tell the other skippers about it so they can take advantage of this exceptional opportunity."

The training incorporated CAS situational training exercise lanes so Army special forces soldiers' could work closely with JFOs, JTACs, and Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircrews to improve their emergency CAS tactics, techniques, and procedures while conducting combat patrols in an urban-like environment.

"This has been a great opportunity to work with JTACs and CAS pilots just as we will in theater," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Cudlich, 1st Special Forces Group. "This is about as real as it gets until we deploy. Learning how to utilize CAS properly will be vital to our success in theater and this training will go a long way in helping us achieve that goal."

"This has been just like a no-kidding deployment to us," Commander Cummings said. "Being able to practice putting down fire in an urban environment near the proximity of friendly forces is something that makes our entire team better."

JRTC and GFE employs joint assets that provide realistic and rigorous training to replicate the operational environments found in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"JRTC and Green Flag have done a superb job of enhancing CAS training for the entire joint warfighting team," said Army Maj. Thomas Kokes, JFIIT lead at JRTC. "Our mission is to help integrate those assets and bridge fires-related gaps between the services so they will improve their combat effectiveness while reducing the potential of fratricide and collateral damage when they're deployed."

The need for BCTs to continue honing their joint air-to-ground skills is an important part of their training mission at home station and in other training events, according to JRTC, GFE, and JFIIT leaders.

"BCTs need to become very familiar with what their JTACs and other joint assets can do to help the maneuver commander execute their mission more effectively," Kokes said. "That training may start here, but it won't end here. It's a set of crucial skills that needs to be practiced continuously."

According to senior leaders at JRTC, the importance of integrating joint assets at the combat training center has never been more important than it is today.

"You can't just talk about integrating joint assets," said Brig. Gen. James C. Yarbrough, commanding general, JRTC and Fort Polk. "You've got to do it. You've got to do it slow, you've got to do it fast, you've got to do it at night, and you've got to make mistakes - that's how you learn. Units come here expecting to train jointly and it's up to us to deliver."