POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii -- In the chaos of battle, few things bring comfort to American and allied forces like the sound of a circling close air support aircraft.
Service members breathe a sigh of relief as hardened structures and enemy strongpoints disappear in a cloud of dirt and smoke, granting freedom of movement to ground troops in the most desperate of situations. Every second of enemy suppression amplifies the sinking feeling of isolation; a feeling broken by a single radio transmission, "Callsign flight, checking on station."
Though these aircraft arrive with a distinct sound, the force multipliers responsible for bringing their affects to bear do not. They are the "Quiet Professionals" of Air Force Special Operations Command, the combat controllers.
Professionals at calling in air support in hostile, complex environments, combat controllers with the 353rd Special Operations Group and Force Reconnaissance Marines with the III Marine Expeditionary Force were able to showcase their joint terminal attack control skills and enhance partnerships during RIMPAC 2016.
It is the job of these controllers to use the weapons of the sky to shape the battlefield. They are liaisons capable of changing the tide of a battle, only to slip back into the shadows of secrecy from where they came.
"The close integration of air power and ground forces has the potential to quickly turn the battlespace into a deadly three-dimensional environment and is a critical component to any major operation," said Capt. John Rulien, mission commander for the 353rd SOG participation in RIMPAC. "To be able to share our expertise in the field with our joint partners is an opportunity worth investing in."
Over a series of training events, combat controllers synched up with their Force Reconnaissance partners to pursue advanced JTAC qualifications. Instructors pushed controllers through progressive scenarios with increasing levels of complexity to ensure each combat controller and joint terminal air controller is prepared to meet the demands of the ever-changing battlefield. Knowing from experience the humbling responsibility of being charged with survivability of a team of special operators, combat controllers demand the utmost efficiency and accuracy throughout each training iteration. The role of a JTAC is a life or death responsibility.
Observing the training battlefield, the combat controllers and JTACs relayed target locations to the air support with a nine-line report. Once each target was hit, they relayed a battle damage assessment, which assists in collecting information about the enemy's capabilities in the aftermath of a conflict.
For Force Reconnaissance Marines with III MEF, JTAC qualifications are not a primary mission set for a unit which specializes in deep area reconnaissance. However, according to U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua Winters, platoon commander of 2nd Platoon, Force Reconnaissance Company, III MEF, the opportunity to partner with combat controllers for both integrated CAS training and reconnaissance missions helps develop skills and perspectives they can only obtain from working with the subject matter experts in the field.
"With the information they offer, we can not only hone our own skills as JTACs, but also benefit from direct access to a unit we may support in the future, giving us a better understanding of their reconnaissance needs," Winters said. "Ultimately, this makes us a more effective force and captures the versatility of the conventional and special operations force relationship we are trying to showcase here at RIMPAC."
Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain he cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.