Courtesy Photo | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Foley reviews his check list to request aircraft to...... read more read more
By Sgt. Jason Stadel,
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force are two different military branches in the Department of Defense, but they share a common goal: defeat the enemies of the United States and its allies.
Operation Marne Thunderbolt, Multi-National Division – Center's ongoing operation, highlights the partnership of both ground and air forces.
Heading the operation is 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Stewart, Ga., in areas south of Baghdad.
Three large air strikes against al-Qaida, which targeted training areas, safe havens, improvised explosive device locations and weapons caches, are a highlight of the ongoing mission.
In the brigade's tactical operations center, the Air Force mans a cell known as joint tactical air controller. Their mission is to advise and assist the Army brigade commander with integration of air support.
JTAC personnel are Air Force Airmen but air support coordination comes from many Coalition air assets including Air Force, Navy, Marines and Great Britain's Royal Air Force.
"We control air to put the desired effects on the battlefield," said Air Force Maj. Bruce Munger. Munger is the air liaison officer for 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.
From ground-based intelligence, Army leaders pick areas to target from air.
"We give the Coalition air forces our targeting recommendations based off the desired effects and end state we want for each of the targets," said Chief Warrant Officer Houston Burke, 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. targeting officer.
After Coalition air forces in Qatar receive target data, they give recommendations to the Army about the best possible targets based on the availability of aircraft, Burke said.
"The Coalition constantly has assets flying overhead," said Senior Airman Tim Johnson, who works in the JTAC. "This allows us to act quickly and support the Army anytime they need us."
With the Army on the ground providing intelligence and the Air Force doing recon from the sky, there is a better picture for targets that are picked.
The combined efforts of the Air Force and Army have made Operation Marne Thunderbolt highly effective and safer to local Iraqi civilians.
"We dropped more than 80,000 pounds of munitions and we had no friendly-fire incidents, no civilians or noncombatants were hurt, killed or had any other property damage," Burke said.
During all three of the major January air strikes the TOC was busy with information flowing from Air Force to Army and vice versa. Communication between all sections is vital; so vital that Air Force units train with Army units prior to deployments.
"Air Force tactical air control personnel are stationed with Army units in the states and deploy with the ground commander to ensure clear lines of communication are in place," said Munger, a Perry, Ga., native.
"Without this level of communication joint operations between the Air Force and Army would not be possible and the bombing campaign would not have taken place," Johnson said.
The cohesion between the two branches paid off during the air strikes. Munger said the branches worked well together because the 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. commander is a firm believer in air power. "Colonel (Terry) Ferrell understands what we can bring to support the ground mission."
Air support also means fewer ground troops are moving into unfamiliar, enemy-controlled areas.
"We could clear the IEDs with a route clearance team with Soldiers on the ground," Burke said. "However, IEDs still hit vehicles. Having the Air Force interrogate the IEDs on the ground, before we get there, to blow them up or disable them is much more of an advantage and it's done without Soldiers having to get anywhere near them."
Johnson said working with the Army gives him the opportunity to see many different parts of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "If it were not for us working directly with the Army, we would be severely limited as to what we, as Air Force personnel, could bring to today's fight."
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 01.28.2008 12:05 |
| Story ID: | 15816 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 41 |
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