It takes a village: Diverse team trains JTAC candidate

AVIANO AIR BASE, ITALY

12.04.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Austin Harvill  

31st Fighter Wing

“You can’t let us intimidate you into silence,” he said, looking over the Dolomite mountain range’s rugged expanse during a day-long training exercise. “We had a guy come to the unit and he never talked. He didn’t make it through technical training. Every moment, every day, you have to learn or you won’t make it.”

Staff Sgt. Alexander Day, 2nd Air Support Operations Squadron joint tactical air controller, wasn’t beating around the bush as he spoke to an Airman who might someday lead a JTAC team into war. Today wasn’t a day of soft lessons and soothing words.

For that Airman, Airman 1st Class Jeremy Mootz, nothing could’ve been better to hear. Mootz, a 31st Medical Support Squadron medical logistics technician, was recently selected to become an Air Liaison Officer, which is a commissioned position as a JTAC.

This day-long training exercise showcased how the 31st Fighter Wing and Vicenza, Germany-based JTACs, came together to ensure future Airmen continue to be the best fighting force the world has ever seen.

“It was honestly like the stars aligned,” said Mootz. “I came into work, ready for the grind, and by noon I was scheduled to meet with the wing commander, a team of pilots and JTACs the next day at 5:30 in the morning.”

The stars aligning began by chance when the wing commander, Brig. Gen. Lance Landrum, arrived at Mootz’s flight. Landrum offered Mootz a chance to see what JTACs do. Then the next star fell in line for Mootz—meeting the JTAC team.

The 2nd ASOS JTACs routinely visit Aviano to train with 31st FW pilots on close-air support operations like air-to-ground weapon strikes. It just so happened to be time for one of those visits, and it just so happened to be the general who was up for refresher training.

The general helped Mootz link up with the JTACs and before he knew it, Mootz was driving through the mountains, excited to train. As soon as the team stopped, Mootz learned his first lesson—expect the unexpected.

“I knew they would mimic real operations, but I didn’t know the extent of it” said Mootz. “I thought I had an idea of what radio communication would be like, for instance, but I had no idea the depth of their abilities.”

That overwhelming feeling reaffirmed why JTACs lead the way. They operate at a totally different level. The general in the air, Mootz watching, training underway—Day and his team were at full throttle.

“You assume a fast pace when you think about special operations,” said Mootz. “This was different. I knew about the hardcore physical and psychological aspects of the job, but this opened my eyes to what I would be doing day-to-day. It was humbling and exciting at the same time. It really got me fired up to emulate them some day.”

Without any bravado attached, the future ALO’s desire to be like the JTAC team is exactly what Day had in mind.

“We outlined for him what is expected of an officer within a JTAC community,” said Day. “He was listening, and if he takes that knowledge with him during [technical training], he will gain massive respect from his instructors and peers.”

Day’s JTACs didn’t explain what an ALO needs to do because they knew he would learn that in technical training. Instead, they gave him a deeper understanding of what makes a successful ALO.

“A desire to learn and knowing your limits, or accepting that you could be wrong, are paramount [characteristics] for all JTACs,” said Day. “Providing ill-advised plans for an operation could lead to death. That was the biggest lesson we could teach him—the consequences of pride or complacency.”

That advice, coming from a veteran JTAC of many deployments and too many air support operations to count, rang loud and clear to Mootz. More importantly, the environment the JTACs projected solidified the message for the officer-to-be.

“I feel like people expect JTACs to be super type-A personalities who don’t accept mistakes from others—that just isn’t true,” said Mootz. “These guys performed complicated operations, but afterward, they didn’t boast. They asked the pilots, ‘What did we do wrong?’ and had honest, constructive dialogue. That helpful atmosphere reinforced how learning—improving—is more important than anything else.”

After Mootz’s unique, star-aligned opportunity, he returned to work, again waiting for his technical training date. Now, however, he wasn’t just anxious to start.

“I was a little jealous of the guys during the day’s training, because I wanted to be there beside them,” said Mootz. “I know the technical training will be hard, and I’m anxious. However, this opportunity reaffirmed that I have to do this. They set me up, people from across Europe, to pursue my passion, and I don’t intend to let them down.”

• Date Taken: 12.04.2017
• Date Posted: 12.04.2017 03:05
• Story ID: 257272
• Location: AVIANO AIR BASE, IT