Photo By Cpl. Stephen Holland | U.S. Marines with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary...... read more read more
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“Gunfire 1-3, this is Lightning Air. Artillery is currently cold. Northeast at this time…How copy over,” U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Alexander Obremski, a forward air controller officer with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, communicates to pilots over a radio at Pilsung Range, South Korea.
This customary lingo is spoken by nearly 20 Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, forward air controller officers, joint fires observers, and radio operators from 5th ANGLICO, based in Okinawa, Japan, and the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, who come together for a bilateral live-fire close air support event with joint aircraft for exercise Warrior Shield 24.
Close air support is the aerial delivery of fires close to ground forces requiring detailed integration and coordination between pilots and forward air controller officers stationed on the ground. This exercise provided an opportunity for Marines with 5th ANGLICO and the ROK Marine Corps to learn from each other, and hone their technical skills, command and control, and capabilities.
Training together demonstrates the ROK and U.S. Marines’ laser-focused commitment to protecting shared security goals and maintaining peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.
“5th ANGLICO’s specialty is integrating with and acting as a node for multinational partners and the joint force, creating a conduit to provide fire support across nations and services. Our teams are task-organized but consist of a subject matter expert in each of the fires’ disciplines along with a communicator that are all cross-trained with one another,” says Obremski. “Working alongside ROK Marines has been a privilege because of our historical partnership since the Korean War. The field training exercise as part of Warrior Shield 24 integrates the Combined Joint Force at the tactical level to improve efficacy and efficiency.”
The team of ROK and U.S. Marines insert expeditiously via a MUH-1 utility helicopter to the firing range. They depart early every morning during a week in March to the range to execute a Tactical Air Control Party which spanned four long days of training. The team conducted a foot movement over a mile daily with over 100 lbs. of radio equipment and personal protective gear necessary to conduct CAS, due to the snowy and icy trail up to the firing range impassable by vehicles.
The frigid climate is home to the mountainous terrain of South Korea and its Marines. By the time the TACP event begins, the ROK, U.S. Marines, and U.S. Airmen have already done the hard and extensive work in training and rehearsing combat simulations. They default to the physical stamina they regularly maintain to operate in uncompromising, freezing-cold, and austere environments. Their diligent work together reveals their professional bonds and heart for controlling combat aircraft.
Aircraft is on station by 11:30AM and ready to execute offensive operations. ROK Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jiwon Kang, who is at his fourth iteration of the exercise, briefs a 9-line CAS and conducts a “talk-on”, a method that describes the detailed position of a target through a sequence of visual references on the ground, bringing a pilot's eyes to the target in a simple and unequivocal way.
“Are there any ADA (air defense assets)?” asks Gunnery Sgt. Kang.
“No threats,” responds Staff Sgt. Sung M. Shin, a fires and effects integrator with 5th ANGLICO.
For another ROK Marine, Master Sgt. Hyunjin Kim, this is his second time participating in the exercise.
“My role with the ROK Marines is a joint fires observer. I wanted to see how to control aircraft especially in this harsh environment. Conducting night close air support is not common because of the darkness and the snow. The snow and multiple days of training is difficult and rare, but harsher weather adds additional training value and makes us better. Combined exercises benefit relationships with our partners,” says Kim.
In the afternoon, 5th generation F35B Lightning II aircraft from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 are on station and fly over the snowy, mountainous firing range. The pilots, who embrace an attack mindset, provide a unique perspective and experience to CAS, leading to a more aggregated joint and bilateral exercise.
For the penultimate event, the 7th Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from 25th Fighter Squadron conducted a show of force, firing a series of live ordnance into the night. The A-10s, modernized aircraft equipped with armored plating and smart weapons, can locate targets from afar which enhances survivability and firepower effects against ground targets.
The importance of the joint force integration cannot be overlooked.
“It is very important that we work with our joint partners and allies using real weapons and targets,” says Lt Col. Justin R. Davis, commanding officer of 25th Fighter Squadron.
“There are not a lot of great opportunities and training areas in Korea to conduct realistic live-fire training with JTACs…The cold weather elements and de-conflicting airspace also poses a challenge. We are working with a country the size of New Jersey with four fighter squadrons competing for the same airspace.”
The A-10 Thunderbolt II’s rounds detonate, and its sounds shatter the air like lightning from the sky. The team watches as the aircraft passes and its aerial laser-guided bombs hit the impact area. The smoke from the aircraft clears, leaving no trace behind for a potential adversary to detect and target.
On the final day of the event, MUH-1 helicopters from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 369 fly close to the ground. To do this, prior coordination with securing operations areas and de-conflicting airspace was made to allow aircraft to safely fly. The Marines prove they are more than capable of execution in a real-world mission.
Immersed in the highly intricate world of terminal attack control, the ROK and U.S. Marines and airmen can expand upon each other’s knowledge base to problem-solve and execute demanding missions under a time constrained environment.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2024 21:06 |
| Story ID: | 467443 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Time on Target: 5th ANGLICO Calls in Air Strikes with ROK Marines at Warrior Shield 24, by 1LT Michelle Lin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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