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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – In a mountain valley of central Pennsylvania, two A-10 Thunderbolt II take to the skies. “Cleared hot!” transmits over the radio. Then comes the unmistakable sound of freedom – brrrt – echoing across the landscape. The operations director for Bollen Range Air-to-Ground Bomb Range, Detachment 1 – part of the 193rd Special Operations Wing – communicates with the pilots as they undergo training exercises and showcase their power.
“Fort Indiantown Gap is an excellent place where [pilots] can utilize working with the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines in a joint force effort,” he says. “It offers all-weather terrain in a restricted area with an excellent array of targets.”
Airmen from the 193rd SOW manage range operations here by coordinating aircraft scheduling, supporting training and scoring efforts, maintaining communication with pilots, and ensuring safe airspace conditions throughout the area.
Cleared hot: The range
Bollen Range is a keystone asset for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and provides a realistic tactical range environment for air-to-ground, airdrop and joint terminal attack controller training, ensuring combat readiness of flying units from across the services throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
"Besides the impact area and drop zones, we provide fighter and heavy aircrews with defensive threat reaction training using missile and threat simulators,” said a Bollen Range operator.
Night, day and weekend operations are conducted at Bollen Range per the requests of the air and ground users. The range – located within a U.S. Army impact area – allows Air Force and other units from across the Department of Defense to train with Army artillery and mortar units, bringing added realism to joint operations.
Ground precision: Tactical Air Control Party
A notable feature of Bollen Range are the opportunities for the 148th Air Support Operations Squadron Tactical Air Control Party Airmen to train in real-life scenarios. TACPs are the critical link between ground forces and aircraft, ensuring that air support is delivered on time and on target during combat operations. Bollen Range – offering these simulated combat operations – allows TACPs to stay mission ready for real-life scenarios.
“Bollen Range is unique in that it allows us to conduct small-arms proficiency training while simultaneously controlling live-fly aircraft,” says Master Sgt. Thomas Reno, weapons and tactics chief for the 148th Air Support Operations Squadron. “This facilitates a much more realistic environment for TACP personnel in preparation for combat operations.”
Bollen Range additionally allows TACPs to train in close air support missions – the primary job of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers while training with aerial resupply and drop zone operations.
From the pilots
Regional pilots also use the range for vital live-fire training.
“Flying at Bollen Range is a tremendous training opportunity to work on tactics that we use down range to combat enemy forces,” said a Maryland Air National Guard A-10 Thunderbolt II A-10 pilot who trained here recently.
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2025 23:02 |
| Story ID: | 499233 |
| Location: | ANNVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Lethality, precision on display at Bollen Range, by Amn Austin Stern, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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