TSP Estonia 2018 - Lt. Col. Gregory Barasch interview

ESTONIA

02.15.2018

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Coffer 

Regional Media Center AFN Europe

TV script:
MC2 Coffer:
“The 112th expeditionary fighter squadron is deployed to Amari Air Base, Estonia, as a Theater Security Package in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Commander of the 112th EFS, Lt. Col. Gregory Barasch, explains the importance of flying the TSP mission here.”
Lt. Col. Barasch:
“I think the TSP for us really highlights the fact that the United States is here, in Estonia, forward deployed, providing a ready force, that’s capable of assuring and deterring and defending our regional allies and our NATO allies.”
MC2 Coffer:
In addition to exercising air-to-air flying operations with the Swedish Air Force, pilots flying the multi-role F-16 also conduct air-to-ground operations with Estonian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers. “F-16 pilot, Capt. Seth Murray explains why it’s important to work with our NATO allies.”
Capt. Murray:
“I would probably say the best thing about working with partner nations and allies is actually seeing what they’re capabilities and strengths are and then what ours are. With that we can leverage more with each other, then we can also see weaknesses we can work on together. It’s important for us to work with international JTACs because it’s not just going to be a U.S. JTAC that’s embedded with our units.”
MC2 Coffer:
“From Amari Air Base, Estonia, I’m Petty Officer Eric Coffer.”


Radio Script:
MC2 Coffer:
“The 112th expeditionary fighter squadron is deployed to Amari Air Base, Estonia, as a Theater Security Package in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Commander of the 112th EFS, Lt. Col. Gregory Barasch, explains the importance of deploying to this area.”
Lt. Col. Barasch:
“I think the TSP for us really highlights the fact that the United States is here, in Estonia, forward deployed, providing a ready force, that’s capable of assuring and deterring and defending our regional allies and our NATO allies. We get to deploy across the ocean and to a place we have never been, set up shop in a fairly bare bones location and then make the mission happen and then with that be able to coordinate with multiple different nations and exercise with them the entire time we are here.”
MC2 Coffer:
“F-16 pilot, Capt. Seth Murray, tells us why it’s important to work with the Estonian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers.”
Capt. Murray:
“The big take away with working with the Estonian JTACs, for one they don’t have many planes within their air force obviously to support them, so getting practice for them is probably a very big thing. Also, for us, or at least for me, it’s the first time working with the Estonians, so actually getting to see that first hand and working with an international partner has been great.”
MC2 Coffer:
“From Amari Air Base, Estonia, I’m Petty Officer Eric Coffer.”

Transcribed interview:
Commander:
Lt. Col. Gregory Barasch
TSP is the theater security package apart of operation Atlantic resolve, were we send rotational forces through Europe to show our commitment to NATO to enhance the security presence in the region. The first part of that is that it gives us the opportunity to exercise our interoperability with those partner nations and nato allies, specifically we have been able to do a couple exercises, a couple with Sweden, planned some with Finland as well and we will be flying with the Italians next week as well as working with JTAC from Estonia on the ground, what that allows us to do is exercise our communication plans and see how their tactics work and so that they can see what they expect from us. It has given us the opportunity to do a lot of the coordination planning with them long distance and just able to meet at the air space and execute our exercise and our game plans with them and it really shows you can reach across borders from a long distance and still pull this off and make it happen. I think the biggest part for us is that we get out of our comfort zone, we get to deploy across the ocean and to a place we have never been, set up shop in a fairly bare bones location and then make the mission happen and then with that be able to coordinate with multiple different nations and exercise with them the entire time we are here. I think the TSP for us really highlights the fact that the United States is here, in Estonia, forward deployed, providing a ready force, that’s capable of assuring and deterring and defending our regional allies and our nato allies

F-16 Pilot:
Capt. Seth Murray
Yesterday we went to the range and we worked with some international JTACs there, while doing that they read of a few 9 lines for us and basically we had to find the spots to get below the weather and actually employ weapons. So basically dropping on a bombing circle but for us it allows us to score our weapons and also look for specific bomb lines as far as dive angle that we are really looking at and it also helps the JTACs actually visually pick us up, so that they can actually clear us hot to drop. Working with allied nations its very good because obviously any kind of conflict it’s typically a coalition effort, so for us it’s not just going with, you know the US guys and getting the job done, it’s a whole partner and concerted effort with the nato organization but for us a lot of it is just the language barriers, so getting through some of that and working through some of the technical terms are different between the US and the other services but there is a lot of standardizations that we can understand each other. I would probably say the best thing about working with partner nations and allies is actually seeing what they’re capabilities and strengths are and then what ours are. With that we can leverage more with each other, then we can also see weaknesses we can work on together. We dropped, per aircraft, we had 6 BDU-33s, just small bombs that are loaded with a little charge just to let off a little smoke so we can actually see where they hit. So 6 BDU-33s per aircraft, there were 4 of us, so we had 24 total bombs. There would actually be a lot of preparation before. A lot of that would be passed down from the AOC and then into the KAOC and then down through our commander and then to us. Obviously a lot of mission planning there and working with everybody in the group and not just the US obviously but all the foreign partners. However a lot of that here we have to do over the phone because of our limited communication ability here, whereas VTC or even in person helps out much more with the planning. Initially when we get onto the range we will do a fighter check in, basically letting the JTAC know if the ordnance is as he expected, let him any kind of differences there. As well the JTAC will then respond back with any kind of area updates, so letting us know if there are any SAMs in the area, what they are expecting as far as manpeds go, where his friendly location is and where the enemy is, kind of what they’re doing and what we can expect to see. After that he’’ tell us where to hold because he is managing multiple aircraft, not just one flight at a time. He will then pass the 9 line, so he will tell us again, where the friendlies are, where the bad guys are, basically giving us coordinates and altitude and then describing what it is and what kind of ordnance he would want on the target. During that time he will also talk us on to the target using multiple methods, obviously we have targeting pods on the aircraft, a lot of the JTACs even internationally are capable of what’s called rover, so they can actually see what we are seeing in our data link within our targeting pod. So it a really huge capability that the JTAC has. It decreases the talk on time for us and for the JTAC because if we can basically put our pod where the coordinates are and if he says okay put your crosshairs just to the north do you see that building, yes I’ve got the building, alright that is your target, and immediately everybody is on the same page. It’s important for us to work with international JTACs because it’s not just going to be a US JTAC that’s embedded with our units. In combat we may be tasked to go out and support maybe a British unit, Canadian units, Estonian, basically any nato force out there and again every country has a JTAC and just dealing with the language barriers and the technical differences and how we are describing things. It’s very good to see a breadth of what’s actually going on in that world. The big take away with working with the Estonian JTACs, for one they don’t have many planes within their air force obviously to support them, so getting practice for them is probably a very big thing. Also, for us, or at least for me, it’s the first time working with the Estonians, so actually getting to see that first hand and working with an international partner has been great

• Date Taken: 02.15.2018
• Date Posted: 02.20.2018 09:46
• Category: Interviews
• Video ID: 584966
• VIRIN: 180215-N-GW139-005
• Filename: DOD_105321182
• Length: 00:02:17
• Location: EE