10th ASOS Airmen train at desert range

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Trevor Rhynes
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
BARRY M. GOLDWATER RANGE, Ariz. --  Airmen from the 10th Air Support Operations Squadron, Ft. Riley, Kansas, spent a week honing their skills in calling for close air support, June 19-23.

Tactical Air Control Airmen and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers act as liaisons and controllers, advising ground commanders on how to include airpower in their tactics and controlling the close air support aircraft allocated to meet the ground commander’s intent.

Training in Arizona provided the 10th ASOS Airmen the opportunity to practice their skills in a new environment.

“It’s always good to get out in the field and execute the job because there’s a lot of behind the scenes work that we must do to come out here,” said Airman 1st Class Anthony Butler, 10th ASOS JTAC. “Being able to go ahead and get established on the range and work with aircraft is great for us.”

Getting range time meant not only working on his own training, but assisting with a fellow Airman’s training as well.

“I was helping with someone’s upgrade training by working with him on his fundamentals and proper procedures that will set him up for success,” Butler said. “We’re trying to get him experienced and comfortable talking to aircraft in a doctrinally correct manor so he sets himself up for success in the future.”

For Capt. William Palmer, 10th ASOS air liaison officer, seeing that interaction meant knowing the Airman in upgrade training was in good hands.

“I love seeing an Airman jump in and help someone with their training,” Palmer said. “It tells me that individual knows what he’s talking about and that he’s willing to share that wealth of knowledge and training that he has earned and worked so hard for.”

Palmer said sharing experiences was just as important to the training as actively calling in close air support.

“No matter what happens out here we always try to stay engaged,” he said. “We were prepared if the aircrew came or if they didn’t. The planning process kept us busy because we were still able to look at targets on the range and had a conversation with each other about how we would talk a pilot onto one of those targets. Going through those processes and procedures is in and of itself still excellent training.”

The weeks’ worth of range time helped prepare the Airmen for an upcoming deployment.

“This was my first time out at this range,” Butler said. “It provided an abundance of opportunity to get quality training with the various platforms flying out here. I was able to work directly with an Italian F-35 pilot which was a completely new experience for me because I haven’t worked with a European pilot before. Just that alone plays a pivotal role in our upcoming deployment later this year.”