Close-air-support exercise tests Atlantic Strike participants

US Air Force,

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE: The cool evening was still as three camouflaged insurgents watched an Army patrol approach their village. Unbeknownst to the saboteurs, an Air Force targeting pod was closely watching their position and relaying information to the ground commander. Suddenly, a deafening explosion drowned out all sound and the overwatch position became engulfed in smoke, signaling a successful airstrike by an A-10 Thunderbolt II circling far overhead.

This isn't a combat patrol inside Iraq, rather it was a coordinated scenario from Atlantic Strike VI, the U.S. Central Command Air Forces-sponsored close-air-support exercise that ran Nov. 5 through 9 in the Florida woodlands southeast of MacDill Air Force Base involving more than 800 military members spread across several operating locations.

The “insurgents” were experienced tactical air control party members role-playing enemy forces and the weapons drop is simulated by ground burst pyrotechnics and colored smoke flares. No one was actually injured and the ground commander moved to his next training objective. For all of these components to become reality, a team of exercise planners and support members work behind the scenes to bring the training audiences together.

Capt. Dan Heely, the Atlantic Strike aircraft operations director, is temporarily working at the MacDill AFB deployed unit complex. He's a B-1B Lancer weapons systems officer, but his current assignment is to assist Army units in integrating airpower into their ground operations as an air liaison officer with the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron at Wheeler Army Airfield in Hawaii. During Atlantic Strike VI, he oversees every aspect of flying operations to ensure aircraft are overhead the Avon Park military training ranges ready to participate in scenarios.

“During our sortie periods, aircraft from locations around the southeastern U.S. participate from their homestations,” Captain Heely said. “For example, (E-8C Joint Stars) from Robins AFB, Ga., have the ability to fly over the Avon Park ranges and return home, while close-air-support aircraft such as the A-10 operate from MacDill and F-16 Fighting Falcons fly from Homestead Air Reserve Base outside of Miami — it's very similar to operations overseas in that aircraft arrive on station at different periods and can operate for varying lengths of time.”

Time and asset management are key skills joint terminal attack controllers must master to be successful in urban close-air-support operations, Captain Heely said. JTACS are the Air Force members embedded in Army units who help aircraft to target enemy positions.

“Atlantic Strike challenges the full communications process from the aircrew in the aircraft to the Airmen and Soldiers on the battlefield, the Air Support Operations Center and the Air Operations Center at Shaw AFB, S.C. The entire 'kill-chain' is exercised to ensure all parties are receiving realistic and challenging training,” he said. “Atlantic Strike scenarios are very realistic in that battles can vary in length. It's up to the ground commander to properly manage the air assets on hand to combat the many simulated threats they'll encounter during convoy operations or while entering a hostile village.”

Aircrew debriefs indicate flyers appreciate the quality of training taking place in Avon Park.

“The A-10 pilots in particular have commented that they've enjoyed the varying levels of difficulty, activity, intensity and especially the instant feedback ground-based pyrotechnics provide during the training. Atlantic Strike is realistic training for the close air support team,” Captain Heely said.

Aircrews and JTACs aren't the only military members learning from the Atlantic Strike battles. Capt. Jennifer Gurganus, the aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge with the 81st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, and her unit are learning while on temporary duty at MacDill AFB while their A-10s participate in Atlantic Strike VI. These maintainers from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany work out of a hangar next to the MacDill AFB deployed unit complex to ensure aircraft are ready for various training scenarios over the Avon Park Air Ground Training Complex, launching 16 sorties per day.

“Atlantic Strike is great preparation for deployment for both aircrews and maintainers,” Captain Gurganus said . “Close-air support is our primary role and this specialized training is the perfect opportunity for our munitions experts, weapons loaders and maintainers to work together in a mock-combat situation prior to actual deployment.”

Written by Capt. Nathan D. Broshear

(Airman 1st Class Stephenie Wade of Atlantic Strike Public Affairs contributed to this article.)