Warthogs win battle in Warsaw

  • Published
  • By Technical Sgt. Emily F. Alley
  • 442d Fighter Wing
Residents of Warsaw, Missouri may not have realized it, but their city hosted a military exercise November 19. The premise that day involved simulated large, enemy armored vehicles that had rolled into Warsaw, Missouri.

The exercise was part of a longstanding program that the 442d Fighter Wing, and particularly it's 303d Fighter Squadron, have accomplished for years. The JTAC Training Program is ongoing at the 303d. Air Force Tactical Air Control Parties, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers- the Airmen who deploy with Army soldiers who have the power to call in airstrikes, and several A-10 Thunderbolt II attack pilots converged in Warsaw November 16-20 to simulate a battle. The skies and streets of Warsaw hosted a simulated war that has been going on for the better part of a decade now.

On a wind-beaten hill south of the city, several student JTACs, their instructor, and several pilots participated in Operation Warsaw Resolve. They were not alone. Three miles above, two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft prepared for a simulated airstrike directed by one of the students. His target was a red truck parked a restaurant parking lot.

"As you move into the target area, you'll see a water tower which is the largest identifiable feature in the area," the student radioed the A-10.

One of the challenges the class worked through that day, in order to complete their Field Training Exercise and graduate as JTACS, was the ability to communicate effectively with an actual pilot.

"Today we're moving at a slower pace," explained JTAC instructor Staff Sgt. Steven Smith. "We're making sure procedurally it's a clean mission."

For example, both the pilot and the JTAC always have to agree they are looking at the same target. Both carry modern equipment- like radios, cameras and GPS- but it is only effective if they both understand what's happening on the ground.

"See that bend in the road?" asked Smith, gesturing from the hill down to the highway. "To you or me, that looks significant. But from the big picture, where the pilot is sitting, it's not obvious."

From a map, the bend became inconsequential.

"It's easy for a JTAC to become frustrated with the aircrew," added Maj. Rick Mitchell, an A-10 pilot and the 442d Fighter Wing's liaison for JTAC training. "They say, 'How does this guy not see what I'm talking about?'"

Meanwhile, the student JTAC and the A-10 flying above him worked through that exact challenge. To complicate the scenario, there were technical problems with the camera, so the JTAC had to provide a verbal walk through, called a "talk on" to the pilot.

"You're looking for a building shaped like a semi in a parking lot," the student radioed.

"There are a lot of buildings and lot of parking lots!" Smith said to the student.

"Right now," Smith explained quietly, "the pilot is looking on the west side of the highway. The target's to the east. I'm waiting for the student to realize that."

"Forget the semi. Look at the water tower," the student directed.

"Where does he need to go from there?" Smith asked. "Now what? What is he looking at?"

The team worked through the scenario, until they had identified the target.

"Does the ground commander concur?" the pilot asked through radio.

"The ground commander concurs," replied the student.

Within a few minutes, two tiny A-10s appeared as dots in the sky above the student. The scenario was true to life, except for the actual bombs.

"They're simulating dropping the bomb now," said Mitchell. "In about 30 seconds, you'd hear an explosion."

By then, the aircraft were invisible. They'd peeled away from the hill and flown into the sun, where it would be difficult to shoot them, if you even knew they were there. The red truck was still there. The pilots returned to their safe holding airspace, waiting for the next JTAC student to take command.

The intent of the simulated mission that day was to "halt enemy forces from crossing the Ozark River and pushing into south Warsaw territory. Neutralize surface to air threat capability and degrade enemy forces by 60 percent" while the end state goal was to keep "the town of Warsaw free of enemy control."

"I really believe that most residents probably enjoy the show," said Mayor Eddie Simons, of Warsaw, about the exercises.

"We've been fighting in Warsaw since 1993," Mitchell joked about how long the 442d Fighter Wing has participated in the JTAC training program.

While the JTACs were successful, Mitchell had another goal: his JTAC training program is about building relationships. Students face the challenge of learning to communicate with the pilots- the nuance of successful communication comes from a good relationship. He took the JTACs to lunch after the exercise.

"This, to me, is what makes the A-10 awesome," he said. "We develop bonds, we get to know them."

The challenge for pilots comes from balancing many other responsibilities and skill sets they are expected to remain qualified and proficient in.

"It takes motivation from the line pilots up through the Commander to make it happen" Mitchell added.

However, to him, the investment is worth it. They're training JTACs in Warsaw that they'll likely meet again- maybe in Afghanistan or Syria.

"When you can picture a face to a radio call sign, it adds another layer to an already dynamic, challenging situation," said Mitchell. "The sense of urgency is amped up even a notch higher than it already was. It shouldn't, but when you have a personal relationship with a guy under extreme duress, that's instinctually going to happen." 

In fact, for Smith, that investment is the reason he brought his students to Warsaw for their final exercise. His own training began with the 442d Fighter Wing when he was a new JTAC. He also deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and worked closely with the wing to call in real-world airstrikes.

"Me and the pilot, we have each others' backs," said Senior Airman DeVaughn Wilkins, one of the students who successfully completed the exercise to become a JTAC. "A ground commander relies on me to get the bombs on target and my decisions will shape the battle space."

While the JTACs benefit from the real-world relationship they gain in training with the A-10s, the aircrews also benefit from a return to the principles of their close air support mission: responding to the needs of their allies on the ground.