6 CTS provides training for irregular warfare overseas Published May 20, 2010 By Senior Airman Michael Charles Nellis Public Affairs office NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- (Editor's Note: This is part 1 of a series about the 6th Combat Training Squadron and the Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course.)The way United States and coalition partners are using air power is ever changing. Wars are no longer being fought in an open field with battalions slowly walking toward each other, rank and file. The wars of today are not only fought on open land, sea and air but in mountains, cities and even cyberspace. The procedure for taking out enemies is no longer bombing for destruction; it is precision. Even though Air Force aircraft have become more technologically advanced than in the days of Vietnam; dropping munitions onto an object with a diameter of a few feet from several hundred or a thousand feet in the air is no easy task. This involves extensive coordination in a short amount of time to make sure the objective is carried out efficiently with the least amount of collateral damage. In the movie 'Forest Gump,' Gary Sinise as the character Lt. Dan, calls in a massive airstrike to push back the advancing enemy forces. This type of warfare is nearly impossible in an era where most attacks are conducted around or near innocent citizens. The days where any infantryman could pick up a mobile radio and request a mass airstrike are over. A focus on precision training is essential in making sure these attacks are carried out accurately to avoid the loss of property or life of anyone other than the intended target. The 6th Combat Training Squadron at Nellis is the beginning of this process. "The 6th CTS offers the training needed so that the assets we drop are on target and effective," said Staff Sgt. Spreter, 6th CTS Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course instructor. With the changing scope of what the military classifies as war, United States and joint coalition forces must be in sync when it comes to procedures and techiniques in carrying out this type of irregular warfare. Air Force joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) act as the liaisons between ground combat units and pilots to make these coordinated attacks possible. So, how do these Airmen coordinate such precise attacks with so many joint and coalition partners? The Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course (JTACQC), offered at the 6 CTS, is a rigorous training program that prepares Airmen for situations they will encounter in deployed areas. This four-week program helps each Airman develop concepts, doctrine, procedures and techniques for integrating combat firepower during joint operations. These future masters of close air support are instilled with the war-fighting philosophies of every service so they can effectively operate in any environment. "The instructors at the 6 CTS are responsible for the training of the most proficient JTACS in the world," said Sergeant Spreter. Recently, students of the 6 CTS JTACQC helped offer a real-life simulation of a radio call for close air support to the Royal Air Force (RAF) during Green Flag 10-5. Green Flag is an exercise which provides a realistic air-land integration training environment for Airmen and Soldiers preparing to deploy in support of worldwide combat operations. The RAF, which deployed to Afghanistan upon the completion of the exercise, gained valuable experience on the type of close air support they will be facing in forward deployment areas. At the same time, the instructors of the JTACQC are able to train their students to work in a joint environment with coalition partners. "By doing our live fire exercises coinciding with Green Flag we are able to give every JTAC who comes to the schoolhouse a sense of what they will get when they deploy to Afghanistan," Sergeant Spreter said. The 6 CTS offers the opportunity to teach Airmen the technical skills they need to fulfill the Air Force mission. Nellis Air Force Base, which is home of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, is a fitting location for a school to train Airmen that directly work with pilots in training. Thanks to the close proximity of both schools, the 6 CTS is able to directly impact the effectiveness of both pilots and ground combat forces in deployed locations. Nellis continues to be home to the training of Air Force pilots. The training the 6 CTS provides is the first step in preparing for the new irregular warfare that the military will be combating overseas.
