Air Liaison Officers: Former TACPs pave the way for new career field as officers Published Oct. 7, 2009 By Capt. Teresa Sullivan Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Eight months ago two noncommissioned Airmen were busy doing their jobs as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and today they are second lieutenants graduating in the first class of career Air Liaison Officers. Lieutenants Michael Hoffman and John Grucella are among 16 graduates of the ALO Qualification Course, where 12 will become the first-ever crop designated with the 13L Air Force Specialty Code. "I could not think of a better group of Airmen to launch the Air Force's career Air Liaison Officer's program. They are ready," said Maj. Todd "T-Bone" Tobergte, 6th Combat Training Squadron director of operations. An ALO is the senior Tactical Air Control Party member who serves as the primary airpower adviser to the Army ground commander. A frontline combat position, the ALO is crucial to the integration of fires on the battlefield, execution of close air support and the success of the ground commander's scheme of maneuver. Each member of the group has extensive TACP experience including JTAC qualifications providing them with the optimum background to successfully pave the way for the 13L career field, explained the Major. "The mission of an ALO is to provide a ground commander with the capabilities of airpower to serve as a force multiplier," said Lieutenant Grucella, who is honored to have the opportunity to continue his career as an officer. "We control anything that impacts the ground. Whether it's an Air Force, Navy or coalition aircraft - if it flies we control it." As Lieutenant Hoffman would put it, the ALO is the key in providing air support to the Army. "We are the Army's 'air arm' or Air Force's representative on the battlefield. Through us the Army gets their support," he said. ALOs are also responsible for mastering a wide variety of weapons, small unit tactics and many in the career field are also combat lifesavers. The Air Force created the career ALO program to provide a long-term leadership foundation for the TACP career field and bridge the rated officer manning gap. Previously the ALO position was filled by rated officers as a special duty assignment, which made continuity of operations a challenge, Major Tobergte said. For 12 years, Lieutenants Hoffman and Grucella rose through the ranks from TACPs as junior Airmen and eventually became JTACs as NCOs. In March they were notified the Air Force was developing the new career track and asked them to turn in a package to attend Officer Training School to become the career field's pioneers. They reported to OTS in June, pinned on their lieutenant bars in September and began ALO training at Nellis shortly thereafter. Next, the lieutenants will attend the Fire Support Coordinator course and the Joint Fires Observer course at Fort Sill, Okla., then it's off to their duty assignments at various Air Force Air Support Operations Squadrons. Lieutenant Grucella will head to Fort Bliss, Texas, and Lieutenant Hoffman will report to Fort Hood, Texas. Both expect to be deployed for 365 days in the near future. For both lieutenants, deploying and spending weeks on end in a combat environment is nothing new. They've been deployed for a combined total of eight times to Iraq and Afghanistan and other areas of the Middle East. Being an ALO is a demanding job, which they are prepared for due to training. "A good ALO is someone who is confident in their role and who is willing to make decisions in a high-pressure, joint environment, someone who is physically fit and someone who has a supportive family," said Lieutenant Hoffman. "Physical training is a high emphasis item. We do cardio, weights, ruck marches and we do two-a-day workouts to stay fit because we have to go step-by-step with the Army during full-spectrum operations with special forces and infantry." For more information on how to become an ALO, contact your local recruiter.
