By Capt. Alyson Teeter
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. -- Since Sept. 11, 2001, Airmen here from the Washington Air National Guard's 116th Air Support Operations Squadron have raised their hands to volunteer for multiple deployments overseas. They've come and gone from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan time and time again.
Continuously deployed around the world, more than 25,000 days in the fight, these individuals epitomize service before self. They possess an unparalleled passion for their profession: advising ground combat units on the use of airpower and calling in air strikes on enemy targets.
Twenty-two citizen Airmen from the 116th ASOS, in addition to three augmentees from other states, returned home from an intense five month deployment to Afghanistan July 30. Although this wasn’t the first deployment for many of the Airmen, it was historically significant because it was the Washington Air National Guard’s largest combat deployment ever.
The 116th is part of the Washington Air National Guard's 194th Regional Support Wing. The citizen Airmen of the 116th are Tactical Air Control Party members, or TACPs, and serve in a variety of capacities such as joint terminal attack controllers and air liaison officers.
TACPs are “Battlefield Airmen” and live and fight with ground combat units. They are the furthest projection of coalition airpower; they advise and control airpower while embedded with combat units and ensure rules of engagement are followed. The Airmen carry more than 80 pounds of gear on their backs, including weapons, body armor, radios, GPS systems, full motion video receivers and electronic target marking devices. Members from the 116th have worked with a litany of units ranging from the Army’s 82nd Airborne and 2nd Infantry Divisions, to Navy Seals and French Mountain Commandos.
As the sole ground element with the authority to authorize weapons release from an aircraft TACPs bear the weight of responsibility to put bombs on target, sometimes in close proximity or “danger close,” to themselves and combat units, so they must possess the ability to multi-task under extreme stress.
“One little mistake can kill everyone; it’s not like shooting a gun,” said Tech. Sgt. Tavis Delaney, 116th Joint Tactical Air Controller. “Our level of responsibility is absolutely mind boggling and it’s such a privilege.”
The unit earned widespread attention for their efforts during a grueling seven-hour battle in Do Ab, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on May 25 where more than 300 Taliban captured a district governmental center. The insurgents ambushed a reaction force of 60 U.S. and Afghan Soldiers, including two 116th TACPs, as they landed in the area. The 116th Airmen played a key role in directing airstrikes that beat back the enemy fighters.
“Many would point to the battle at Do Ab as a watershed event for TACP. It was a spectacular success for our guys,” said Major Raed Gyekis, 116th ASOS Detachment Commander and deployed battalion air liaison officer. The 116th TACPs were responsible for saving the lives of more than 60 coalition forces while killing approximately 200 Taliban.
This event is exceptional but there are numerous other missions where extraordinary actions led to coalition lives saved and enemy deaths. “What stood out for me was the rock-solid daily performance of our entire team. We prepared very well for this deployment, and the guys executed under very difficult circumstances,” Gyekis said.
The 25-person deployed team was responsible for calling in close air support for Regional Command East, which is comprised of five provinces and covers 11,200 square miles. Unit members lived through IED strikes and patrol ambushes while embedded with Army units traveling “outside-the-wire” more than 250 times, said Lt. Col. Jeremy Horn, 194th Air Support Operations Group Deputy Commander.
“This team encountered more combat situations than any other Air National Guard TACP unit in history,” Horn said. “The fact that they were able to make an enormous impact on the battlespace while bringing themselves and thousands of supported personnel home safely is an incredible testimony to their training, expertise and courage.”
In approximately 200 troops-in-contact situations – when ground forces are taking fire – TACPs controlled nearly 1,000 hours of fixed-wing and rotary-wing CAS assets, according to Horn. They also utilized approximately 500 hours of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets, such as Predators, to maintain oversight of a massive combat zone.
“They were spread to the four winds, carried extremely heavy loads every day, climbed mountains in incredible heat, and provided consistently excellent advice and expertise to the ground commanders we support, and then collapse into bed that night, only to do it again the next day,” Gyekis said. “That takes discipline, courage, tenacity and stamina. It's a marathon and a sprint rolled into one. Executing at that level of excellence every day saves lives.”
All told there was no loss of coalition forces under their watch.
“We've been doing all this since 9/11,” Delaney said. “It’s absolutely amazing, the history of the 116th. The unit draws volunteers because they know the legend of the 116th.”
The 116th’s rich diversity and experience sets them apart from their active duty counterparts. Members of the 116th transferred from different military services, work full time in a variety of professions and travel from all over the U.S. to be part of this elite unit.
“The fact that we have long-term members of the unit who live outside Washington State and are willing to fly here for drill weekend training at their own expense speaks volumes about the dedication of the 116th members to the mission,” Horn said. Airmen travel from as far away as California, Oregon, Utah and Arizona.
“The 116th ASOS is probably one of the most diverse units you'll ever encounter,” Gyekis said. “We have a melting pot of backgrounds. The diversity of experiences is a huge asset for our team.”
People in action-oriented career fields, such as law enforcement officers and fire fighters, tend to gravitate toward the TACP profession, according to Horn. The unit also attracts software engineers, project managers, and railroad employees.
“The common thread is personal courage and a desire to be part of an elite organization with a demanding mission,” Horn said. “They all want to be the guy who carries the ball, not part of the faceless masses in the stands cheering. They’re willing to work hard and take risks because they know someone has to. ”
The strength of the 116th ASOS also lies in the monumental team effort it takes to train, equip, lead and support the warfighters before, during and after deployments. Everyone, from logistics experts to wing leadership and families, are critical to the task of getting deployers out the door, Gyekis said.
“They make it easy for our warriors to train hard, wear the best equipment, have the best capabilities and go out there and do what we enjoy doing,” he said. “Our biggest thanks goes to the families of our members who understand and support our frequent absences for critical training, who endure our dangerous deployments, who take care of our entire households in our absences and who welcome us back when we return.”
Gyekis added, “They have the hardest jobs and receive the least recognition but we couldn't do any of this without them.”
With the members of the 116th home and with their families, they’ve had time to reflect on the deployment and its impact on the unit’s legacy. Unit members have been nominated for a Silver Star, the military’s third-highest award; two Bronze Stars, one with Valor; nearly 20 Army Commendation Medals; and a slew of combat action badges and medals.
Overall it came as no surprise that the deployment was a resounding success.
“While this is the largest single deployment in unit history, it is just one more in a long unbroken line of Washington Air National Guard TACP service in combat since September 11th, 2001,” Gyekis said. “Our team that fought so well on this tour simply continued a trend by Washington TACPs. We are blessed with an amazing group of professionals who have benefited from the lessons of previous 116th members and have helped add to that legacy of excellence.”
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2021 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 388018 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 594 |
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