Photo By Senior Airman Daniel Meade | Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guard’s 274th Air Support Operations...... read more read more
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NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE BASE, New York, (Aug. 14, 2023) – The New York Air National Guard’s 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, a group attached to the 107th Attack Wing, returned to an ongoing training operation known as Future Flag, headed by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Aug. 11-12, 2023.
The 274th had the opportunity to send once again more than a dozen Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) airmen to train in the mountains outside of Plattsburg New York. The TACPs focused their attention on multiple weapons systems, communication networks, and off-road driving.
As members of Air Force Special Warfare, TACPs are inserted within Army and Marine units wherever the fight is happening. These airmen are tasked with the unique responsibility of calling in precision air strikes at precisely the right time.
Due to the ever-changing landscape of modern-day warfare, TACPs are skilled with the ability to adapt to innovative fighting techniques against enemies both new and old. The training that the 274th participated in is focused on that innovation.
SMSgt. Derick Snyder, the Operations Superintendent within the 274th, explained that the training has helped the airmen go from “a crawl to a walk, and eventually to a run”.
“Most of us are familiar with the different weapons systems, so we have been having fun and refamiliarizing ourselves with them,” Snyder said. “But the offroad vehicles have been a new experience for us and we are working to increase our capabilities with them.”
The rugged terrain of the Adirondacks challenges both the TACP and the equipment they operate, making it the perfect location for their unique training.
The ongoing training which started with the AFRL more than two years ago has become a reoccurring opportunity for the 274th to develop their skill in special warfare through intricate and exclusive experiences with emerging technology.
Lt. Col. Carl Stumpf, commander of the 274th said “We got to experiment with the communications architecture that will eventually form the backbone to the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and enable the integration of the TACP weapons system into it.”
Stumpf continued to say that the AFRL gave his airmen a chance to be a part of a “one-of-a-kind opportunity to train and experiment with new technology.”
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2023 09:16 |
| Story ID: | 451471 |
| Location: | NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR RESERVE STATION, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 171 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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