Airmen call in 'air strikes' on Louisiana communities

DERIDDER, La. (AFPN) -- Fighter jets and bombers fly overhead making multiple passes to intercept and destroy enemy targets called in by Air Force joint terminal air controllers.

One pass is to destroy a building with enemy snipers. Another pass is to track a man riding a motorcycle suspected of carrying a bomb in his backpack through this southern Louisiana town’s crowded streets.

The process continues for several hours as controllers call in new targets and give feedback to the pilots on the success of each engagement.

Air Force pilots and controllers face these situations every day in a real-world combat environment. Only this time the scenarios are just training and the location is a small American community.

For about a year now, the cities of Deridder, Oakdale and Leesville have allowed Airmen from Detachment 1, 548th Combat Training Squadron at nearby Fort Polk, to conduct urban combat air support training over their towns.

"Urban combat air support training came from the realization that real-world close-air support was occurring in very crowded urban areas,” said Lt. Col. Frank W. Corley III, 548th CTS commander. “That made it difficult for controllers to coordinate with aircraft to fire on and destroy enemy targets, while making sure not to kill civilians or cause unneeded collateral damage."

Of course, there is no chance of that happening in the three volunteer communities.

The colonel said the Air Force developed grid systems to identify buildings but did not have a training area with the density of buildings needed to provide realistic training. It would be an expensive and long process to build that type of facility on a training range. That’s where the three communities stepped in to help.

“In Louisiana we have a very friendly populace that is more than willing to cooperate and the infrastructure is already there with the urban areas," Colonel Corley said. “Realism is the key to making sure that when JTACs and pilots are in real-world situations they can work through targeting confidently and accurately.”

Also, on military ranges targets are static and spread out, said Capt. Lance George, 548th CTS liaison officer.

“Towns have a constantly changing environment with an active community,” the captain said. “Training in an urban area allows the JTACs and pilots to operate in a dynamic environment that is much more complex, with high buildings, narrow streets and constant movement of traffic.”

Staff Sgt. Daniel Kovarik, a joint terminal air controller, likes the training environment the towns provide. Each one has its own characteristics that force controllers to think of things they might not normally consider.

“You can’t have preset targets and preset coordinates,” the sergeant said. “You have to actually come out and do things on the fly like a real world situation.”

Getting approval to conduct urban training was a lengthy process initiated several years ago. In addition to complying with Department of Defense directives outlining training off federal facilities, there were letters of agreement established with each town.

“We give congressional notification to senators and representatives two weeks in advance of urban training operations,” Colonel Corley said. “We also have letters of agreement with the mayor of each town spelling out the conditions we will follow.”

For example, one condition is that all aircraft must fly no lower than 3,000 feet and cannot carry ordnance, the colonel said.

“And we also agree to be responsive to any complaints from local citizens about the training,” he said.

By working with local communities, the squadron is helping prepare controllers for situations they will likely face on the battlefield.

Seeing troops running around playing war games is nothing new in these parts. The three communities have had a military presence since before there was a separate Air Force.

“The people of Deridder have been friends of Fort Polk and the Soldiers since 1940,” Deridder Mayor Gerald Johnson said. “We feel obligated to give back to the military what they have given to us.”