Airmen provide close-air support for patrol in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. Douglas DeMaio
  • 20th Public Affairs Detachment
PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan (AFPN) --  Air Force air and ground combat support elements accompanied infantrymen from the 508th Infantry Regiment during a presence patrol in the mountainous region here recently.

Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, who are attached to an Army unit to coordinate close-air support for ground movements, worked closely with an A-10 Thunderbolt II that soared above the patrol.

"Before the war started, not many people even knew there were (Airmen) attached to the Army," said Staff Sgt. Ezekiel Rodriguez who is deployed from the 4th Air Support Operations Squadron’s Detachment 1 in Vicenza, Italy. "Now that there are two wars going on in two theaters, a lot more people know about JTACs."

Attack controllers train, live and work with infantry units.

"It's fun," said Sergeant Rodriguez, who is serving on his third deployment. "You're not sitting back on a base. You're actually outside the wire meeting the people and seeing the region. I wouldn't want to do anything else."

Sergeant Rodriguez and Airman 1st Class Chad Williams, who is deployed from 1st ASOC’s Detachment 1 in Freiburg, Germany, sharpened their skills as they convoyed to the remote village of Nakah with the patrol.

The coordination the controllers made with the A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot gave the patrol a three-dimensional view of the battlefield as they left for the daylong mission.

"Basically we use (close-air support) in this area as a reconnaissance tool," Sergeant Rodriguez said. "We really haven't used it for its primary purpose, but I guess the way this war is going here, its purpose is recon.”

On a day-to-day basis, the unit goes out on presence patrols to reinforce security here.

"The people know that the 508th is here," Sergeant Rodriguez said. "They know they are always on patrols. Every time they roll out, there is always a bird up above."

Providing close-air support for the Soldiers lets the enemy know that the coalition is armed and looking to keep Paktika secure, Airman Williams said.

"The main thing we bring to the battle is air power, just a show of force to let the enemy know we are here," he said.