‘SOLE power’ present during experiment Published Aug. 5, 2004 By 1st Lt James L. Bressendorff Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) -- When most people think of special operations forces the image that comes to mind is a dusty, gritty warrior with a rifle in one hand and a land-mobile radio in the other.Within the Combined Air and Space Operations Center these warriors have traded their stealth and rifles for a computer and a headset.These warriors are part of the Special Operations Liaison Element integrated throughout the CAOC during Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004. JEFX 04 is an Air Force chief of staff-sponsored experiment assessing new and emerging technologies.“As the name implies, SOLE acts as a liaison between the joint-force special operations component commander, his joint special operations air component and the combined forces air component commander,” said Maj. Paul Barker, the SOLE operations duty officer for JEFX 04.Major Barker said the liaison element coordinates special operations forces activities to compliment the combined forces air component commander’s mission objectives, and when necessary, iron out mission taskings when they overlap each other.”To help with coordination, the liaison element’s Joint Synchronized Common Operational Planning Environment provides a set of tools for sharing information with the special operations air component and the special operations task force.“JSCOPE not only helps the air component to have better situational awareness of what we’re doing here in the CAOC, but gives the (liaison element) insight into developing missions much earlier than is currently possible,” Major Barker said. “Typically the information the special operations air component receives is from one to several hours old, but JSCOPE helps us narrow that time down to minutes. This gives us a heads-up on emerging special operations missions and improves the air component commander’s planning efforts.”Within the JSCOPE initiative are three elements: common operating picture, command and control mission management, and mission view browser. Major Barker said there has been success with each element.“On the special operations front, we’ve had limited success with the operating picture and the browser. There are some bugs that still need to be worked out,” he said. “The mission management tool works as advertised. It ‘talks’ to the air component’s air-support database so I can see what’s coming up in the next 24 to 48 hours. I know when a special operations team has requested support as soon as they submit the request and I know what I need to help support them much earlier than is possible now.”The special operations special tactics team also helps support missions through JSCOPE by coordinating special-tactics mission requirements for special-operations forces and the combined forces air component commander.“Special tactics are made up of combat controllers, pararescuemen, combat weather and specialized support units,” said Maj. Daniel Dailey, chief of the liaison element’s special tactics team. “We bring airpower in to support the CFACC and special operations priority missions.The special tactics team also acts as a bridge between the limitations of technology and the needs of the Airmen in the field.“Do you remember the picture of a combat controller in Afghanistan on horseback with the laptop? That was us,” said Major Daily. “We’re the eyes and ears on the ground, the bridge between technology and the field.”However, within the CAOC, the special tactics team acts as a liaison between the field and the combined forces air component commander.Major Daily said JSCOPE helps them coordinate missions with the combined commander so they can use the best options possible for neutralizing a target.“Because we operate beyond the forward line of troops, the front line of conflict, we need that coordination to make sure, for example, that if there is an air strike called for in the air tasking order, the CFACC knows that there are not friendly forces in the area,” said the major.If there are friendly forces in the area, the commander has another option to take down the target, he said.