Air Force TACP FAQ
10-07-2009, 01:31 PM
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Air Force TACP FAQ I mentioned possibly doing this and have some spare time, so I figured I would begin putting one together. I am actually pretty surprised with the amount of interest in TACP, as it wasn't but a few years ago that recruiters didn't even know what it was.
I express a lot of personal opinions and experiences in this, others might disagree with me, but I tried to be honest and to the point. I am a Tactical Air Control Party Airman at the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron with experience in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Official Job Description
Technical Training
Romad and JTAC
Day in the Life
SOF/Ranger
Miscellaneous FAQs
I express a lot of personal opinions and experiences in this, others might disagree with me, but I tried to be honest and to the point. I am a Tactical Air Control Party Airman at the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron with experience in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Official Job Description
Technical Training
Romad and JTAC
Day in the Life
SOF/Ranger
Miscellaneous FAQs
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 04:06 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:31 PM
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OFFICIAL JOB DESCRIPTION
TACTICAL AIR CONTROL PARTY APPRENTICE (TACP) (MALES ONLY)
The Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice (TACP) is a very physically, mentally and technically demanding job, and it's one of the few true front-line combat jobs in the Air Force. TACPs are rich in combat experience and military tradition. All members of this elite career field wear the black beret emblazoned with the TACP flash and crest. They are highly sought after throughout the world for the overwhelming combat power and lethality they bring to bear on the battlefield. TACPs enjoy the best of what both the Air Force and Army have to offer. If you'd like to be in a job that is both challenging and rewarding, this is the best job in the Air Force! In this career field, initially you may assist a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) to ensure specific ordnance or bombs are delivered on target. The apprentice level is the gateway to becoming a JTAC who is a specially trained and certified TACP responsible for briefing attack pilots as they enter the target area, ensuring they are aware of the target and friendly positions and other pertinent information. You'll learn the systems and procedures necessary to provide the U.S. Army and allied forces with tactical air support from ground attack and other Air and Space assets including the A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1B Lancer and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. You'll operate and maintain cutting edge technology to include communications, computers, digital networks, targeting and surveillance equipment and various special purpose tactical vehicles (e.g. Stryker Combat Vehicles, High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle [HMMWV], and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) under field conditions. You'll develop valuable combat related skills such as map reading, compass usage, enemy target location, survival, escape and evasion techniques, small unit tactics, camouflage techniques, hostile environment operations, and master a variety of weapons. TACPs advise the Army ground commander on the capabilities and limitations of Air, Space and Cyber assets. TACPs are responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling close-air support missions in the battle area. TACPs are assigned to Air Force units aligned and stationed primarily with conventional ground combat maneuver units including: Armored, Cavalry, Infantry, Airborne and Air Assault. Experienced and specially qualified TACPs may be selected to work with Special Operations Forces: Special Forces, Ranger, and others. The type of Army unit to which you're assigned drives operating methods and modes of transportation. For example, TACPs assigned to a unit with an airborne mission will be jump and airborne qualified and routinely parachute into exercises with their Army units. A typical TACP mission will require you to observe the battle area, identify hostile targets and pinpoint their locations using various types of equipment such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), laser rangefinders, and laser target designators. Clearance to attack targets or "Cleared Hot" is only given by the JTAC when it is certain that friendly troops will be safe from weapons effects and the correct target is identified. In addition, TACPs play a critical role in Army Tactical Operations Centers performing command and control of Air, Space and Cyber missions supporting the ground forces. Members attend the U.S. Air Force Combat Survival School immediately following technical school. Other schools you may be able to attend, depending on mission needs and availability, include Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Ranger, HALO (Military Free Fall), and Sniper. TACPs also receive training from multi-service representatives on a wide variety of weapons. As a TACP you are presented with a special challenge; every time you execute your mission, it has strategic implications. You can enter the Air Force with a guarantee to become a TACP or you can apply for TACP while in basic military training. Prior to being accepted you must successfully complete the TACP Physical Ability Stamina Test. All candidates must meet the following minimum standards:
RUN: 1 and 1/2 miles, 6 laps around a 440-yard track in under 11 minutes and 41 seconds.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 39 repetitions given a one-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 45 repetitions given a one-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 2 repetitions but strive for 6.
LINK
I don't really like the official description but it does the job of covering everything in a nutshell. One thing I want to address right away are the PT standards. You might not notice but the entry standards are actually easier than the graduation standards for Basic Training. Don't ask me why this is, because it doesn't make sense to me either. It used to be that you had to pass an Army PT test to even begin training, and since you usually graduated basic training in worse shape than you went in at, this lead to a lot of people failing to start on time and sitting around for a month waiting for the next flight to start. Because of the double PT standard, we also had to take AF and Army PT tests every year. This was changed by converting the Army standard to the AF standard and now we just do the AF one.
Make no mistake, you are not in shape nor are you ready for the course just because you can pass the AF PT test. In all honesty I believe it to be a numbers thing, and because the career field is so desperately undermanned they need to try and get more people through the course without lowering the GRADUATION standard, so they lowered the ENTRY standard in hopes that a few people will be able to gut it out and graduate.
"In-Shape" in our world is 300+ on the Army PT test. We still take this test from time to time before going to schools like Airborne, so it's still used as a dick-measuring stick. The following are the standards you should strive for,
RUN: 2 miles, 8 laps around a 440-yard track in under 13 minutes.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 71 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 78 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 10 repetitions but strive for 15+.
Pullups are not part of any official PT test, but you have to be able to do 8 to graduate Tech School, and no unit is going to send you to Airborne school until you can do 10 or more at least.
To get a sense of what life as a TACP would be, go to the "Day in the Life" section.
TACTICAL AIR CONTROL PARTY APPRENTICE (TACP) (MALES ONLY)
The Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice (TACP) is a very physically, mentally and technically demanding job, and it's one of the few true front-line combat jobs in the Air Force. TACPs are rich in combat experience and military tradition. All members of this elite career field wear the black beret emblazoned with the TACP flash and crest. They are highly sought after throughout the world for the overwhelming combat power and lethality they bring to bear on the battlefield. TACPs enjoy the best of what both the Air Force and Army have to offer. If you'd like to be in a job that is both challenging and rewarding, this is the best job in the Air Force! In this career field, initially you may assist a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) to ensure specific ordnance or bombs are delivered on target. The apprentice level is the gateway to becoming a JTAC who is a specially trained and certified TACP responsible for briefing attack pilots as they enter the target area, ensuring they are aware of the target and friendly positions and other pertinent information. You'll learn the systems and procedures necessary to provide the U.S. Army and allied forces with tactical air support from ground attack and other Air and Space assets including the A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1B Lancer and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. You'll operate and maintain cutting edge technology to include communications, computers, digital networks, targeting and surveillance equipment and various special purpose tactical vehicles (e.g. Stryker Combat Vehicles, High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle [HMMWV], and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) under field conditions. You'll develop valuable combat related skills such as map reading, compass usage, enemy target location, survival, escape and evasion techniques, small unit tactics, camouflage techniques, hostile environment operations, and master a variety of weapons. TACPs advise the Army ground commander on the capabilities and limitations of Air, Space and Cyber assets. TACPs are responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling close-air support missions in the battle area. TACPs are assigned to Air Force units aligned and stationed primarily with conventional ground combat maneuver units including: Armored, Cavalry, Infantry, Airborne and Air Assault. Experienced and specially qualified TACPs may be selected to work with Special Operations Forces: Special Forces, Ranger, and others. The type of Army unit to which you're assigned drives operating methods and modes of transportation. For example, TACPs assigned to a unit with an airborne mission will be jump and airborne qualified and routinely parachute into exercises with their Army units. A typical TACP mission will require you to observe the battle area, identify hostile targets and pinpoint their locations using various types of equipment such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), laser rangefinders, and laser target designators. Clearance to attack targets or "Cleared Hot" is only given by the JTAC when it is certain that friendly troops will be safe from weapons effects and the correct target is identified. In addition, TACPs play a critical role in Army Tactical Operations Centers performing command and control of Air, Space and Cyber missions supporting the ground forces. Members attend the U.S. Air Force Combat Survival School immediately following technical school. Other schools you may be able to attend, depending on mission needs and availability, include Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Ranger, HALO (Military Free Fall), and Sniper. TACPs also receive training from multi-service representatives on a wide variety of weapons. As a TACP you are presented with a special challenge; every time you execute your mission, it has strategic implications. You can enter the Air Force with a guarantee to become a TACP or you can apply for TACP while in basic military training. Prior to being accepted you must successfully complete the TACP Physical Ability Stamina Test. All candidates must meet the following minimum standards:
RUN: 1 and 1/2 miles, 6 laps around a 440-yard track in under 11 minutes and 41 seconds.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 39 repetitions given a one-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 45 repetitions given a one-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 2 repetitions but strive for 6.
LINK
I don't really like the official description but it does the job of covering everything in a nutshell. One thing I want to address right away are the PT standards. You might not notice but the entry standards are actually easier than the graduation standards for Basic Training. Don't ask me why this is, because it doesn't make sense to me either. It used to be that you had to pass an Army PT test to even begin training, and since you usually graduated basic training in worse shape than you went in at, this lead to a lot of people failing to start on time and sitting around for a month waiting for the next flight to start. Because of the double PT standard, we also had to take AF and Army PT tests every year. This was changed by converting the Army standard to the AF standard and now we just do the AF one.
Make no mistake, you are not in shape nor are you ready for the course just because you can pass the AF PT test. In all honesty I believe it to be a numbers thing, and because the career field is so desperately undermanned they need to try and get more people through the course without lowering the GRADUATION standard, so they lowered the ENTRY standard in hopes that a few people will be able to gut it out and graduate.
"In-Shape" in our world is 300+ on the Army PT test. We still take this test from time to time before going to schools like Airborne, so it's still used as a dick-measuring stick. The following are the standards you should strive for,
RUN: 2 miles, 8 laps around a 440-yard track in under 13 minutes.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 71 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 78 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 10 repetitions but strive for 15+.
Pullups are not part of any official PT test, but you have to be able to do 8 to graduate Tech School, and no unit is going to send you to Airborne school until you can do 10 or more at least.
To get a sense of what life as a TACP would be, go to the "Day in the Life" section.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 03:32 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:31 PM
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TECHNICAL TRAINING
"THE SCHOOLHOUSE" AND "SERE"
Step 1 - Watch this Video, it's a 4 minute informational piece of the schoolhouse
SCHOOLHOUSE INFORMATIONAL VIDEO
Step 2 - Watch this Video, it's a 10 minute class graduation video and gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect physically
HAWK 79 GRADUATION VIDEO
Those videos were made by SSgt Taylor, an Instructor down at the schoolhouse.
Now, I'll say it again, the entry standard to start TACP training is way easier than you need to be striving for. If you show up able to meet the following standards, you will have a significant advantage against the program.
RUN: 2 miles, 8 laps around a 440-yard track in under 13 minutes.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 71 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 78 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 10 repetitions but strive for 15+.
I'm not saying you need to be at this level, in fact far from it, when I showed up I could only do about 45 pushups. You will get stronger, faster, tougher, and meaner as the course progresses. PT will always be challenging, no matter what shape you are in, but if you want to show up 110% ready to dominate, show up in the above condition. One thing you absolutely need to be able to do however is a solid amount of pull-ups. You need to complete 8 dead hang pull-ups to graduate. Pull-ups alone washed out 2 people in my flight, and had 4 more on the chopping block all the way up to the last PT test.
Form couldn't be more important. Your push-ups WILL NOT COUNT if you don't break 90* at the elbow and have a straight back. You must LOCK OUT COMPLETELY at the top of the repetition. If you get down and do that tough guy bullshit of 90 half bouncing pushups, you will get up and your instructor will put down a big 0. With pull-ups you cannot kip or kick in anyway, you must FULLY lower yourself and hang at the bottom, and get your chin over the bar at the top. If your legs raise up or curl as you come up that is ok (mine do, it's just a balance thing I guess), as long as you aren't kicking or using them for momentum.
While the PT is the big scary beast that turns people away and washes people out, you will spend AT LEAST half your time at the schoolhouse in a classroom. You learn everything from radios to maps and back again. The academics aren't really anything to worry about, but you can't blow them off either. You will be washed back into another flight or out completely for failing the tests.
The number one eliminator of wannabes is the first Field Exercise. It's our version of a hell week and it royally blows. It is conducted in the same hell hole that Swamp Phase of Army Ranger School is. You will get between 1 and 4 hours of sleep a night, and spend all day walking around the woods with 80lbs of crap on your back. If you aren't actively conducting an evaluation, you will be getting smoked or pulling security. If you go through in the winter it will be below 32*. If you go through in the summer it will be above 100*. It will rain. While you are out there you will be tested on night and day foot and vehicle navigation and some other crap that I forget. While out there you will be given whats called a "Five Echo" if an instructor finds you not being tactical (like not having enough camo paint on, being a loud idiot, etc...), if you lose any equipment (losing a weapon or radio is automatic failure), basically a five echo is a demerit, and if you get 3 of them, you fail. Honestly, I had fun the first two days, then the lack of sleep and fatigue set in and it started raining. I went through in January so we spent the nights shivering to death in our fighting positions soaking wet. It's very very challenging, but really you just have to keep your **** squared away and not ***** out and you will be fine. You will be extensively trained on land navigation before you are given a no **** test, so the only hard part by then is actually getting through the terrain which can range from barren plain to impassible wall of vines and bullshit.
The ruck marching program is very solid and I do not recommend you try to train for it before you get to the schoolhouse. You will probably just hurt yourself. The first ruck is ~55lbs 4 miles, the last ruck is ~75lbs 12 miles. You do progressively longer and heavier rucks each week. If you do want to train for it, try to get the weight up high in your ruck and DO NOT RUN. I know you see a lot of it in the videos but if you are training for the schoolhouse DON'T. Just walk as fast as you can. If you just take off running you will probably just tear up your shins, knees, ankles, hips, every imaginable part of your leg and or back.
SERE school is divided up into a Survival and Evasion portion and a Resistance and Escape portion. Because of the nature of the course it wouldn't be very OPSEC of me to go into detail. It's a miserable course, I hated every minute of it, but after graduating the schoolhouse it will be a joke physically. It just sucks, you'll find out for yourself.
A question I see a lot is what washes people out the most? Well, these numbers might be slightly off because it's been a while, but heres a run down the best I can remember for my flight.
We had like 40 people take the initial PT test, 8 failed (this was when we did the Army PT test though, and like I said you graduate basic in worse shape than you show up in), so we started with 32.
~3 people got hurt
~1 person got an underage drinking charge
~1 person got a rape charge
~6-7 people failed their night foot navigation
~2-3 people just quit
~4-5 people got too many five echos or failed something else at field
~1 person failed an academic test
~2 people failed too many PT tests
I know the math doesn't add up, but we ended up with 9 originals graduating plus some guys who washed back. Notice the drinking and the rape charge. Tech School is at Hurlburt Field, right on the beach in Florida. You get weekends and most afternoons off. This presents a large opportunity for young stupid people to do stupid things. We had guys in other flights get arrested for doing coke and **** like that. A LOT of people wash out because they get in trouble with the law. Don't be stupid and don't be a *****, and you will probably be fine.
"THE SCHOOLHOUSE" AND "SERE"
Step 1 - Watch this Video, it's a 4 minute informational piece of the schoolhouse
SCHOOLHOUSE INFORMATIONAL VIDEO
Step 2 - Watch this Video, it's a 10 minute class graduation video and gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect physically
HAWK 79 GRADUATION VIDEO
Those videos were made by SSgt Taylor, an Instructor down at the schoolhouse.
Now, I'll say it again, the entry standard to start TACP training is way easier than you need to be striving for. If you show up able to meet the following standards, you will have a significant advantage against the program.
RUN: 2 miles, 8 laps around a 440-yard track in under 13 minutes.
PUSH-UPS: Must complete at least 71 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
CRUNCHES: Must complete at least 78 repetitions given a TWO-minute time limit.
PULL-UPS: Must complete at least 10 repetitions but strive for 15+.
I'm not saying you need to be at this level, in fact far from it, when I showed up I could only do about 45 pushups. You will get stronger, faster, tougher, and meaner as the course progresses. PT will always be challenging, no matter what shape you are in, but if you want to show up 110% ready to dominate, show up in the above condition. One thing you absolutely need to be able to do however is a solid amount of pull-ups. You need to complete 8 dead hang pull-ups to graduate. Pull-ups alone washed out 2 people in my flight, and had 4 more on the chopping block all the way up to the last PT test.
Form couldn't be more important. Your push-ups WILL NOT COUNT if you don't break 90* at the elbow and have a straight back. You must LOCK OUT COMPLETELY at the top of the repetition. If you get down and do that tough guy bullshit of 90 half bouncing pushups, you will get up and your instructor will put down a big 0. With pull-ups you cannot kip or kick in anyway, you must FULLY lower yourself and hang at the bottom, and get your chin over the bar at the top. If your legs raise up or curl as you come up that is ok (mine do, it's just a balance thing I guess), as long as you aren't kicking or using them for momentum.
While the PT is the big scary beast that turns people away and washes people out, you will spend AT LEAST half your time at the schoolhouse in a classroom. You learn everything from radios to maps and back again. The academics aren't really anything to worry about, but you can't blow them off either. You will be washed back into another flight or out completely for failing the tests.
The number one eliminator of wannabes is the first Field Exercise. It's our version of a hell week and it royally blows. It is conducted in the same hell hole that Swamp Phase of Army Ranger School is. You will get between 1 and 4 hours of sleep a night, and spend all day walking around the woods with 80lbs of crap on your back. If you aren't actively conducting an evaluation, you will be getting smoked or pulling security. If you go through in the winter it will be below 32*. If you go through in the summer it will be above 100*. It will rain. While you are out there you will be tested on night and day foot and vehicle navigation and some other crap that I forget. While out there you will be given whats called a "Five Echo" if an instructor finds you not being tactical (like not having enough camo paint on, being a loud idiot, etc...), if you lose any equipment (losing a weapon or radio is automatic failure), basically a five echo is a demerit, and if you get 3 of them, you fail. Honestly, I had fun the first two days, then the lack of sleep and fatigue set in and it started raining. I went through in January so we spent the nights shivering to death in our fighting positions soaking wet. It's very very challenging, but really you just have to keep your **** squared away and not ***** out and you will be fine. You will be extensively trained on land navigation before you are given a no **** test, so the only hard part by then is actually getting through the terrain which can range from barren plain to impassible wall of vines and bullshit.
The ruck marching program is very solid and I do not recommend you try to train for it before you get to the schoolhouse. You will probably just hurt yourself. The first ruck is ~55lbs 4 miles, the last ruck is ~75lbs 12 miles. You do progressively longer and heavier rucks each week. If you do want to train for it, try to get the weight up high in your ruck and DO NOT RUN. I know you see a lot of it in the videos but if you are training for the schoolhouse DON'T. Just walk as fast as you can. If you just take off running you will probably just tear up your shins, knees, ankles, hips, every imaginable part of your leg and or back.
SERE school is divided up into a Survival and Evasion portion and a Resistance and Escape portion. Because of the nature of the course it wouldn't be very OPSEC of me to go into detail. It's a miserable course, I hated every minute of it, but after graduating the schoolhouse it will be a joke physically. It just sucks, you'll find out for yourself.
A question I see a lot is what washes people out the most? Well, these numbers might be slightly off because it's been a while, but heres a run down the best I can remember for my flight.
We had like 40 people take the initial PT test, 8 failed (this was when we did the Army PT test though, and like I said you graduate basic in worse shape than you show up in), so we started with 32.
~3 people got hurt
~1 person got an underage drinking charge
~1 person got a rape charge
~6-7 people failed their night foot navigation
~2-3 people just quit
~4-5 people got too many five echos or failed something else at field
~1 person failed an academic test
~2 people failed too many PT tests
I know the math doesn't add up, but we ended up with 9 originals graduating plus some guys who washed back. Notice the drinking and the rape charge. Tech School is at Hurlburt Field, right on the beach in Florida. You get weekends and most afternoons off. This presents a large opportunity for young stupid people to do stupid things. We had guys in other flights get arrested for doing coke and **** like that. A LOT of people wash out because they get in trouble with the law. Don't be stupid and don't be a *****, and you will probably be fine.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 02:50 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:32 PM
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ROMAD AND JTAC
ROMAD is a term of endearment in our career field that comes from Vietnam when the job first appeared. Today its used to talk about the guys who are not certified JTACs. When you graduate tech school and show up at your unit, you will be a romad for about two years while you learn more about the job and probably deploy once or twice.
Legally, the only difference between a JTAC and a ROMAD is that the JTAC is allowed to say "Cleared Hot" on the radio, authorizing the pilot to release ordnance on the target. A romad can still talk to aircraft, call for artillery fire, control Helo or AC130 strikes, and sexy stuff like that. However, 95% of the time the Romad is a relatively new airman and the JTAC is an NCO, so it's up the JTAC what the Romad is allowed to do.
JTACs and Romads deploy in 2 man teams. Generally the Romad serves as a radio operator for the JTAC, making sure all his gear works, various administrative type **** is complete, that sort of thing. For you Army guys, he's basically a JFO and RTO combined.
If you are a dipshit Romad, your JTAC could restrict you to carrying gear. If you are squared away he could go so far as to let you do the entire control and then get on the mic and say cleared hot for you. Theres also everywhere in between.
After some time in the career field and required OJT, you will go to JTACQC in Las Vegas for 5 weeks. This course is academic with time out on the range talking to aircraft and controlling air strikes. After completing it and getting an evaluation from your StanEval shop you will become a certified JTAC.
ROMAD is a term of endearment in our career field that comes from Vietnam when the job first appeared. Today its used to talk about the guys who are not certified JTACs. When you graduate tech school and show up at your unit, you will be a romad for about two years while you learn more about the job and probably deploy once or twice.
Legally, the only difference between a JTAC and a ROMAD is that the JTAC is allowed to say "Cleared Hot" on the radio, authorizing the pilot to release ordnance on the target. A romad can still talk to aircraft, call for artillery fire, control Helo or AC130 strikes, and sexy stuff like that. However, 95% of the time the Romad is a relatively new airman and the JTAC is an NCO, so it's up the JTAC what the Romad is allowed to do.
JTACs and Romads deploy in 2 man teams. Generally the Romad serves as a radio operator for the JTAC, making sure all his gear works, various administrative type **** is complete, that sort of thing. For you Army guys, he's basically a JFO and RTO combined.
If you are a dipshit Romad, your JTAC could restrict you to carrying gear. If you are squared away he could go so far as to let you do the entire control and then get on the mic and say cleared hot for you. Theres also everywhere in between.
After some time in the career field and required OJT, you will go to JTACQC in Las Vegas for 5 weeks. This course is academic with time out on the range talking to aircraft and controlling air strikes. After completing it and getting an evaluation from your StanEval shop you will become a certified JTAC.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 03:07 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:32 PM
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DAY IN THE LIFE
GARRISON
7:30 - PT starts, you will be doing some of the hardest PT on the base while the Army looks at you funny and/or mean mugs you. Some fat lazy Joe will make some comment about the Air Force being gay, then go back to falling off the pull-up bar.
9:30 - The duty day starts, usually the morning is spent accomplishing all the dumb **** that has to get done, like inspecting the hmmwvs and doing equipment checks, nobody will want to start any major projects with lunch coming up. Airman will try to look busy by reading job material or doing some more PT. NCO's will check email, go to meetings, etc...
11:30 - Lunch starts, and no matter where you go there will be soldier's giving you weird looks, asking you why you have "their" patch on your shoulder, what rank x amount of stripes is, if you go the chow hall, another fat lazy Joe will make another Air Force comment under his breath as he serves you your spaghetti.
1:00 - Lunch is over, and people start to do something meaningful. All squadrons have a simulator room where the JTAC's can practice controlling air strikes, you can also take the trucks out and go **** **** up on the range, or just go out there and play football. There is computer based training that has to be done every so often, and training tasks to be evaluated on when they come up. You will also have some additional duties that will require some work from time to time, for instance I'm my flights vehicle manager and got tasked to inventory our equipment, so that was pretty much all I did for like 3 weeks to get that under control. Some one might teach a class on something, or an NCO will conduct some real training.
4:30 - Duty day ends, go home. If you're still there at 4:31, you fucked up.
This is your average day at the office. There isn't much bomb dropping on post, so it's pretty boring. What we do do is go TDY, A LOT. A JTAC averages about 200 days TDY a year, Romads significantly less if at all. Typical TDY would be something like fly out on a sunday morning, spend the work week out on the range controlling strikes, fly home saturday morning. Lot's of drinking and jackassery in between.
DEPLOYED
Wake up, eat, work out, shower, eat, watch movies, eat, play video games, sleep.
Seriously.
Deployments for us can vary significantly. You can end up in Iraq doing 12 hour TOC shifts and never leaving the wire, you can end up in some shithole in Afghanistan where you're out more than you are in, and obviously everywhere in between. This trip to Afghanistan I just got back from we only went into the TOC when there was something happening, and went out on just about every mission that left our FOB. My best friend went to Baghdad and never went on a mission and had a set TOC shift. It just depends on where you go and who is in charge.
Honestly, there is just too much to go into and too many things that could or could not happen to type up about deploying. You will be bored as **** A LOT, thats about the only promise I can make because it applies to everyone who deploys. What I will say though is that Afghanistan is still the Wild West, and we aren't sending people to Iraq much longer. If you join TACP you have a pretty solid chance of getting into a fight at some point, because I now thats what you are wanting to know.
We are currently doing 6 months home, 6 months deployed, and word on the streets is we are going to year long deployments in Afghanistan.
GARRISON
7:30 - PT starts, you will be doing some of the hardest PT on the base while the Army looks at you funny and/or mean mugs you. Some fat lazy Joe will make some comment about the Air Force being gay, then go back to falling off the pull-up bar.
9:30 - The duty day starts, usually the morning is spent accomplishing all the dumb **** that has to get done, like inspecting the hmmwvs and doing equipment checks, nobody will want to start any major projects with lunch coming up. Airman will try to look busy by reading job material or doing some more PT. NCO's will check email, go to meetings, etc...
11:30 - Lunch starts, and no matter where you go there will be soldier's giving you weird looks, asking you why you have "their" patch on your shoulder, what rank x amount of stripes is, if you go the chow hall, another fat lazy Joe will make another Air Force comment under his breath as he serves you your spaghetti.
1:00 - Lunch is over, and people start to do something meaningful. All squadrons have a simulator room where the JTAC's can practice controlling air strikes, you can also take the trucks out and go **** **** up on the range, or just go out there and play football. There is computer based training that has to be done every so often, and training tasks to be evaluated on when they come up. You will also have some additional duties that will require some work from time to time, for instance I'm my flights vehicle manager and got tasked to inventory our equipment, so that was pretty much all I did for like 3 weeks to get that under control. Some one might teach a class on something, or an NCO will conduct some real training.
4:30 - Duty day ends, go home. If you're still there at 4:31, you fucked up.
This is your average day at the office. There isn't much bomb dropping on post, so it's pretty boring. What we do do is go TDY, A LOT. A JTAC averages about 200 days TDY a year, Romads significantly less if at all. Typical TDY would be something like fly out on a sunday morning, spend the work week out on the range controlling strikes, fly home saturday morning. Lot's of drinking and jackassery in between.
DEPLOYED
Wake up, eat, work out, shower, eat, watch movies, eat, play video games, sleep.
Seriously.
Deployments for us can vary significantly. You can end up in Iraq doing 12 hour TOC shifts and never leaving the wire, you can end up in some shithole in Afghanistan where you're out more than you are in, and obviously everywhere in between. This trip to Afghanistan I just got back from we only went into the TOC when there was something happening, and went out on just about every mission that left our FOB. My best friend went to Baghdad and never went on a mission and had a set TOC shift. It just depends on where you go and who is in charge.
Honestly, there is just too much to go into and too many things that could or could not happen to type up about deploying. You will be bored as **** A LOT, thats about the only promise I can make because it applies to everyone who deploys. What I will say though is that Afghanistan is still the Wild West, and we aren't sending people to Iraq much longer. If you join TACP you have a pretty solid chance of getting into a fight at some point, because I now thats what you are wanting to know.
We are currently doing 6 months home, 6 months deployed, and word on the streets is we are going to year long deployments in Afghanistan.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 03:21 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:39 PM
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SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES/RANGERS
COMBAT CONTROL VS TACP
CCT's job is to provide ausetere air traffic control, so for example we go to war with Russia, CCT teams will be attached to ODA (Special Forces teams) teams and Ranger elements who are assigned air field seizures. So they go in and clear out the airfield (shooting and fighting) then provide air traffic control until a "real" air traffic controller is landed. Now CCT guys are certified air traffic controllers and have to maintain that qualification, but I say "real" because its not like they sit in the tower doing it as their main job. They go to ATC school and while the rest of the pogs get time to study, they will be doing some heinous PT. The CCT pipeline is about 2 years long, hard as ****, and they come out of it with Airborne, HALO, Scuba, and SERE training. The swimming is what washes most people out, eventually they are required to swim 50m underwater, swim with fins for roughly 2 million miles, etc...
TACP's are attached to and deploy with Army units of all shapes and sizes from armor units to ODA and ODD. For instance I was in Afghanistan with paratroopers out of Alaska (although I live in Ft. Lewis with mech guys...but ***** all fucked up so I wont get into it). Our job is to become and then maintain JTAC status and control close air support for whoever it is that we are with. There are two sides, sitting in a TOC and out in the field, I did a ton of both. It's not high speed, but the plain and simple truth is some missions are better controlled from the TOC, sitting at a desk with a radio and a computer screen where you have much more situational awareness. On the other hand, if youre strafing bad guys 100m away or dropping danger close bombs on mooj, you need to actually be out there. Usually you will be with the on-scene commander, but this can be as low as a squad leader or as high as a full bird if thats what the mission dictates.
Now here is where it gets kind of confusing. Because of the huge demand for JTACs, CCT gets used to fill in. They ONLY support SOF (Special Operations Forces - SF, SEAL, Delta, etc...). TACP's support conventional units by default, but can try-out and be selected for SOF and Ranger assignments. In fact, those who get assigned to SOF units get sent to Combat Controller units (Special Tactics Squadrons, or STS) and get sent to any of the cool-guy schools they don't have yet (usually HALO/Scuba). A lot of people feel that eventually the careerfields are just going to merge.
I'm not going to try and beat my chest here, CCT is WAY harder than TACP, but eventually, if it's your goal, both lead to the same job - SOF/Ranger JTAC, in about the same time. The CCT pipeline is so damn long that if you go TACP you will probably already have a deployment and a JTACQC slot by the time youd be finishing AST (The last portion of the CCT pipeline) and going to an STS.
BECOMING A SOF/RANGER JTAC
To become a SOF/Ranger TACP you must go to selection and be picked by a panel of senior career field leaders for both TACP and CCT. Phase 1 of the process if to submit a formal package with things like letters of recommendation, military resume, etc... They then select who they want to go down to the Phase 2 Try-Outs. Candidates are then subject to strenuous PT and tested on job knowledge and field skills to a very high standard. Candidates take psychological evaluations and must go before a board of the aforementioned senior career field leaders. Once selected, candidates can go to one of three STS's and support Army Special Forces or they can go to any of the 17TH ASOS detachments in support of Army Rangers.
To apply you have to be a 5 level Senior Airman (E-4), and you must be JTAC certified to go to the Rangers. If not JTAC certified and selected for an STS they will send you to JTACQC. Once selected you will attend advanced skills training in Hurlburt for 8 weeks (where you learn all kinds of cool-guy ****) and Airborne if you have not gone yet. While they are not promising HALO or DIVE, I'd say its pretty reasonable to expect a shot at both.
Physically, they are looking for 21 minute 3 mile runs and 16+ pullups, and obviously that same high standard for pushups and situps.
COMBAT CONTROL VS TACP
CCT's job is to provide ausetere air traffic control, so for example we go to war with Russia, CCT teams will be attached to ODA (Special Forces teams) teams and Ranger elements who are assigned air field seizures. So they go in and clear out the airfield (shooting and fighting) then provide air traffic control until a "real" air traffic controller is landed. Now CCT guys are certified air traffic controllers and have to maintain that qualification, but I say "real" because its not like they sit in the tower doing it as their main job. They go to ATC school and while the rest of the pogs get time to study, they will be doing some heinous PT. The CCT pipeline is about 2 years long, hard as ****, and they come out of it with Airborne, HALO, Scuba, and SERE training. The swimming is what washes most people out, eventually they are required to swim 50m underwater, swim with fins for roughly 2 million miles, etc...
TACP's are attached to and deploy with Army units of all shapes and sizes from armor units to ODA and ODD. For instance I was in Afghanistan with paratroopers out of Alaska (although I live in Ft. Lewis with mech guys...but ***** all fucked up so I wont get into it). Our job is to become and then maintain JTAC status and control close air support for whoever it is that we are with. There are two sides, sitting in a TOC and out in the field, I did a ton of both. It's not high speed, but the plain and simple truth is some missions are better controlled from the TOC, sitting at a desk with a radio and a computer screen where you have much more situational awareness. On the other hand, if youre strafing bad guys 100m away or dropping danger close bombs on mooj, you need to actually be out there. Usually you will be with the on-scene commander, but this can be as low as a squad leader or as high as a full bird if thats what the mission dictates.
Now here is where it gets kind of confusing. Because of the huge demand for JTACs, CCT gets used to fill in. They ONLY support SOF (Special Operations Forces - SF, SEAL, Delta, etc...). TACP's support conventional units by default, but can try-out and be selected for SOF and Ranger assignments. In fact, those who get assigned to SOF units get sent to Combat Controller units (Special Tactics Squadrons, or STS) and get sent to any of the cool-guy schools they don't have yet (usually HALO/Scuba). A lot of people feel that eventually the careerfields are just going to merge.
I'm not going to try and beat my chest here, CCT is WAY harder than TACP, but eventually, if it's your goal, both lead to the same job - SOF/Ranger JTAC, in about the same time. The CCT pipeline is so damn long that if you go TACP you will probably already have a deployment and a JTACQC slot by the time youd be finishing AST (The last portion of the CCT pipeline) and going to an STS.
BECOMING A SOF/RANGER JTAC
To become a SOF/Ranger TACP you must go to selection and be picked by a panel of senior career field leaders for both TACP and CCT. Phase 1 of the process if to submit a formal package with things like letters of recommendation, military resume, etc... They then select who they want to go down to the Phase 2 Try-Outs. Candidates are then subject to strenuous PT and tested on job knowledge and field skills to a very high standard. Candidates take psychological evaluations and must go before a board of the aforementioned senior career field leaders. Once selected, candidates can go to one of three STS's and support Army Special Forces or they can go to any of the 17TH ASOS detachments in support of Army Rangers.
To apply you have to be a 5 level Senior Airman (E-4), and you must be JTAC certified to go to the Rangers. If not JTAC certified and selected for an STS they will send you to JTACQC. Once selected you will attend advanced skills training in Hurlburt for 8 weeks (where you learn all kinds of cool-guy ****) and Airborne if you have not gone yet. While they are not promising HALO or DIVE, I'd say its pretty reasonable to expect a shot at both.
Physically, they are looking for 21 minute 3 mile runs and 16+ pullups, and obviously that same high standard for pushups and situps.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 04:24 PM.
10-07-2009, 01:40 PM
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MISCELLANEOUS FAQs
Please feel free to ask any questions you have in this thread. I will answer them and either put them in the above sections or here if they don't fit in any of them. I am open to answer anything, as I believe promoting this career field will only bring good things.
What Army schools can I go to and how?
Technically you can go to any of them if the Army has a slot and your unit has the money. If you are assigned to an Army unit that has a particular specialty, you will get that school almost as soon as you get to the unit, i.e. Airborne for Airborne units, Air Assault for Air Assault units. If you're unit isn't one of those however you will have to earn a slot. Your unit will get notified that it has say, 5 Airborne slots for the 3rd quarter or something along those lines. They will then go down the list of everyone who doesn't have Airborne and pick the top 5 who are able to go and send them. So, be a squared away guy and you will get schools, thats all there is to it.
As far as what schools you have a chance at assuming you are a good dude,
Airborne - High chance of seeing this one, units get a lot of slots, and they are trying to give it to all TACPs
Air Assault - High chance of this as well, this or airborne will be your first school
Pathfinder - More of an NCO school for guys who already have Airborne and Air Assault but have earned another school
Ranger - Not very likely. I've heard of 3 people getting it in the last 2 years. You will have to pass Pre-Ranger first as well
Sniper - Pretty much not going to happen. Yes people have gotten it, but you have about a 1% chance of seeing a slot for this
HALO - If you go SOF/Ranger it's almost guaranteed, if you don't though don't count on it. Most places wont send you until you are an Airborne jump master, which if you don't go to Bragg or Alaska you won't become.
DIVE/SCUBA - SOF guys might get this because all the CCT dudes have it and STS's get slots for it. Nobody else will.
Now, I've seen E-9's that don't have any schools, and I've seen an E-5 who had Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger, Pathfinder, Sniper, Counter-Sniper, and even went to the FBI sniper course. It depends a lot on your unit as well. If you go to a place like Benning for example, half those schools are at Benning, so you can pretty much just walk on, where as a place like Hawaii has to fly you across the globe to go. Heres the thing, if you are a good dude, you will get schools, thats the bottom line.
Do you have Officers?
Up until right about now we did not. We had grounded pilots who served a 3-4 year tour as our Officer corps. They have just started the career ALO (Air Liason Officer) program with the first 4 or so graduates heading out to their units this winter. For more information you should contact an Officer recruiter as I have no damn idea.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have in this thread. I will answer them and either put them in the above sections or here if they don't fit in any of them. I am open to answer anything, as I believe promoting this career field will only bring good things.
What Army schools can I go to and how?
Technically you can go to any of them if the Army has a slot and your unit has the money. If you are assigned to an Army unit that has a particular specialty, you will get that school almost as soon as you get to the unit, i.e. Airborne for Airborne units, Air Assault for Air Assault units. If you're unit isn't one of those however you will have to earn a slot. Your unit will get notified that it has say, 5 Airborne slots for the 3rd quarter or something along those lines. They will then go down the list of everyone who doesn't have Airborne and pick the top 5 who are able to go and send them. So, be a squared away guy and you will get schools, thats all there is to it.
As far as what schools you have a chance at assuming you are a good dude,
Airborne - High chance of seeing this one, units get a lot of slots, and they are trying to give it to all TACPs
Air Assault - High chance of this as well, this or airborne will be your first school
Pathfinder - More of an NCO school for guys who already have Airborne and Air Assault but have earned another school
Ranger - Not very likely. I've heard of 3 people getting it in the last 2 years. You will have to pass Pre-Ranger first as well
Sniper - Pretty much not going to happen. Yes people have gotten it, but you have about a 1% chance of seeing a slot for this
HALO - If you go SOF/Ranger it's almost guaranteed, if you don't though don't count on it. Most places wont send you until you are an Airborne jump master, which if you don't go to Bragg or Alaska you won't become.
DIVE/SCUBA - SOF guys might get this because all the CCT dudes have it and STS's get slots for it. Nobody else will.
Now, I've seen E-9's that don't have any schools, and I've seen an E-5 who had Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger, Pathfinder, Sniper, Counter-Sniper, and even went to the FBI sniper course. It depends a lot on your unit as well. If you go to a place like Benning for example, half those schools are at Benning, so you can pretty much just walk on, where as a place like Hawaii has to fly you across the globe to go. Heres the thing, if you are a good dude, you will get schools, thats the bottom line.
Do you have Officers?
Up until right about now we did not. We had grounded pilots who served a 3-4 year tour as our Officer corps. They have just started the career ALO (Air Liason Officer) program with the first 4 or so graduates heading out to their units this winter. For more information you should contact an Officer recruiter as I have no damn idea.
Last edited by J2Pharren1; 10-07-2009 at 04:12 PM.
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11-03-2009, 06:52 PM
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Very useful information. But one question that I cant find a definitive answer for is how do you go about recruiting for TACP? From what I understand you choose your 4+ jobs and put them down on your sheet, sign your contract at MEPS and then "hope" for a shot at TACP in BMT?
Can you clarify this? Im going into MEPS around the end of this month and Id like to know what Im doing (obviously) before signing my life away at MEPS. TACP is what I want to do.
Can you clarify this? Im going into MEPS around the end of this month and Id like to know what Im doing (obviously) before signing my life away at MEPS. TACP is what I want to do.
11-03-2009, 08:22 PM
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Very useful information. But one question that I cant find a definitive answer for is how do you go about recruiting for TACP? From what I understand you choose your 4+ jobs and put them down on your sheet, sign your contract at MEPS and then "hope" for a shot at TACP in BMT?
Can you clarify this? Im going into MEPS around the end of this month and Id like to know what Im doing (obviously) before signing my life away at MEPS. TACP is what I want to do.
Can you clarify this? Im going into MEPS around the end of this month and Id like to know what Im doing (obviously) before signing my life away at MEPS. TACP is what I want to do.
Just put TACP, nothing else. They only want you to put 4 so their ability to get you a class date for one of them increases. There shouldn't be a "hope" trust me.....its how I got screwed.
Perran, badass FAQ bro!
just for you 
11-04-2009, 12:18 AM
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TACP
SERE
CCT
PJ
There are four for ya
trust me you'll get one of them. You don't have to take the job they give you. You can always tell them you are waiting for TACP to open up.
11-05-2009, 03:38 PM
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You have to take a PAST test with your recruiter before putting down TACP, but if you put it down I can pretty much gurantee you you will get it. You no longer have to hope for a chance at BMT, you can go in gauranteed now and if your recruiter says otherwise, get a new one.
Don't put down CCT or PJ though, they are a higher priority and you might get one of them instead of TACP, but you also need a different PAST test for them, so in the end it doesn't really matter.
Bottom line, if you want to be TACP there is absolutly, ABSOLULTY NO REASON why you can't ship off to basic with gauranteed contract, assuming you qualify of course.
11-05-2009, 08:30 PM
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Thanks again! Im excited about the training.
11-23-2009, 02:57 PM
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awesome info Jperran, ill be going to Iraq in the next few months and will be running my *** off/working out like crazy to prepare myself for this when i get back. my goal is 5 miles in 40-45 mins. i can already do the 2 in 15:54 so i can get it when im ready, just dont want to shoot for the minimum
11-29-2009, 01:58 PM
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Looking at taking my PAST here very soon. Had a question about the push ups and pull ups though. I had read somewhere that even if you do the required 16 pullups you have to hold the bar for the entire 2 minutes. Any truth to this? I can knock out 20 pull ups and about 1.5x the situps and push ups required, but when it comes to hanging for that period of time I cant hold longer than 45 seconds unless Im on a 100% fresh workout.
11-29-2009, 10:50 PM
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You won't do pullups at basic, god forbid PT be hard, so take that into account while you train. Also, are you coming to a complete dead hang between reps? They don't count if you don't go ALL the way down.
11-30-2009, 11:50 AM
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Hmm that sucks about no pull ups in boot. I can nail out 17-18 on an average day going all the way down. 20 on a good day.
Hopefully 2 months of no pull ups doesnt hurt me too bad.
Hopefully 2 months of no pull ups doesnt hurt me too bad.