HONOLULU, Hawaii -- TACP is one of the two weapons systems supported by the 147th Attack Wing on Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. In the past, they have served as a liaison between the Air Force and Army by supporting air strikes, maximizing fire power on the ground, and collecting data for the combatant commander. Recently, TACP has shifted its focus to be more Air Force centric.
Lt. Col. Steven Kroll, 147th ASOS Commander, and MSgt. Justin Tassin, 147th ASOS Operations Superintendent, strategically chose to train here due to its ability to mimic the tropical terrain found in the Pacific regions. In previous conflicts, TACPs have been trained in desert-like environments. With the current geopolitical climate, it has become increasingly important to be operational in similar territory.
“For the wing commander, the objective is to be ready to fight at any time. This is how we do it,” said Kroll. “This is testing our ability as a unit to mobilize, deploy, and operate in an unfamiliar environment.”
MSgt. Tassin partnered with Air Force, Marine Corps, Army, and Navy squadrons here to coordinate the exercises and logistics of the field training. The majority of the ground training was led by SERE Specialist from the 15th Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam in conjunction with the 25th ASOS at Wheeler Army Air Field.
“It has been a true joint effort as far as the training aspect,” said Tassin. “It’s a training wonderland for all of the objectives that we can accomplish. You can come here and
accomplish a full mission set with the environment and the Marines and Army here.”
The 147th ASOS is focused on winning the future fight and succeeding in any theater, regardless of the location. They will continue to sharpen their skills through joint force partnerships to guarantee achievement of their set out objectives.