Fort Sill, Okla. -- In October 2009, 1st Lt. Cason Shrode, Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, located at COP Keating, Afghanistan, found himself in a vicious firefight that claimed eight Soldiers lives and wounded 21 others.
As the combat outpost's fires support officer, Shrode was a certified joint fires observer. Today he is a captain; he is currently the battery commander of A Battery, 1-79th Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Okla. Looking back on that day, he said, earning a JFO certification prior to deployment is what made the difference in minimizing friendly and civilian casualties, despite facing hundreds of insurgents from multiple firing positions, and ultimately led to the neutralization of enemy forces.
"There's no doubt without the layers of air support we received it would have turned out quite differently," Shrode said. "Without our JFO training, we wouldn't have been able to handle the situation that day."
This situation and lessons learned from similar firefights in Afghanistan, is the reason why Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, commandant of the Field Artillery School, is working to add JFO academics, including the JFO online course, to the Basic Officers Leader Course program of instruction. Additionally, with this initiative, every BOLC graduate with follow on assignments to brigade combat teams will have the opportunity to complete JFO certification as an assignment oriented training course following graduation. This pilot JFO AOT initiative is scheduled to begin in January 2012 with BOLC class 7-11. Currently, the JFO is offered as an additional skill identifier course (L7) for 13Fs or Fire Support Specialists as well as for Company Fire Support Officers/NCOs, Platoon Forward Observers, Combat Observation Lasing Teams and members of scout/reconnaissance organizations.
Typically, it's Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers who work alongside Soldiers to control precision air strikes, close air support and other offensive air operations. By the recently signed Army/Air Force Liaison Support Memorandum of Agreement, Tactical Air Control Parties are in direct support to each U.S. Army corps, division, brigade combat team and each BCT maneuver battalion. These TACPs will have a minimum of two JTACs for each corps, division, BCT and maneuver battalion. Additionally, the Air Force is to provide one JTAC at the maneuver company/troop level.
While current in-theater mission demands for JTACs are being met, the JFO is a significant force-multiplier which has enhanced the maneuver commander's access to both joint and organic indirect Fires through the integration with the high demand/low density JTAC population and his inherent skill sets. Maintaining JFO training also costs less than JTAC training due because "live" exercises with Sorties can be replaced with simulations for JFO certification training.
The JFO extends the operational reach of the JTAC as his "eyes forward" providing targeting data, to include mensurated coordinates for Type II and Type III CAS. JFOs, in conjunction with JTACs, are trained to assist maneuver commanders with the timely planning, synchronization, and responsive execution of close air support.
Shrode explained that having several Soldiers, including himself, earn a JFO certification from Fort Sill, Okla. prior to deployment is what enabled his unit to turn the tide against hundreds of insurgents who assaulted COP Keating, near the town of Kamdesh of Nuristan province in eastern Afghanistan, in 2009. The following is a brief synopsis of a fire fight that lasted more than eight hours.
The large coordinated attack began with rocket propelled grenade and machine gun fire at approximately 6 a.m., Shrode said.
"The attack came from all sides," Shrode said. "About 30 seconds into it, we knew it was bigger than a normal attack."
COP Keating was often the target of frequent, smaller attacks, he said.
"(The insurgents) watched how we fight " they monitored us for the first couple of months," he added. "They knew where our support was and our formations; they had us pinned down pretty good."
For the first 15 minutes, they were not able to return much fire, he said.
"As the fight continued to progress, they continued to pin us down," Shrode said. "The (Afghan National Army) who watched one side of the COP got skittish, and ended up taking off. Enemy forces started penetrating through that side."
Due to the heavy volume of fire, the entrance control point was breached as well. The ECP bore the brunt of the first wave of RPGs, he said.
"We had (insurgents) coming in from two different places; so we condensed down to one building," Shrode said.
So Shrode, in the alternate tactical operations center because the primary one was on fire, along with a fellow officer, got on the net and started coordinating indirect fire support as well as CAS with JTACs, who were located on a FOB more than 20 miles away.
"CAS showed up about 20 minutes into it," Shrode said.
Once a close air support 9-line went up, F-15E Strike Eagles rolled in and started taking care of business, Shrode said. Then the helicopters showed up. UH-64s wiped out more insurgents.
"With the help of the CCA and the jets dropping bombs, we retook the COB," Shrode said.
After more than eight hours of fighting on the ground and bombing and strafing from Air Force and Army air assets, nearly 100 militants were killed from the joint and combined response.
"JFO is by far the best training I've had in the military," Shrode said. "It made such a huge difference in combat."
The JFO program currently focuses on providing training that enables those who become certified to quickly and accurately provide the information necessary for JTACs to prosecute targets and avoid fratricide and unnecessary collateral damage.
For JFOs, knowing how to communicate to other services' air support is vital. It's not just about the English language but the specific JTAC terminology that goes along with close air support, Shrode said.
"The Air Force and their JTACS talk in a different language," Shrode said. "It's not really 'common sense' terms but very 'technical terms.'
"The two-week course, made me comfortable enough, so I knew what kind of information they were looking for, and I could use their terms in order to accurately relay information to neutralize the enemy," Shrode said.
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