FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan - His father always told him, "whatever job you are doing, always do your best."
This is something the six foot Samoan took to heart and lives by to this day.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mitchell Polu, 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron Tactical Air Control Party member and Joint Terminal Air Controller, is one of a handful of Airmen deployed to Forward Operating Base Fenty for a nine month rotation.
But this is nothing new for the job he fills.
Polu holds the qualification known as JTAC, whose primary duty is to direct combat aircraft onto enemy targets. They are qualified and recognized to provide close air support to units in which they are attached to. And almost all times, JTACs are attached to an Army unit deployed and at home station.
Polu supports the 4th Infantry, 4th Brigade out of Fort Carson, Colo. "The reason we are here is armed overwatch for the unit we are attached to," he said.
"I play two roles," Polu said. "I am the JTAC for the 4-4th Brigade, and I am the TACP [non-commissioned officer in charge] for 25 personnel and one radio maintainer. I am 75 percent operations and 25 percent administrative."
The technical sergeant has to always perform at his best.
TACPs are placed in dangerous situations where they have to make vital decisions in a quick amount of time, he said.
Polu was put in that same sort of situation during a five hour air assault in Patika province, Afghanistan, that occurred on his last deployment.
"No one expected anything to happen," he said.
Polu had his day and night gear, so about 80-90 pounds on top of all his other gear, which is nothing out of the norm for a JTAC.
"I ask the battalion commander if we have enough time where I can put my gear down to do a check, and he said it wasn
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