USAF SOF TCP CSAR

[Dominique]

Here's some photos (courtesy of Roger Hovis) of a USAF SOF TACP assigned to the 75th Ranger Reg. conducting CSAR training in GA. The pics are from the mid 90's .

http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/sar1.jpg

http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/csar.jpg

http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/csar1.jpg

http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/csar2.jpg

[UkrainianSpetsnaz]

cool beans

[usa320]

:D

great photos.

[ibstolidude]

Why is a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) conducting CSAR training?
Not that they are not some of the most capable warriors, but the Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs) pretty much put bombs on targets not conduct CSAR missions. Why doing CSAR? Isn't that a PJ / CCT funtion?

TACP's outstanding commo skills sure would and have come into to play in real world rescues/casvac and medvac and have clearly saved dudes lives but they didn't actaully do the pick up.

[Dominique]

Why is a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) conducting CSAR training?

Not that they are not some of the most capable warriors, but the Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs) pretty much put bombs on targets not conduct CSAR missions. Why doing CSAR? Isn't that a PJ / CCT funtion?

TACP's outstanding commo skills sure would and have come into to play in real world rescues/casvac and medvac and have clearly saved dudes lives but they didn't actaully do the pick up.

You partially answeared your own question. From what I understand,
a Special Tactics Team (STT- PJ/CTT) would normally handle the actual recovery, with a Ranger element providing a SST (SST- SAR Security Team). An SOF TACP is is usually attached to the SST to call in CAS if needed, they also add some additional commo assests and a few more guns on the ground.

[ibstolidude]

Why is a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) conducting CSAR training?

Not that they are not some of the most capable warriors, but the Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs) pretty much put bombs on targets not conduct CSAR missions. Why doing CSAR? Isn't that a PJ / CCT funtion?

TACP's outstanding commo skills sure would and have come into to play in real world rescues/casvac and medvac and have clearly saved dudes lives but they didn't actaully do the pick up.

You partially answeared your own question. From what I understand,
a Special Tactics Team (STT- PJ/CTT) would normally handle the actual recovery, with a Ranger element providing a SST (SST- SAR Security Team). An SOF TACP is is usually attached to the SST to call in CAS if needed, they also add some additional commo assests and a few more guns on the ground.

Just never seen it done that way... I just figured the CCT would just call in his own CAS since he is, well, Combat Controller Team.
Doesn't make it false I sure have not seen everything.

[MVSpartan117]

Great pics!

I love CSAR!

[Dominique]

Why is a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) conducting CSAR training?

Not that they are not some of the most capable warriors, but the Enlisted Terminal Attack Controllers (ETACs) pretty much put bombs on targets not conduct CSAR missions. Why doing CSAR? Isn't that a PJ / CCT funtion?

TACP's outstanding commo skills sure would and have come into to play in real world rescues/casvac and medvac and have clearly saved dudes lives but they didn't actaully do the pick up.

You partially answeared your own question. From what I understand,
a Special Tactics Team (STT- PJ/CTT) would normally handle the actual recovery, with a Ranger element providing a SST (SST- SAR Security Team). An SOF TACP is is usually attached to the SST to call in CAS if needed, they also add some additional commo assests and a few more guns on the ground.

Just never seen it done that way... I just figured the CCT would just call in his own CAS since he is, well, Combat Controller Team.
Doesn't make it false I sure have not seen everything.

You have to remember that not all CCT are SOTAC qualified. There's also a shortage of CCT, so a recovery team may be completely composed of PJs/CROs.

Also if the team is made up of Army personnel (Rangers, SF) and inserted by Army aviation, their may not be any other AF personnel other than an attached TACP or CWT.

[haze99]

Most airmen in the USAF know next to nothing about CCT or TACP!

Good thread and discussion. Excellant background on the USAF, gents! No nonsense here! Keep up the good work!

[Dominique]

Here's some good links on TACP info:
www.romad.com (the best info on the net on TACPs)
http://www.specwarnet.net/americas/softacp.htm (SOF TACP)
http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0599/tacp1.htm
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123006399

[flickme]

Ive never heard of rangers doing CSAR before. Wierd. CSAR is awesome though. My dad was in it for 20 years.

[Dominique]

Each service is responsible for conducting its own CSAR ops. The first two Rangers to die during OIF were killed in a helo crash near the Afghan/ Pakistan border. They were part of a CSAR team assigned to cover the air infiltration of a Delta team and the Ranger parachute drop on "Rhino".

[flickme]

I thought the Airforce did most of the CSAR or SAR. I know when my dad was in Kuwait during Operation Southern Watch they were responsible for picking up anyone that needed it.

[Dominique]

Thanks to one of those silly little joint service agreements, each service is responsible for performig certain basic functions CSAR, force protection, and a few other things. (one of these agreements is why the Army gave up is tactical airlift capability and the AF is restricted to using helicopters for SAR/CSAR, light utility/liaison work, and VIP transport).

EAch can request support from other services (durig Desert Storm the AF was short of troops for CSAR so it "borrowed" troops from the Army and Navy- mostly SF and SEALs). (Just like the AF recently figured out it didn't have enough security forces and asked the ARNG if it could get 10,000, yes that right, 10,000 troops for base security operations - even though by law they are responsible for protecting their own bases).

The US Army is just now forming specilized CSAR units. It used to use what ever it had on hand for the job (MEDEVAC, some air cav units used their cav scouts, SF, etc.)

The USMC uses Force Recon or a specially trained TRAP (Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel) platoon from deployed MEU (SOC)s (the team that grabbed the guy (I can't remember his name) from Bosnia was an infantry mortor platoon).

The US Navy uses SEAL platoons and two Naval Reserve HCS (Helicopter Combat Support) squadron (HCS-4 and HCS-5) for what it calls "Strike Rescue".