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TACP tryouts set for Nov. 2

  • Published
  • By Mike W. Ray
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The 146th Air Support Operations Squadron of the Oklahoma Air National Guard will hold tryouts next Saturday for individuals who desire to be members of the Tactical Air Control Party.

"The primary mission of TACP is to conduct close air support against exactly the right target at exactly the right time to change the tide of battle and wreak havoc on our nation's enemies," said ANG Tech. Sgt. Dan Horgan. TACP specialists "typically embed with Army combat units to do just that."

TACP members are "one of the few true front-line combat jobs in the Air Force," said ANG 1st Lt. Jared Ackerman. TACP specialists "are known for their ability to bring overwhelming firepower to the battlefield in the form of artillery and air strikes."

Qualified Joint Terminal Attack Controllers are called upon to deliver air strikes "under all environmental conditions, with any type of aircraft, anywhere in the world," Sergeant Horgan said.

The training is physically, mentally and technically intense, the sergeant and the lieutenant said. Consequently, TACP candidates must pass a physical ability stamina test that will include a timed mile-and-a-half run, half a dozen pull-ups, four dozen sit-ups, 40 push-ups, and marching with a 50-pound rucksack. They also will be required to perform 14 separate exercises.

Every candidate must have, at a minimum, a high-school diploma or a GED with 15 college credit-hours. The program is limited solely to men 18 or older -- 17 with parental consent and good grades -- and is open to the enlisted ranks of all services, primarily E-1 to E-5, and to civilians, as well.

The TACP tryouts will start at 7 a.m. Nov. 2 at the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, on the north side of Will Rogers World Airport in south Oklahoma City. For more information, contact Sergeant Horgan or Lieutenant Ackerman at 686-5595 or 5593.