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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES March 20, 2008 Former Hill pilot, now JTAC thing completely different in the air." For Wilson, ALO training included Joint 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Terminal Attack Controller and Army Airborne jump schools. The courses were ILL AIR FORCE BASE — Joint unique and challenging, he said. terminal attack controllers atAs an ALO, Wilson is also responsible for tached to the Army's 2nd Battala team of six enlisted AF JTACs. He is in ion in Fort Lewis, Wash., arrived at the charge of their care, feeding, training, equipUtah Test and Training Range on March ment and readiness. 3-7 to train with 388th Fighter Wing pilots during an operational readiness exercise. To prepare for deployments, the captain's team travels three to four times a year to foAmong these battlefield airmen, who work cus on close air support operations. He said with pilots to guide bombs onto target and the team controls airpower. protect ground forces, was Capt. Chris Wilson. JTACs are recognized across the Departof Defense as airmen able to provide ment The pilot now works with fighter aircraft terminal attack control to any type of airfrom a different angle — the ground. craft. Wilson was stationed at Hill in 2004 as a For the team's recent training at the Utah 421st Fighter Squadron pilot and deployed twice with the unit to fly an F-16 in the skies range, airmen focused on nonconventional missions with 34th Fighter Squadron pilots. of Iraq. Through close air support operations, he helped ensure the safety and successful In training at the UTTR, "we want to missions of ground troops in the region. maintain our proficiency in close air support by creating ever-changing scenarios — help One year ago, the captain volunteered for these guys understand how to support spean air liaison officer position with the 17th cial operations forces," Wilson said. Air Support Operations Squadron. As an ALO, the pilot assesses the battlefield and The training becomes more important advises the ground commander on airpower when the units consider they may work toassets available to him. gether in combat. "We are training ourselves and also helping pilots train to be better at "It has been extremely interesting to unCAS, so they can understand what we are derstand how I directly supported the Army looking for on the ground." as a pilot," said Wilson. "Now I'm the guy on the ground, getting (air) support. UnderWilson said his experience as an ALO has standing what the Air Force can do for a guy broadened his understanding of how the milon the ground, it's amazing." itary works together in a joint environment. Small pieces of information pilots gather in Four months after arriving in Washington, the sky may prove crucial to a ground unit. Wilson deployed to Iraq for a third time, but with new responsibilities. "If a pilot says, 'Hey, I saw one guy move from this building to another,' that piece of "Because of my deployed experience as a information has serious implications on what pilot, I understood the tactics going on overwe do," Wilson said. "The pilot could leave seas. I understood the baseline knowledge and have no idea what he just did — he just that everyone had, and I was able to employ told us where the bad guy could be." a lot of weapons quickly and affect a lot of missions," Wilson said. Many airmen don't have the opportunity During his deployment as an ALO, he to fight from both a pilot and ALO perspectalked with Hill's 4th Fighter Squadron and tive. 421st FS pilots over the radio. He said it was "Every day is rewarding, every day is difa cool experience. ferent," Wilson said. "I loved flying, but being able to apply that to what I am doing now "I understand what they know, and I know has made my job awesome." how to talk to them," Wilson said. "A lot of times, it's a challenge to translate what you "It's an experience I will take with me forsee on the ground to a pilot — he sees someever," he said. CHENEY IN BAGHDAD BY DEANNA SHALLENBERGER H TECH. SGT. JEFFREY ALLEN/U.S. Air Force U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is greeted by Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, as he steps off an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Sather Air Base in Baghdad, on March 17. has found time to hit the slopes. "The snow is a lot better here," he said "We have been busy, but I've managed to get to Snowbasin and From page 1 Powder Mountain two times each since I've been here." world," he said. "We have been lucky enough not to have two comFirst Sgt. Pascal Sibbald is a jet mercial airliners hijacked and flown maintainer with the crew and said into skyscrapers, but we see terhe has also enjoyed his stay in Utah. rorist attacks in Europe as well. All "I hear the rules are a little those that believe in freedom have tighter here than in other states, but to stand together." I have liked it so far," he said. "It's beautiful." Luijsterburg has served three The Royal Netherlands Air Force tours of duty in Afghanistan and will return again shortly, either during was at Hill in August conducting the next few months or during the similar missions, and Luijsterburg holidays. said they will probably be back "I would rather not go over soon. 4( there," he said. "It's not pleasant — We are hoping to make it an anyou have people dying over there. I nual trip," he said. wish it wasn't necessary, but it is." The group will finish up at Hill Luijsterburg, an avid snowboard- sometime in mid-April and will go er, speaks impeccable English and through another round of training said, even though his unit has been in Canada before cycling back into undergoing important training, he combat missions in Afghanistan. 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