United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party

Most commonly, TACPs serve as the principal Air Force liaison element to the United States Army (USA),[2] where they align with combat maneuver echelons from Corps to Battalion level.

The TACP provides its aligned Army unit with expertise in planning and executing airpower in support of the land component commander's scheme of maneuver.

The AOC is the senior TACS agency responsible for the centralized control and decentralized execution of airpower in support of the Joint Force Commander.

JTACs are specially trained and certified airmen who provide terminal control of airpower, usually in the form of Close Air Support missions.

These liaisons serve as USAF subject-matter experts within their areas of expertise and assist in planning and integrating these functions with their aligned Army unit.

Graduates of the TACP schoolhouse (AFSC 1Z3X1) attend USAF Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) School at Fairchild AFB, Washington, and Basic Airborne School at Fort Moore, Georgia, and the Joint Terminal Attack Controller Qualification Course at Nellis AFB, Nevada, after which they are assigned to a TACP unit to undergo initial mission readiness training and skill level upgrade.

As an unstated prerequisite to a career as a 1Z3X1, it is understood that 1Z3X1s live, train and deploy with U.S. Army combat units worldwide under some of the most demanding and difficult conditions in often very austere environments.

Additionally, there are numerous ASOSs within the Air National Guard that have actively participated in combat operations worldwide supporting the Global War on Terror since 9/11.

During a TACP assignment, 1Z3X1s must continually possess a high degree of self-motivation, enthusiasm and a willingness to operate often as the lone airman in a joint team.

Though challenging, a TACP assignment has its rewards: 1Z3X1s are uniquely afforded the opportunity to increase their knowledge, skills, and operator capabilities by attending Military Freefall, Air Assault, Pathfinder, Ranger, and Special Forces Combat Diver schools.

TOPT involves one week of extensive testing and evaluation by TACP Cadre to see if candidates are capable of operating in the rigorous TACPO career field.

Events at TOPT include numerous written and psychological tests and interviews, Group Leadership Problems (GLPs), long distance runs and ruck marches with combat gear and rigorous physical training.

He or she provides subject matter expertise to lead, plan, and manage Command-and-Control and terminal execution of Air, Space, and Cyber operations in direct support of land component forces.

Additional TACPO training may include, but are not limited to: In 1979, the black beret was authorized for wear by enlisted personnel in the Tactical Air Control Party.

TACP Officers (TACPOs) are also authorized to wear the black beret after they graduate from the Basic ALO Skills Course (BASC), conducted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

The scarlet border of the cloth flash symbolizes the immense firepower that can be brought to bear when Air Force and Army assets are combined.

[17] After graduating Basic Military Training, all enlisted 1Z3X1 candidates are sent to Medina Annex of Lackland AFB, Texas to attend a five-day indoctrination course.

Those who successfully complete the initial training course are awarded the "3" or "apprentice" skill level and then attend the USAF Survival School at Fairchild AFB, Washington.

[19] This relatively high rate is primarily attributed to the constant physical demands students face throughout the entire length of the course, with the difficulty level increasing until graduation.

After one year of maintaining Combat Mission Ready (CMR) status and possessing the "5" or "journeyman" skill level, 1Z3X1s are eligible to attend the Joint Terminal Attack Controller qualification course at Nellis AFB, or if stationed in Germany or Italy, the USAFE Air-Ground Operations School.

This includes instruction of principles, procedures, equipment and techniques that help individuals to survive regardless of climatic conditions or unfriendly environments, and return with honor.

An Air Liaison Officer with the 14th Air Support Operations Squadron , parachutes to the ground during a joint forcible entry exercise 31 May 2013, at the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada .
USAF TACPs in the Battle of Do Ab . In the battle, a scout platoon from the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, United States Army, 20 Afghan soldiers, and two United States Air Force TACPs were ambushed by over 300 Taliban near the village of Do Ab. With assistance from close air support, the coalition forces repulsed the ambush, killing approximately 270 Taliban.
Six GBU-38 munitions are dropped by a B-1B Lancer aircraft onto an insurgent torture house and prison in Northern Zambraniyah, Iraq, 10 March 2008. The munitions drop was cleared by a USAF TACP from Fort Cavazos , Texas , and deployed with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division .
USAF 1Z3X1 TACPs providing over-watch and close air support in Jaghato, Afghanistan. Most USAF TACP teams consist of a junior 1Z3X1 and a 1Z3X1 certified as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) who provides terminal control of close air support missions.
USAF TACP candidates raise a pole during a team building exercise at Hurlburt Field, Fla., 10 August 2011. The pole weighs approximately 300 pounds, therefore requiring all of the full strength of the candidates to complete such a rigorous task.