light the way 147th TACPs complete Army Pathfinder Course April 2015 Commander Colonel Terence Winkler Vice Commander Colonel Stan Jones Executive Officer Lt. Colonel Shaunte Cooper Public Affairs Officers Captain Fredy Reyes 1st Lieutenant Alicia Lacy Public Affairs Manager Master Sergeant Sean Cowher Journalists Staff Sergeant Mindy Bloem Senior Airman Susanna Coronel 11 13 08 Senior Airman Chasity Lollis 04 147 ASOS run 24 hours to honor fallen 11 Warrior Day 2015 12 Combat Dining In Rules of Engagement 08 Light the Way: 3 147 ASOS members THE TEXAN 147TH RECONNAISSANCE WING 147TH RECONNAISSANCE THE TEXAN is a funded Air Force complete Army Pathfinder’s Course 13 Recruiters win recruiting awards at state publication that is produced for members of the 147th Reconnais- sance Wing at Ellington Field Joint 10 Chief’s Corner: Empowerment 14 First Sergeant’s Comments: Innovation and Creativeness Reserve Base. Contents of The Texan are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. Government, the Depart- ment of Defense, the United States Air Force, the National Guard Bureau, or the Texas Air National Guard. The editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs Office and members of the 147th Reconnaissance Wing. 14657 Sneider St. Visit the 147th Reconnaissance Wing social media sites to stay COVER: Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base current with what is happening at the Wing. A joint terminal attack controller with the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron, 147th Recon- Houston, TX 77034 naissance Wing, radios in a drop zone during a Army Pathfinder’s Course March 31, 2015, at Camp Phone: 281-929-2662 The icons to the left are interactive and will take you directly to Swift near Bastrop, Texas. Thirty-nine Texas Army and Air National Guard members attended the Email: the social media site of your choice. two-week course that mirrors the course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Photo by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy [email protected] www.147rw.ang.af.mil www.facebook.com/147RW www.147rw.ang.af.mil 24-HOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE FALLEN 4 The Texan 147th Reconnaissance Wing www.147rw.ang.af.mil The Texan 5 “The career field is such a small, tight-knit community. It’s a family.” Story and Photos by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy 147th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs GALVESTON, Texas -- They’re more to each other than just fellow airmen who have the same Air Force Spe- cialty Code - they’re family. For 24 hours, tactical air control party members from around the globe joined together to support each other and honor fallen comrades during the TACP Association’s fourth annual 24-hour Challenge March 26-27, 2015. While the teams, comprised of TACPs, family members and friends, ran at or near their bases throughout the U.S. and overseas, retirees, and deployed members participated in the annual challenge as a sign of unity and support for their brothers in arms. That was no different for the TACPs from the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron, 147th Reconnaissance Wing at Ellington Field in Houston. Along the sandy beaches of Galveston Island, more than 40 TACPs tagged in and out running up and down the coastline, ensuring there was always someone running during the 24-hour time period, between 1 p.m. March 26 to 1 p.m. March 27. At the end of the challenge, the members ran a total of 511.6 miles and raised $3,565, which figured into the overall total of $131,390.40. “The TACP challenge goal was to run for 24 hours straight as a team and raise as many funds as possible for the association,” said a technical sergeant with the squadron. “The TACP Association provides funding for families of those killed in action or injured.” In addition to their participation in the run, members were also able to conduct training and foster their rela- tionships with their combat and domestic operations partners. With a radio on his back, one TACP communicated with an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter from the Texas Army National Guard, engaging in a fly-by as a way to train and show support to their brothers in arms. The U.S. Coast Guard also demonstrated their support by conducting a fly-by as the tactical airmen ran. The TACP Association was conceived more than 15 years ago with a mission to remember the fallen, honor the living, and aid brothers in need. “It’s always there,” the technical sergeant said. “They always have your back.” 6 The Texan 147th Reconnaissance Wing www.147rw.ang.af.mil The Texan 7 PATHFINDERS: 147 ASOS TACPs EARN THE TORCH Story and Photos by 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy LIGHT THE WAY 147th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs CAMP SWIFT, Texas – Three more tactical air control party mem- bers from the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron have earned the right to wear the Pathfinder badge and join the ranks of the elite force that makes up less than 1 percent of the total force. Thirty-nine Texas Air and Army National Guard members attended the rig- orous 14-day course March 20-April 3, 2015, at Camp Swift near Bastrop. “It’s one of the most academically challenging courses I’ve been to,” said a tech- nical sergeant and joint terminal attack controller with the squadron. “This is a hard course with a lot of information crammed into a short period of time.” Pathfinders’ primary task is to infiltrate areas and set up parachute drop zones and landing zones for airborne and air assault missions. The ability to establish landing and drop zones and conduct air traf- fic control for aircraft falls under the basic duties of a TACP, too, but the specialized skills learned in the course further develops those skills and can also translate to the TACPs’ domestic, stateside mission. “The war-time mission is obvious for when they establish landing zones for air assault, but the course also enhances our domestic operations readi- ness,” the JTAC said. “At any point, a hurricane can hit and we’ll be the first ones out there landing helicopters and orchestrating medical evacuation.” The course was possible due to a mobile training team from Fort Ben- ning, Georgia. The condensed course mirrors the three-week course at the Army base that tests students on sling load operations, air traffic con- trol, rigging and inspection techniques, aircraft rappelling, medical evacu- ation and calculating and establishing night and day landing zones, para- chute drop zones, computed air release system drop zones, ground marked release system drop zones, verbally-initiated release system drop zones, and providing navigational assistance to rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft. According information from the Army, the men- tally, intense course has a 45 percent attrition rate. “It’s nonstop. It’s tough. But it’s definitely doable,” he said. CHIEF’S CORNER 147th Warrior Day EMPOWERMENT may 2015 BY CHIEF MASTER SGT. ALAN CARVAJAL Warrior Day is on and your squadron is in the spotlight. Start talking and forming your game plan to become Delegation can be good and bad. With delegation there is always the implication that someone else is re- the “fittest squadron” in the Wing. So you ask,” how do I compete with the ASOS guys?” “They are “bad @$$es”, sponsible but they are just allowing you to do their work for them. A better idea is “partnering” with team you think. But fitness is more than brute strength; it is a measure of physical and mental strength that not only members. Make sure each team member knows their role; provide the full agenda of the projects that need to incorporates personal strength, but more importantly, the skill to work as a team to achieve the greater goal. be accomplished. Consistent unnecessary hidden agendas by managers are the death of a good partnership. You don’t know everything. Identify subject matter experts and partner with them to ensure projects that are downward directed by the responsible commander, get done within the intent of the mission. Always be aware that Events you are leading the team and if something goes wrong you must take responsibility and not throw one of your sub- ordinate managers “under the bus.” Being loyal to your subordinates will foster a strong partnership that ensures TOP 1.5 MILE, TOP SIT-UPS, TOP PUSH-UPS TUG-OF-WAR goals are accomplished on time and within budget. You must foster a partnership where everyone is willing to be accountable for specific tasks, projects, goals and accomplishments. In my 30 years of experience as a manager FITNESS CHALLENGE SPADES TOURNEY of resources and leader of people, both civilian and military, I have found that more times than not, those work- ing with me as partners see themselves differently than someone who believes I am delegating my tasks to them. SOCCER 3-ON-3 BASKETBALL You will not always agree with decisions that your team makes. In fact, your team members will likely make some decisions that prove to be wrong. How you deal with this is important for future success of the mis- FLAG FOOTBALL VOLLEYBALL sion. For new leadership or management team members, in the beginning, you may find it helpful to ask GOLF (CLOSEST TO THE PIN) KICKBALL TOURNEY them to make decisions and then present those to you before implementation. This will provide an op- portunity for both of you to learn and understand how each other thinks about solving problems or de- HORSESHOES DOMINOS cision-making. This process will give you an opportunity to evaluate their thinking and guide them to- wards self-discovery of solutions that may better meet the goals along the way and eventually the mission.