422nd JTS makes first trip down range

Published April 8, 2013
By Capt. Sybil Taunton
U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ -- Members of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's 422nd Joint Tactics Squadron recently traveled to various deployment locations supporting operations in and around Afghanistan to conduct face-to-face interviews with deployed Airmen and collect real-time tactical lessons learned directly from ongoing combat support missions.

The primary mission of the of the 422nd JTS is to collect lessons learned and best practices from the field and use that information to develop tactical-level doctrine in the form of Air Force Tactics, Techniques and Procedures used to improve cross-functional mission effectiveness and continuity.

Maj. Gen. William Bender, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, recently authored an editorial drawing attention to the need for greater cross-functional Air Force support in gathering the information needed for the TTP process. As a result of this article, the 422 JTS requested and received U.S. Air Forces Central approval for the trip in order to open channels of communication directly with Airmen in theater. Building upon Bender's vision, the trip looked at combat operations with a cross-functional perspective.

"This endeavor was the first time any Air Force organization has traveled to the area of responsibility to capture real-time tactical lessons learned and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures that directly support expeditionary combat support Airmen," said Lt. Col. Wesley Kirk, 422nd JTS commander. "The information we garnered through our discussions and interviews will be used to update pre-deployment training, as well as update existing and identify new and emerging TTPs. We can now ensure all ECS Airmen deploy with the most current training and TTPs that reflect the current fight, minimizing spin-up training once Airmen arrive at their deployed location."

Kirk added that in the current fiscal environment a lot of discussion went into the importance of face-to-face interviews. It was decided that the trip, which directly contributes to vital predeployment training, was important enough to warrant spending unit travel funds on.

"It was important for us to go in person and show Airmen that we truly care about the work they are doing, and not just sitting behind our computers sending them surveys," said Tech. Sgt. Jose Herrera, 422nd JTS.

Capt. Anthony Behney, TTP flight commander for the 422nd JTS, elaborated on the importance of the face-to-face interviews.

"There is a lot going on down range that has never happened before. So if they had tried to explain in just an email, we wouldn't have understood the full scope of what was happening," said Behney. "When you're there in person you can ask them to clarify and say, 'what do you mean?' or 'show me the technology you are using.'"

The small team of 422nd JTS personnel visited with Airmen at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, the Transist Center at Manas in Kyrgyzstan, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and 609th Combined Air and Space Operations Center at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. During the visits they were able to collect information from a variety of combat support career fields including security forces, civil engineering, logistics, intelligence, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

"In talking with the various career fields, we not only gained support for TTPs we are already working, but also found new ideas for future projects as well," Behney said.

According to Behney, the 422nd JTS hopes to travel back to deployment locations at least every six months to continue getting up-to-date information on lessons learned and best practices.

"We want our trips to be based on need, and not just objective numbers," said Behney. "We want to take notifications of when innovative things are happening, and get a small team out there to see it first-hand and document it."

Airmen at all levels and from all units can get involved in the development of future AFTTPs and help improve the way Expeditionary Combat Support Airmen operate. The 422nd JTS has developed a repository where Air Force personnel with access to Air Mobility Command's Enterprise Information Management Site can submit lessons learned from contingency operations directly to this repository.

Tech. Sgt. Aubrey Vasquez, another member of the 422nd JTS team that traveled down range, emphasized the importance of getting more Airmen involved in the information gathering process.

"People need to know and understand that there is a tactical lessons learned process, and it needs to become a part of our Air Force culture," said Vasquez.

To read Maj. Gen. Bender's editorial, please follow this link: http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2012/07/10439399

The lessons learned repository can be found using this link:
https://eim.amc.af.mil/org/afec/ttp/default.aspx

For more information regarding the 422nd JTS and the TTP process, please contact the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs office at (609) 754-7500.