5/15/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced Joint Base San Antonio -- Lackland, Texas, and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., as candidate bases for the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Air Liaison Officer (ALO) School.
The candidate bases were approved by Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz.
Recent and current operations have created an increase in demand for TACPs to support Army units. The current TACP/ALO School at Hurlburt Field, Fla., lacks adequate facilities and ranges to train the required number of TACP Airmen.
Headquarters Air Education and Training Command will begin conducting detailed, on-the-ground evaluations of the candidate bases covering a range of operational and infrastructure requirements. The results of the surveys will be briefed to the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff, who will then select both a preferred and reasonable location for this mission.
"The Air Force uses a deliberate, repeatable and transparent process to address our basing needs," said Kathleen Ferguson, Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary for Installations. "These candidate bases will be analyzed to determine which location will best host this mission."
Air Force TACPs act as the battlefield liaison between ground forces and aircraft overhead. They generally support Army maneuver units and direct close air support firepower toward enemy targets on the ground. The ALO supports intermediate Army tactical ground units and functions as the primary advisor to the ground commander on air and space.
Based on the results of these efforts, officials expect to announce the preferred and reasonable locations in the summer of 2012 and the final decision after potential environmental impacts are analyzed.
Comments
5/16/2012 3:32:57 PM ET Train like you fight. Set these boys up at Cannon AFB NM. Already AFSOC and they can use the Melrose Range
Ret Sarge, Ohio
5/16/2012 11:06:17 AM ET What kind of Range space does either of them have in comparison to Eielson
Arctic Warrior, Colorado
5/16/2012 9:45:59 AM ET Hurlburt Field simply cannot support the number of students we need to train inorder to meet or numbers. The base has done a great job of supporting our AETC operation when they can but it's seldom enough. The range space we use is adequate now but when we increase our classes it won't be. We already dominate every aspect of everywhere we go through our numbers here in the future we'll only swamp Hurlburt Field's ability to support anything we do. I don't like it either but it's for the best.
Is a TACP Hurby, Hurburt Field
5/16/2012 8:21:38 AM ET Are you kidding me this oozes politics. They have updated the TACP schoolhouse and other AFSOTC facilites in the past year. What kind of range space does Keesler have compared to Eglin
Not a TACP, Hurby
5/16/2012 8:16:09 AM ET There is more range space at Keesler than Hurlburt What Have these folks been to these two bases
