00517321 2-9914-1A UNCLASSIFIED 2438762 01-01-1965 2440222 12-31-1968 2440253 01-31-1969

PACIFIC AIR FORCES

K717.0413-45 V.1 VOL I OF III 18892 K7224 695 768 51 2451550 01-06-2000 REPORT DISCUSSES THE ROLE OF THE FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER (FAC) IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (SEA). ALSO INCLUDES DISCUSSION ON THE FUNCTION OF THE GROUND FAC AND THE DUTIES HE PERFORMS. THE FAC BECAME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AIRPOWER IN THE CONFLICT. REVIEWS THE ARMY LIAISON OFFICER (ALO)/FAC/STRIKE CONTROL AND RECONNAISSANCE (SCAR) SYSTEM, ORGANIZATION, MANNING, AND TRAINING. OUTLINES NEW PROPOSALS AND INNOVATIONS PERTAINING TO ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND SEEKS BETTER WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THE ACCEPTED FAC PROCESS. 504 TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT GROUP (TASG) WAS THE PARENT ORGANIZATION FOR ALL FACs ASSIGNED TO SOUTHEAST ASIA. THEATER INDOCTRINATION SCHOOL (TIS) WAS INSTITUTED TO FAMILIARIZE FORWARD AIR CONTROLLERS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. FAC WAS ASSIGNED TO FACILITATE EFFECTIVE CLOSE AIR SUPPORT FOR THE SURFACE FORCES. CLOSE AIR SUPPORT MISSIONS WERE THOSE DIRECTED AGAINST HOSTILE TARGETS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF FRIENDLY FORCES; VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEM. FAC PARTICIPATED IN LANDING ZONE (LZ) PREPARATION, ROAD CONVOY ESCORT, SUPPORT OF TROOPS IN CONTACT, AND PRESTRIKE TROOP AIRLIFT COVER. SHORT ROUNDS, CHECO REPORTS, BECAME REQUIRED READING FOR ALL PILOTS, NAVIGATORS, ALO/FACs, AND WEAPONS CONTROLLERS ASSIGNED TO 7 AIR FORCE UNITS. FACs IN SOUTH VIETNAM (SVN) WERE TRAINED TO CONTROL CLOSE AIR SUPPORT STRIKES FROM THE GROUND. AIR-GROUND OPERATIONS SCHOOL, HURLBURT FIELD, FL, UTILIZED F- 4C, A-1E, F-100, AND F-105 AIRCRAFT. TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT SUBSYSTEM PUBLISHED SHOWING THAT FACs ASSIGNED TO BATTALION LEVEL MOVED WITH THEM AND PERFORMED MAINLY THE AIR LIAISON FUNCTION. OPERATION HARVEST MOON, A COMBINED UNITED STATES MARINE-ARVN ACTION IN SONG LY VALLEY OF QUANG TIN PROVINCE. STRIKE CONTROL AND RECONNAISSANCE (SCAR) WAS CONCERNED WITH AN INTERDICTION ROLE IN SUPPORT OF AIR FORCE REQUIREMENTS FOR SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE, TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE, ACQUIRE TARGETS, AND PROVIDE AIRSTRIKE CONTROL. SCAR PROVIDED VISUAL CAPABILITY TO DETECT AND IDENTIFY FLEETING AND LOW-RESOLUTION TARGETS WITHIN A SPECIFIED GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, AND CALLED FOR AND DIRECTED STRIKES AGAINST THESE TARGETS. NONE DIRECTORATE, TACTICAL EVALUATION INCLUDES ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS