United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party

U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party
United States Air Force TACP Flash with Crest
Country United States of America
Branch United States Air Force
Sizeapprox. 1100
Part ofAir Combat Command
U.S. Air Forces Europe
Pacific Air Forces
Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR)
Motto(s)
  • Official: "The Strong Shall Stand, The Weak Will Fall by the Wayside"

Other mottos:

  • "Death on Call"
  • "Wreak Havoc"
  • "Air to Mud"
  • "Advise, Assist, Control"
Color of Beret  Black
Insignia
TACP and TACP-O black beret
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.

A United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party, commonly abbreviated TACP, is an individual or team of United States Air Force Special Warfare Airmen with AFSC 1Z3X1, who are aligned with conventional, Special Operation Forces, and Tier 1 combat maneuver units. They provide precision terminal attack control and terminal attack guidance of U.S. and coalition fixed- and rotary-wing close air support aircraft, artillery, and naval gunfire; establish and maintain command and control (C2) communications; and advise ground commanders on the best use of air power.[1]

TACPs are Special Warfare airmen who operate in multiple contexts. 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. In special operations settings, TACPs deploy with "white" SOF units, including Air Force Special Tactics, Army Special Forces, and Navy SEAL teams, as well with Army Rangers and Joint Special Operations Command Special Mission Units, acting primarily as precision airstrike controllers, communications, and command-and-control experts.

  1. ^ "Tactical Air Control Party Specialist (TACP)". U.S Air Force. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  2. ^ Memorandum of Agreement Between the United States Air Force and the United States Army for the Exchange of Liaisons, 31 March 2011.