OKINAWA, JAPAN -- U.S. Marines with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, train with Master Sgt. Tomoya Tasaki, a fire support coordination chief with Fire Leading Company, Field Artillery Battalion, Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, who made history recently by becoming the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s first member to become a Joint Terminal Attack Controller Instructor.
A JTAC is a Tactical Air Control Party specialty that coordinates, integrates, and directs combat aircraft engaged in close air support and other offensive air support. TACP Marines provide the operating forces with highly proficient personnel capable of executing air control in joint and multinational combat and contingency operations.
In June 2023, Tasaki completed the TACP course at U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific, becoming the first enlisted Japanese JTAC. This put him on a path to effectively lead JTAC and Joint Fires Observer trainees during all phases of JTAC training.
The rigorous five-week course taught by EWTG-PAC based at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California, evaluates students on the high standards of technical skills, radio skills, and TACP equipment to certify JTACs.
“I want to contribute to joint fires operations and support future Japanese JTACs,” says Tasaki.
Tasaki volunteered to become a JTAC Instructor through the Marine Corps curriculum and aims to guide future students who go through EWTG-PAC to maintain their qualifications. Tasaki has worked with 5th ANGLICO for five years, regularly training with the Marines on call-for-fire missions and CAS. On February 20, 2024, Tasaki was officially designated as a JTAC-I.
5th ANGLICO Conducts TACP Training with JGSDF
Photo by Cpl. Kira Ducato
U.S. Marines with 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Master Sgt. Tomoya Tasaki and Sgt. 1st Class Akira Wada with Fire Leading Company, Field Artillery Battalion, Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, pose for a group photo after a tactical air control party training event on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, December 15, 2023. 5th ANGLICO trained with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force service members to enhance their partnership and force capabilities. TACP enables Marines to control and operate air space, plan and execute fire missions, and engage enemy forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kira Ducato)
JTAC Evaluators must be present to supervise JTACs during their instructor training phase. Capt. Eric C. Pak, a Weapons Tactics Instructor and JTAC Evaluator at 5th ANGLICO, and Gunnery Sgt. Charles Lister, a platoon sergeant and JTAC-E at 5th ANGLICO, regularly supervised Tasaki on CAS employment in support of ground scheme of maneuvers.
“5th ANGLICO is the biggest counterpart to our Fire Leading Company. In the past, we did not have JTAC support in my home unit, the ARDB. Thankfully, I graduated EWTG-PAC and I can now control Japanese and U.S. aircraft,” Tasaki explains.
EWTG-PAC provides instruction in the tactics, techniques, and doctrine of expeditionary warfare to U.S. forces and NATO allies. The TACP course focuses on air and surface fires in support of joint and combined commands.
5th ANGLICO partners with the JGSDF to be organized, trained, and equipped to execute a wide range of military operations. The recent addition to the International Memorandum of Agreement of the TACP program requires the JGSDF to maintain a resident TACP capability with a certain number of JTACs to adequately support fires support team capabilities.
More members of the JGSDF are slated to attend the resident TACP at EWTG-PAC, leading to a better trained and more lethal combined force.