MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. --
Marine Air Support
Squadron 1 and Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 28 put the new,
state-of-the-art MASS-1 Battle Lab to the test by conducting the Direct Air
Support Center and Tactical Air Command Center Drill 3-16 at Marine Corps Air
Station Cherry Point, Feb. 16-19.
MASS-1 conducts DASC
drills frequently as a way to maximize ability to deploy and employability within
the Marine Air Command and Control System.
During the drill,
Marines assessed and shaped MASS-1’s Battle Lab application as continuity of
operations for the Wing Operations Center.
“Prior to the completion
of MASS-1’s Battle Lab, DASC training was dependent on the use of equipment
from various tactical systems subject to the demands of operational tasking,”
said Master Sgt. Clifford H. Bowen, the operations chief with MASS-1. “The Battle Lab provides us with a persistent
Marine Air Command and Control System training venue with
the capability to incorporate advanced C4I [Command, Control, Communications,
Computers and Information] systems.”
In conjunction with
the DASC, Air Support Elements and Air Support
Liaison Teams operate together to maximize mission capabilities by performing
air support control functions and maintaining face-to-face coordination between
the DASC and supporting arms.
“The MASS-1 Battle
Lab is capable of providing a dedicated, continuous training system for MASS-1
and MACG-28 that will enable integration between fellow MACCS agencies,” said
1stLt. Chris K. Hemler, an air support control officer with MASS-1, and
DASC/TACC Drill 3-16 officer in charge. “This will allow for decreased maintenance
demands, consistent training opportunities, and increased readiness for
individual Marines and crews.”
The role of the DASC
includes processing immediate air support requests, integrating aircraft with
other supporting arms, managing terminal control assets, and procedurally
controlling aircraft within its assigned areas.
“A simulated drill is an exceptional training
platform for our Marines in MASS-1, as well as MACG-28,” said Hemler. “These
drills allow us to frame the operational scenario according to our training
audience and commander’s end state. Whether we’re training a junior crew fresh
out of their military occupational specialty school, or a seasoned team
preparing for qualifications and deployments, a simulated drill allows us to
minimize the impact on our equipment and maximize the training value and subsequent
readiness of our Marines and units.”
According to Capt. Waylon Buchan, the air support commander
with MASS-1, the DASC/TACC Drill 3-16 allowed for significant portions of the
MACCS to train in an integrated fashion while simulating the participation of
the rest of the MACCS.
“The MACG fights as an integrated system and it is important
that we train together to become familiar with each agency's higher, adjacent,
and subordinate requirements,” said Buchan. “The DASC/TACC Drill was a pivotal
training evolution that provided high tempo WTI-specific simulations, which
greatly enhanced unit preparations for the DASC and TACC leading up to the
Spring WTI. Additionally, the exercise
established the baseline for future integrated MACCS training evolutions in the
MASS-1 Battle Lab.”
According to Bowen, the
MASS-1 DASC is their weapon system. The facility allows the Marines to train using
the weapon system in a way that exceeds the squadron’s past training
capabilities.
“DASC/TACC Drill 3-16
marks the first exercise in which MASS-1 is employing its Common Aviation
Command and Control System (CAC2S) Phase I within the MASS-1 Battle Lab,” said MSgt
Bowen. “Additionally, the squadron is training to their ability to conduct echelon
operations by conducting a transition from the garrison Battle Lab to a
tactical DASC site in order to continue to meet the expeditionary demands of the
DASC mission.”