Visual Friendlies, Tally Target: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War: Volume I - Invasions

“Brown has taken an incredibly complex subject and made it accessible and readable, all while retaining the gravity of history and the sheer intensity of these battlefields. Airpower became a fundamental warfighting tool in the Global War on Terror, and its success depended on the community of JTACs whose experiences populate this important work. They are the unsung heroes of the post-9/11 wars America needs to meet.” ― David L. Goldfein, General (Ret.), USAF, 21st Chief of StaffWith a new century and a new enemy came a new kind of war: low intensity and civilian-dominated, blending austere rural and dense urban environments alike. Into this new kind of war, the American military launched two invasions against terrorist networks and military rivals, relying on airpower—close air support (CAS)—at a scale never before seen in combat.The Global War on Terror was the “CAS war.” Forward Air Controllers were on the front lines from the very first moments of the war, directing airstrikes against enemies in their safe havens, safeguarding friendly forces and civilians alike to their utmost, and achieving unprecedented success with limited resources. This volume captures the heroic accounts of the first Tactical Air Control Party (TACPs) in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how Close Air Support fundamentally reshaped the American war machine in the first five years of the War on Terror.Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPART I: RetributionAfghanistan: 2001–20031 Into the graveyard of empires2 Ancient roads to a New War3 Rearranging God’s furniture4 Know thine enemyPART II: A New World WarIraq: 20035 The Pivot6 Shock and Awe7 Chasing Saddam8 Dragging a nation out of a warPart III: Evolving the MachineTwo distinct Wars: 2004-20069 Building a global architecture.10 In Iraq's shadow11 Rebuilding in ashes12 Digitally aided Close Air SupportAfterword: Scratching the surface Read more