Stronger, Faster, Bigger; MTACS-28, 2nd MAW try out Marine Corps' new tent system
Marine Corps News
Release Date: 8/21/2003
Story by PFC. Sarah M. Hickey
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. (Aug. 21, 2003) -- Through the early morning haze, Marines appear. Moving in groups of two and three they converge in the center of the dewy open field. There is an eerie silence to the group, and a sense of purpose. They are here to do a job.
When the sun is high overhead, there is a large cluster of conjoined tents in the place of the once-vacant field. Movement has ceased and the area appears abandoned. Only the mechanical hum of several generators belies the presence of the Tactical Air Command Center comfortably instated inside.
The TACC had moved in to the field between the base bowling alley and the commanding general's building for several. "We're on a quest to be better our efficiency because of the recent world events," said 1st Lt. Timothy C. Stepan.
"Operations like these help us to train our battle staff for any continuing operations," said Sgt. Karl W. Randall. "We can also use them to get people over here to see and understand what we're all about."
"We're also demonstrating our new Base Ex tents for the first time," said Stepan. The new Base Ex tent is unique, providing roughly 1,129.5 square feet of more room, under its domed top, compared to the previous expeditionary TACC tent, which boasted only 3,100 square feet of space.
"These tents improve expeditionary set up time, as well as being easier to move. They also provide increased square footage from the old tents."
The TACC is not only, however, demonstrating its newfound resources. "In a battlefield situation, we are involved in the coordination of air support," said Randall. "We have to keep these skills in practice, or we'll forget them. It's almost like speaking a foreign language."
"The purpose of a TACC in a combat situation would be to provide the wing commanding general with his tactical command center," said Lt. Col. Alan M. Pratt, commanding officer of Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 28.
The different sections within the TACC are practicing and rehearsing their various duties. The current operations section inside the TACC ensures that the hypothetical operations are executed as planned, or that changes are made to the plan as needed. The command center section makes mock calls to the agencies that control air support, coordinating the scenario operations. Finally, the future operations section plans and coordinates hypothetical future situations.
The TACC will remain in the field between the bowling alley and the commanding generals building for three weeks, before moving on to another simulated exercise, Pegasus Flight. It is exercises like these, in the fields of Cherry Point that will keep the Marine Corps prepared for mission accomplishment abroad.
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