WEBVTT

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- My job today was being a
JTAC (i) under evaluation,

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provide a scenario to
Lance Corporal Frames,

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and Master Sergeant to give them,

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there's a specific
syllabus that we fall under

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in the TACP room.

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For this case,

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he had to do a forward
air controller integration

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as well as a video down link
code that he had to accomplish.

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But also at the same time,

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we were able to conduct cas
evac for Master Sergeant.

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It wasn't very dynamic,

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but it was just a good
understanding for a JTAC

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that is not currently designated,

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and it's just helping
them progress into their,

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career as a JTAC.

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So a JTAC, stands for Joint
Terminal Attack Controllers.

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the ability itself gives you the authority

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to route any aircraft into
an objective area in AAO,

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as well as give them that
clearance of authority

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to drop any ordinance,
rounds or of the sorts

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in an area of objective.

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We maintain what's called

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a stack, brief, mark and
control with the aircraft,

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and we give them any situational
awareness building assets

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in the scenarios or real life events.

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A call-for-fire is with
indirect fire assets,

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whether it be Naval surface
fires, artillery or mortars.

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In this situation, we did not employ

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any indirect fire assets all
of it was just air to surface,

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close air support assets being
utilized in the scenario.

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So in this scenario,

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we were working as a smaller
platoon in fifth ANGLICO

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and our unit specially we attach out

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to foreign coalition forces,

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but per this scenario, being
that the JTAC under evaluation

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is from 312 where they're more familiar

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with the infantry battalions

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in the United States Marine Corps.

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The scenario was more
developed towards him

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working in that infantry battalion asset,

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where he was attached with a small team

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and they were working
off an observation post.

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The differences between the
DVT is in a virtual environment

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as towards the field.

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There are many things that, restrict us,

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especially out here in Okinawa, Japan,

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with aircraft that we wouldn't be able

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to do in a virtual environment.

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One good example is we're unable
to use any live UAS assets,

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out in Okinawa being that
the drone restrictions.

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In a virtual environment,

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you have that ability to
build any asset that you need

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for any scenario at any given time.

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It gives you that good,
think outside the box mindset

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and whoever is building that scenario,

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it's all up to them to ,it's
literally just them building

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whatever they think
would benefit that JTAC

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or JFO or team itself for this
whole, scenario environment.

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So most of the times we do,

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leave Island to go and control aircraft

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or do our actual MOS and
maintain our currency as JTACs .

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When we're unable to do so

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because of the restrictions with COVID,

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we can actually use the
virtual training environment

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and still maintain the
majority of our currency.

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But they are still
limitations to it as well,

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being that some of our
T&R syllabus requires us

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to control live aircraft,

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but we still do our best
to maintain currency

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and we make the best out of

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this virtual training environment.

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Being that planning for aircraft

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and having aircraft work for us,

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it's a much larger process
than most people think

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either as many planning meetings

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actually having to ensure
that those squadrons

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that we're going to try to
utilize have the time and space

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for the availability for us.

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In these situations, with the
virtual training environment,

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this is all up to the evaluator

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or whoever's building the scenario,

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whatever they wanna think about

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whatever time on stations they wanna think

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off for the aircraft,

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they have the capability to do so here

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without any restrictions
and as well as being able

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to change the environment to
enhance the team's readiness

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in the fire support realm,

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as well as the cath-centric environment.

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So the utilization of the
DVT training today was for

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JTAC under the T&R syllabus,

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who is not designated yet.

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He had to accomplish three
codes out of 24 codes.

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In this situation we
just gave him a scenario

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where it would force him essentially to

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do these certain T&R
codes that would allow him

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to log them into McTims and
progress his designation.

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I would say for the overall
fire support community,

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the DVT is a great asset that we use,

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with the updating
software of the VBS three,

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we can signet, we have
more capability to do more

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and it's not just the basic scenarios

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that back in a couple of years ago

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that most of the fire
support marines are used to

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there's more availability
to accomplish more

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and to develop more scenarios,
more dynamic scenarios

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for teams to improve on their skills

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compared to actually just being

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in a live aircraft environment.

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There you have a select amount
of time with that aircraft.

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Once it checks off,

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it's just simulating that
new section and coming in,

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but for a virtual environment, it's just,

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like I said before, it's all up to the man

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or woman developing the scenario

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and how fast they can make
that environment for them.