What is a Forward
Air Controller?
|
A Forward Air Controller, often referred to as a FAC, is a specially trained and qualified pilot. The FAC flys his aircraft in the immediate area of friendly ground forces for the support purposes of reconnaissance and delivery of air ordinance when requested by ground commanders. Just about any type aircraft can be used for FAC operations. However, the Night Rustic FACs were given the Cessna O-2A, the civilian version of which was the Skymaster 337 (see O-2 picture on the home page). The
night FAC was the O-2 aircraft commander and directed each fighter’s
ordinance drops, adjusting the target from each previously dropped bomb. From time to time, the FAC would fire one
of seven carried 2.75” folding fin White Phosphorus rockets from his O-2 onto
the target for marking purposes to the jet fighters. Upon striking the ground, the “Willy Pete”
(nickname) rocket would produce a puff of smoke from the burning phosphorus
and the FAC would then instruct the fighters to “Hit my smoke” with their
bombs or machine guns. As on-scene
battle commander, the FAC had to give clearance to each fighter for each bomb
delivery or strafing run. That
command to the fighter pilots was “Cleared in hot”, meaning they were
approved to expend their ordinance precisely as directed by the FAC. |
What is a
Rustic?
|
If a
Cambodian Army ground commander came under attack from the enemy and needed help
in the form of close air support, he would radio a Rustic in the area. The call sign for the FAC mission over
Cambodia was assigned as “Rustic” and since a different aircraft and
different Rustic pilot group flew our area of operation in the daytime, our
group became known as the Night Rustics. The Night Rustic would immediately proceed to the commander’s location from map coordinates given to him by the commander over the radio. Enroute, the FAC would radio in an order for some jet fighters or gun ships to help halt the ground attack against the friendly troops. As soon as the Rustic FAC would arrive over the target, he would drop one of his four carried 3 million candlepower flares to illuminate the target. The FAC would then begin to plan the air attack based on more information exactly where the friendlies were and where the enemy position was. Often
times at night, the firefight in the jungle could be seen by the FAC, and
even more often, the FAC aircraft was fired upon by the enemy as well. This became very obvious when colored
tracer bullets streaked through the sky toward the aircraft. About this time, the flight of jet
fighters would be calling the FAC to “check in” for action. Taking
on his designated job as the on-scene battle commander, the FAC would then
obtain the ordinance types that each fighter carried, carefully decide which
types to use in order to not accidentally drop a bomb on the friendlies,
brief the fighter pilots on the situation and plan of attack. Since the TIC (troops in contact) were in
such close proximity to the enemy attackers, precision, planning, and
execution became critical as it was the sole responsibility of the FAC to
avoid a “short round”, or “friendly fire” accident. If that wasn’t enough of a challenge, the O-2 Rustics did it in
the dark!! No GPS in 1970….everything
was plotted by hand on maps and viewed out the window with Starlight
scopes. Because of the added
difficulty of darkness, a second FAC qualified Rustic pilot was placed on
each night mission as a Starlight scope observer, map coordinates plotter,
and radio liaison with the ground commander during the attack. |
