Former Air Force Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller/Tactical Air Control Party here (ETAC in an TACP) and I've posted a few of my assorted tales here & there, but since it's my cake day, and I mentioned this in passing elsewhere....it's a good time to share.

After finding out I was making SSgt I got to go to the field for an exercise and this was pretty much my first time being more than "just" the ROMAD (Radio Operator and Driver)......pretty much some ETAC On the Job Training (OJT).

Had a few days of battle out at Hohenfels, nothing remarkable, but I remember one fine, crisp Saturday morning where we had nothing going on. I hear some jet noise......uh oh, that can't be good. No worries, here comes SGT ADA......

"Hey Air Force!" Yes, we were all-to-often referred to by our branch of service.....

"We're doing a good job not shooting down your F-16!" SGT ADA proclaims to me, and a lesser extent based on his volume, the rest of the TOC (Command Center).

I walk to the door flap of the TOC and flop it open wide to see a Tornado doing a slow fly-by like the pilots working some fricken airshow. I already know we don't have any aircraft because I'd be out getting supervised control (OJT).

"Hey SGT......see that German flag on the tail there? <pointing>.....yeah....Fritz....Fritz doesn't fly the F-16!......and we're all dead now."

That was the day I learned.....really learned, the difference between Weapons Free, Weapons Tight, and Weapons Hold....and that I damned well better make sure the ADA guys knew when I had A/C inbound.*

​

​

​

*This was always a problem for me at HoHo. We tried all kinds of things, like any & all aircraft before noon would be friendly and afternoon would be enemy, but ADA couldn't ensure their guys knew what time it was (I shit you not, that was the response I got!).

​