LAKE CORMORTANT, Miss. -- In March 2026, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) specialists from the 284th Air Support Operations Squadron participated in an advanced weapons training course at the Mid-South Institute of Combat Shooting in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi.
The high-intensity, high-round-count program challenged Special Warfare Airmen through progressively complex live-fire scenarios designed to sharpen speed, accuracy, and decision-making under pressure.
Training evolved from fundamental marksmanship into advanced tactical applications, including close-quarters battle (CQB), small unit tactics (SUT), vehicle interdiction, and mobile platform engagements. Operators were required to rapidly transition between multiple weapons systems across dynamic and unpredictable engagements.
Scenarios incorporated realistic combat stressors, forcing participants to integrate movement, communication, and fires while executing care under fire and casualty management in contested environments.
Scenarios further included mobile platform engagements, placing operators in moving vehicles to engage targets while adapting to speed, terrain, and rapidly changing engagement windows. This approach reinforced the ability to fight, move, and treat simultaneously—skills critical to survival and mission success on the modern battlefield.
"This course reinforced our ability to operate in complex, high-threat environments," said Staff Sgt. Henry Castagnetta, joint terminal attack controller, 284th ASOS. "Integrating CQB, small unit tactics, and care under fire during live-fire scenarios builds the confidence and proficiency we need to fall in on any joint force operation."
The course culminated in high-tempo iterations and night operations under blackout conditions and night vision devices, enhancing combat effectiveness in low-light and degraded environments. Throughout the training, TACP operators refined close-quarters weapons handling, increased confidence in their systems, and elevated overall performance standards.
This training directly enhances the squadron’s lethality and readiness, ensuring TACPs remain prepared to effectively operate in joint force operations across contested environments.