Engaged vs. supporting.

No fighter pilot ever flies a combat mission solo. \Ve always fly as a teamwith our wingmen, who provide mutual support and m<Lximizeour ability to accomplish our objectives. It's impossible to win solo because so much needs to get done in a rapidly changing environment, and the missions are extremely complex. In order to e:\l1loit the advantages of a unified team, we assign roles and responsibilities, train accordingly, and finally, hold each other accountable! For example, during an air to ground "engagement" when seeking to eliminate a ground target (power station, bridge, etc.), there is ;/llI'ays an engaged fighter pjJot and a sllp/XJrring fighter pilot. The engaged fighter: _ acquires the target _ sets up the geometry for the "attack," and _ dispenses ordnance. The supporting fighter: _ monitors fuel state _ keeps track of emergency airfields _ listens on the radio for intelligence updates, and _ "clears" the area for enemy aircraft or ground threats. MutlJal support is the key here. The engaged fighter must be focused on one thing and one thing only: the Target! The supporting fighter allows him/her to stay focused on the target by preventing distractions (i.e., enemy fighters) and helps to maintain and build situational awareness ("SA"). For if the engaged fighter loses focus of the target, even for a split second, the mission could faiL That's why we have a saying in the fighter pilot world: !.J.E ~jght, lose fight! This whole process is choreographed and rehearsed during the most critical phase of the planning process-the mission briefing. It is during the briefing when objectives are established, roles are assigned, and contingency plans (the whatifs) are made. lvlore often than not, a great briefing leads to a great mission. Let's expand on Situational Awareness. SA is fighter pilots' ability to know where they and their \\~ngmen are at any given time, and all the variables that affect the accomplishment of the mission (weather, location of threats, altitude/airspeed, fuel state, location of emergency airfields, ete.) The higher your SA, the better your ability to make mission-critical decisions when