Visual Friendlies, Tally Target: How Close Air Support in the War on Terror Changed the Way America Made War: Volume I - Invasions

In the early 21st century, the American military faced a new type of conflict: low-intensity warfare in both rural and urban environments against terrorist networks and military rivals. The Global War on Terror became defined by close air support (CAS) operations at unprecedented scale. Forward Air Controllers and Tactical Air Control Party (TAC Ps) members were deployed from the war's beginning, directing airstrikes, protecting friendly forces and civilians, and achieving significant results with limited resources. This volume documents the experiences of the first TAC Ps deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq during the initial five years of the War on Terror. It examines how close air support became a fundamental warfighting tool and how these operations reshaped American military strategy and capability. The book presents accounts from those who served in these roles on the front lines of the conflict.