Czech forward air controllers conduct exchange with Texas Airmen Published April 22, 2016 By 1st Lt. Alicia Lacy 147th Reconnaissance Wing, Texas Air National Guard GILA BEND, Ariz. -- About two dozen tactical air control party members from the 147th Air Support Operations Squadron, 147th Reconnaissance Wing, Texas Air National Guard, and four Czech forward air controllers completed a full-mission profile April 16, 2016, in Gila Bend, Arizona, for an annual National Guard State Partnership Program exchange. The Texas National Guard has been paired with the Czech Republic since 1993 and has completed hundreds of engagements in the U.S. and in the Czech Republic to support the security cooperation objectives of the U.S. European Command commander. For this year's exercise, the battlefield Airmen were able to mimic a cradle-to-grave, full squadron deployment, combining all war-fighting elements from ground skills to air skills and close air support training with live fire. Read Full Story >>