Army professionals would not deploy to a combat theater without air support in general. America’s air power and command of the air enable ground forces to accomplish their objectives while protecting US troops. Combat on the ground is chaotic and confusing which extends to tactical air problems that must be recognized and solved in seconds by combat air crews to engage enemies and protect friendly forces. That’s where forward air controllers (FAC), both ground and airborne come in. When ground commanders want enemy targets serviced, it is critical that pilots of combat aircraft have situational awareness, and critical direction in the air to strike their targets while avoiding tragedy and disaster.
Eagles Overhead is a superb historical overview of FAC from initial air concepts in World War I through World War II Korea, Vietnam, Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Matt Dietz describes air ground integration (AGI) in detail, and the heroic contributions that FAC made over our military history that were decisive in battle. He additionally highlights the selfless work of enterprising pilots and airmen that use AGI to enable effective/efficient combat operations solving tactical problems at the lowest levels. Dietz is also critical of the US Air Force (USAF) and Army in specific instances with respect to FAC. He laments shortsighted approaches and parochial attitudes toward AGI that have both services relearning tactical lessons and the need for FAC. The historical approach of the services exacerbates the problems created when FACs are not available, the training requirements to establish and maintain FAC proficiency, and the lack of institutional will to maintain the capability in terms of training aircraft/aircrew dedicated to this specific mission.
The author holds a PhD, is a retired USAF colonel, an F15E instructor pilot, and is head of the history department at the USAF Academy in Colorado. He has logged over 2,500 flight hours and was the USAF director of operations for US Central Command.
Eagles Overhead is an exhaustively researched work with over six hundred citations ranging from Rand studies, archives, scholarly articles from joint, USAF and Army publications, memoirs and historical works. Dietz’s work captures the heroic feats and pioneering spirit of FAC from the early application of airpower in World War I, to the Rover Joes of World War II, Mosquitoes of Korea through Vietnam to the present day.
While the book is well researched, the author does give an overly simplistic definition and use of the fire support coordination line, the framework of deep areas. Also, while he mentions USAF air support operations centers and squadrons, he does not mention the Joint Air Ground Integration Center technique that the services have implemented to ensure AGI is supporting Army targeting efforts.
Eagles Overhead is recommended for field artillery officers, aviators, air defense officers, tactical air control parties/air liaison officers/joint terminal attack controllers, and US Army maneuver officers interested in historical challenges to air ground integration from a USAF perspective. Historians, scholars and warfighters will enjoy this fantastic work. Eagles Overhead is also recommended to USAF and Army military force managers who are building the future joint force structure.