There may not have been a ticker tape parade down Main Street upon his return, but Tech Sgt Tavis DeLaney, returning from Afghanistan, was "blown away" by the incredible support and love he felt from the community saying, “this community has touched my heart.”
"I didn't know anyone here, I really kept to myself, never had time to make friends, so when I came home and found myself the recipient of a great coming home party at Griff's, a welcome home sign on my garage door and applause at my church followed by hugs, I knew I had found my home."
Not believing himself to be a hero, Tavis underplays his role in the four tours he has completed, three in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. He currently holds a Bronze Star and has recently been nominated for a Silver Star. While some may wonder, misguidedly so, at his many tours, he holds true to four rules: patriotism, honor, courage and sacrifice.
Tavis's most recent nomination for the Silver Star stemmed from a 7 hour fire fight in the Hindu Kush mountains near the village of DoAb in Nuristan Province , Afghanistan, with a team of 40 US and 20 Afghan soldiers against an estimated 400 to 500 insurgents hiding in the cavernous mountain range “it was like a battleship in the mountain…the hill was crawling with insurgents.” The local Afghan National Police Commander feared he might be overrun by fighters, intelligence reports supported his claim yet reconnaissance flights proved to be inconclusive. On May 25, 2011 DeLaney and his partner Senior Airman Mike McCaffrey joined a scout platoon from the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment and 20 Afghan soldiers for a three day reconnaissance. Few thought they would be facing an ambush.
As luck would have it, after landing in a hail of bullets the team found themselves pinned down, fire coming at them from three sides, the Afghan soldiers inadvertently became the forward team. Motivating the Afghan soldiers to mobilize or even fight back was a near to impossible feat. As the forward team, it was imperative that they join in the battle. DeLaney drew upon his previous experience as an ETT (Embedded Tactical Trainer) spending 13 months training Afghan troops to help him inspire them to action. Some may say his tactics were a little unethical, but when the Afghan troops saw him hollering and shooting they began to follow suit.
Motivating troops was not his main objective. Outnumbered and exposed, hiding in windowless rock sided animal pens, and with the enemy holding the high ground, it was DeLaney’s job to call in precision air strikes, utilizing force from AH-64 Apaches, OH-58 Kiowas, F/A-18’s and F-15Es.
As part of a highly trained elite team from Washington’s Air National Guard 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, known as JTAC (joint terminal attack controller) Tavis is responsible for calling in air support within a specific area and range. "I had four years of training for this job. And I continue to training so that I am ready at a moments' notice." With his partner McCaffrey, the team calculated airstrike coordinates and dodged enemy fire for 7 hours.
Requesting a show of force, the now nicknamed “Death Star Run” occurred. Pilot Sorenson banked his Strike Eagle into the valley “tipping back and forth through the narrow canyon, speeding, and roaring” not unlike Luke Skywalker. DeLaney realized the air power, including the F-15s dropping all 12 bombs they carried, though making a difference, was not enough. DeLaney sought the ground commander’s permission to drop two “danger close” bombs at 200 yards away and continued to call in more ground support as well as more loaded F-15s and an AC-130 that “pounded the northern ridgeline with 105mm cannons.” Each hit seemed to be like “hitting a hornet’s nest” as the insurgents continued to pour out of the mountain.
13 hours after the initial ambush and 7 hours after Delaney and McCaffrey landed with 40 US troops and 20 Afghan soldiers, the battle was over.
When asked what compelled him to continue under such heavy fire, DeLaney responded, “There was no other answer, if I didn’t do my job that day we would have been in big, big, big trouble.” Though he wasted not once second to praise the pilots, “Those pilots were unbelievable, the air power won the day.”
His last thought at the completion of the interview was simple and well said, “God had my back that day.”
The antenna and equipment make the JTAC a prime enemy target.
The mountainous terrain of the Hindu Kush.
If you would like to personally write a comment to Tavis yet not post on the gazette, the Copper Gazette will forward your letter. Please send the letter to coppergazette@gmail.com , please write Tavis in the subject line.
By, Charity Maness
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