Air Force JTAC Reveals Why Special Operators Can’t Fight Without Air Support  | Ep 306

About this video

Mike Ritland interviews Conan Higgins, a former Air Force TACP/JTAC who also served as a state trooper and SWAT operator. Higgins recounts his unconventional path into special operations—leaving the Air Force Academy after three years to enlist—and details his experiences as a joint terminal attack controller coordinating air support for ground forces. The conversation explores his childhood in Maine, early military training alongside notable operators, his first duty station at Fort Lewis, and the crucial role JTACs play on the battlefield.

Key takeaways

• Higgins describes leaving the Air Force Academy to enlist and pursue the TACP career field, a decision he attributes to wanting fieldwork over administrative roles despite family opposition
• According to Higgins, JTACs serve as the link between ground commanders and air assets, advising on capabilities, assisting in planning, and controlling strikes—a role he considers among the most important on the battlefield
• Higgins credits his upbringing in Maine—including hard labor jobs arranged by his father and time in the wilderness—with teaching self-reliance, consequences for poor choices, and the value of testing oneself physically

Episode details: published August 25, 2026 · 84.4K views · 3:21:56 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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