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My name is Eric Hohman, I was an Air Force Combat Controller and now am the founder and president of the First There Foundation. I left the Combat Control teams in 2013 and began what would turn out to be a difficult transition. Even though thousands of programs exist for veterans, none of them knew what a Combat Controller was or what they do, thus their physical and mental health protocols were ineffective. In April 2020, my first supervisor and teammate, Chris “AZ” Rush, took his own life after only six months of leaving the Combat Control teams.
The First There Foundation is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit which was founded to combat suicide among teammates and establish an extension of the team room where Controllers can find refuge amid the difficulty of civilian life. Educating the public and bringing awareness of our contributions on the battlefield will aid in garnering us the recognition that has eluded us for far too long. First There continues to build a strong support network that connects Controllers to trusted mental health providers, career guidance professionals, substance abuse treatments, and physical therapy.
Combat Controllers have been part of every major U.S Special Operation Forces (SOF) engagement since the inception of the CCT program in January 1953. Unfortunately, we remain relatively unknown to the public. Combat Controllers (CCTs) have been responsible for saving the lives of Green Berets, Rangers, SEALs, and Coalition SOF teams. Controllers have been vital in highly publicized conflicts such as Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Black Hawk Down, Robert’s Ridge, Captain Phillips, Bin Laden’s raid, Iraq, Afghanistan, and countless “black operations.” Combat Control’s role in peacetime has been invaluable, especially after natural disasters like the Haiti earthquake which devastated the entire country. Combat Controllers were “First There,” controlling air traffic without a tower or radar, ensuring aircraft could deliver thousands of pounds of vital supplies to a ravaged country. We have remained true to the warrior ethos of “silent professionalism,” and after all those missions, as well as 22 years of fighting in Afghanistan, we are still unknown to the American people. In fact, in 2004, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, “some 85 percent of the air strikes in Operation Enduring Freedom were called in by Air Force Combat Controllers”. Combat Controllers after 9/11 were awarded:
1 - Medal of Honor 37 - Silver Stars 605+ ≈ -Bronze Stars
9 - Air Force Crosses 200+ ≈ -Bronze Stars w/ Valor 90+ ≈ - Purple Hearts
In 2022, our first year of operation, we helped 29 members of our Combat Control community, which consist of current and former operators and their immediate family, as well as our Goldstar family members (the family of our CCT fallen). Some of the aid we provided last year looked like covering travel, food, and lodging costs for mental health retreats, helping a teammate with a vehicle bill while he attended a substance abuse program, and purchasing a garbage disposal for a Goldstar mother’s kitchen sink. Our vision is that First There will take the shape of a teammate, brother, husband, or father, whenever a need arises.
Any in-kind item the Dallas Cowboys send will be greatly appreciated. However, I truly need your help educating the public about Combat Control, and what we have done for our great nation. Perhaps honoring Combat Controllers at home games when you see fit would be amazing.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
Eric Hohman
