Afghanistan creates unique environment for controllers of the sky

CAMP LEATHERNECK, AFGHANISTAN

08.14.2012

Courtesy Story

Regional Command Southwest

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – The skies over Afghanistan are more congested than ever. The air space is flooded with civilian, coalition and U.S. military assets, to include a flux of unmanned aerial vehicles.

That’s where the Direct Air Support Center comes in.
The DASC, the control agency within Marine Air Support Squadron 3, provides control and coordination of all aircraft operating in the skies. Their mission is to provide essentially 911 for the troops forward. If servicemembers need a MedEvac or close air support, they call the DASC.

“(Controllers) utilize our networks to talk to other agencies, or talk to the actual aircraft that are going to be either going into the air space or they’re deconflicting air space so the aircraft do not run into each other on their missions,” said Sgt. Alan Perez, an aviation communication subsystem technician with MASS-3.

As the communication hub, maintaining continuous operations means the difference between life and death on the battlefield.
Perez, a Bakersfield, Calif., native, said that ensuring the equipment is mission ready comes with its own challenges.

“We’ve had two power failures that crippled our systems. But due to my technicians, we were able to get them up without interrupting DASC operations,” said Perez confidently.

“The ground forces rely on the DASC to provide close air support. The fact that they’re able to keep in contact with the birds even if we have a power failure (is vital) because I know they need it.”

This kind of superior support means the controllers and operators of the DASC are never deaf to the needs of entrenched service members.

One of the most tangible accomplishments of the DASC is the ability to deconflict rockets and cannons along with other aircraft in the battlespace. These are critical assets for the infantry or ground combat element. The measures need to be deconflicted in less than 10 minutes, the DASC is able to do this in three.

“Again, that speaks to the fact that we are part of the Marine air wing by every accord,” said Maj. Justin Sanders, the detachment commander for MASS-3 and West Lafayette, Ind., native. “We live and breathe and routinely deploy with the ground combat element, the division, the regiment. This is a very personal role and it means a lot to us to be able to do that quickly for them.”

One of the most important jobs the DASC technicians have out here is to ensure they can remedy a problem before it even happens.

“They’re constantly monitoring the nets, they’re looking for anomalies,” said Master Sgt. Matheu McCool, senior enlisted advisor for MASS-3 and Corpus Christie, Texas, native. “They’re trying to identify faults before they become failures. If we get a call from the crew saying that a net is offline and it was in fact something that we missed, we failed. If we can’t get the operator talking within five minutes, we have a problem.”

“The direct air support center, we’re not well known. But the ground side, the 03 side, we’re the ones they talk to,” said Perez. “We just want them to know that we are there for them and we do have their backs, in essence. Those that are on the ground, even though we are on this base, we know our mission and we know our role, and we are here to make sure that they get home alive.”

• Date Taken: 08.14.2012
• Date Posted: 08.14.2012 00:52
• Story ID: 93154
• Location: CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF