Guard Dogs control the skies

GULFPORT, MS, UNITED STATES

11.02.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Scott Tynes 

Joint Force Headquarters - Mississippi National Guard

GULFPORT, Miss. - – From a small, darkened room in an Operations Module illuminated only by radar screens, the 255th Air Control Squadron, Mississippi Air National Guard, controls the skies above the Gulf Coast and directs air-to-air combat during Exercise Southern Strike 16.

“It’s not very often we get this level of air battles,” said Maj. Zoran Whelan, air-battle manager for the 255th Guard Dogs. “We see it in (simulations), but having live control and interaction is something that can’t be simulated.”

Exercise Southern Strike 16 is a total force, multi-service training exercise hosted by the Mississippi Air National Guard's Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Miss., from Oct. 26 through Nov. 6, 2015.

The exercise emphasizes air-to-air, air-to-ground and special operations forces training opportunities. Parts of the exercise are also held at the Camp Shelby and Camp McCain Joint Forces Training Centers in Hattiesburg and Grenada.

The ACS controls the skies in the operation areas and coordinates with friendly and “enemy” aircraft by identifying threats and alerting pilots through battle
management and surveillance.

“We’re seeing what they’re seeing in their cockpits,” said Maj. Blake Hurston, the unit’s director of operations. “The weapons guys are the ones actually talking to the aircraft and giving them tactical directions.”

In addition to radar feeds from the aircraft, the Guard Dogs link with ground-based radar and other sources to mesh together a complete picture of the airspace. Data links then direct that information to higher headquarters, where the tactical decisions are made.

“My job is to make sure the air picture is consistent,” said Staff Sgt. Kirkland Hill, an interface control technician from Meridian. “It’s similar to an (Information Technology) department at any major corporation with servers and gateways that share information.

“It’s been a good learning experience with an exercise of this magnitude,” he said. “We can get in a lot of training. On the weekend, it’s harder for me to get that time because I have to share that mission time with other ICTs.”

Staff Sgt. Linda Le, a weapons director from Gulfport, said that they typically direct much smaller air-to-air battles during weekend drills.

“It’s maybe four versus four aircraft and right now it’s a lot more than that,” she said. “Each director is controlling about 10 aircraft. If you don’t practice it, you lose it. It’s a little rough the first day or so, but then you get used to it. We’re doing two to three missions a day and coordination is improving.”
Hurston agreed.

“It’s a very dynamic environment with lots of aircraft and moving parts,” he said.

• Date Taken: 11.02.2015
• Date Posted: 11.02.2015 12:27
• Story ID: 180600
• Location: GULFPORT, MS, US
• Hometown: GULFPORT, MS, US
• Hometown: GULFPORT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, MS, US
• Hometown: MERIDIAN, MS, US