Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels | North Carolina National Guard Pfc. Joshua Collins, an air traffic controller assigned...... read more read more
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ERWIN, N.C. – North Carolina National Guard soldiers assigned to the 2nd Airfield Operations Battalion, 130th Aviation Regiment and the 3rd Airfield Operations Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment established a mobile military air traffic control center for the first time during their two-week annual training at the Harnett Regional Jetport, here, May 18, 2016.
The mobile air traffic center allows soldiers to support military and civilian aircraft operations and real-world emergencies and this training gives the unit the opportunity to establish Standard Operating Procedures for new soldiers to follow.
“They (3-58) have participated in our training and we have participated in their training, but this is the first time we have actually been at a field site working together,” said Lt. Col. Michele Harper, the 2-130th AOB commander. “This is just a great opportunity to hone in on our skills and cultivate those relationships.”
The mission is to set-up on an uncontrolled air space or an air space without a control tower air and occupy it while conducting air traffic control operations.
“We are trying to improve our unit and individual readiness skills or those mission related skills, which are the Air Traffic Service operations,” said Harper. “We could get those critical supplies and resources to the disaster areas or the people in need.”
During the exercise, inexperienced and seasoned soldiers from both units train on equipment needed for air traffic control operations. The more experienced soldiers act as examiners and have the responsibility of training inexperienced soldiers performing the required tasks from the Commanders Task List.
“This gives my guys the exchange of being the one that is being trained to being the one that is training someone else,” said Sgt. Erica Kalber, a 3-58th AOB air traffic navigation integration and coordination system facility chief. “You don’t fully get the concept of the equipment or what’s going on until your sitting in the trainer spot.”
In order for the different components of this operation to occur successfully, soldiers’ primary mission is progressing to Readiness Level 1. In order for soldiers to reach this level, soldiers have to complete a series of tasks and acquire training hours.
“The RL-1 phase is where you are teaching them how to control air traffic,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Fleeman, an air traffic control chief assigned to the 2-130th AOB. “The skill of learning spatial orientation, how to sequence air properly, and apply the separation standards that the Federal Aviation Administration mandates that we follow, that is the portion that requires those 80 training hours, 40 of which can be simulated.”
The biggest obstacle the 2-130th AOB face is the shortage of personnel that can evaluate and validate inexperienced soldiers. The 3-58th AOB act in a support role augmenting the shortage of examiners able to validate their Guard counterparts.
“For us being the Guard unit that is here, we have limited personnel right now, so we have myself and two trainees, said Sgt. Tanika Smith, an ATCS navigation facility chief. “Having them (3-58th) here is a better training opportunity for my trainees, because while I’m busy over here he (the trainee) can still get the training.”
The center is set up in a 360 degree perimeter. One of the components is the Mobile Tower, which gives orders to pilots on runway operations once an aircraft has entered their airspace.
“The big issue with any new controller in the tower is the initial talking to aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Travis Dry, a mobile tower system facility chief assigned to the 2-130th AOB. “They are nervous. Once you get through that, it is pretty amazing when you see the difference from day one versus half of the way through.”
Another component of airfield operations is the ATC navigation which utilizes various radar systems allowing soldiers to pick up aircrafts from a far distance and guide them to a runway in the event of a pilot losing visibility in the air.
“When that bad weather hits, and the pilot is not ready, you’re going to hear his voice and he is going to be scared,” said Kalber. “You don’t want to be scared on the same end. You are supposed to be the comforting voice. The all knowledgeable voiceat the other end of the phone.”
It is critical for soldiers to be proficient at these skills during their progression to RL-1. Once certified, they will be communicating with live pilots and could be flying pilots back to a safe area.
“Once they get onto their position, when we feel they are ready, then we position qualify them,” said Smith. “If you have a trainee on the mic, you have to be behind them. You have to be watching them, and if you don’t trust them you have to kick them off and take over yourself so you know that aircraft is going to get in safely.”
The training conducted by both units supports the “Total Army Concept”, that allows Guard, Reserve, and active component units to train together ensuring the smooth transition of operations in an overseas deployment atmosphere.
“It’s definitely fantastic”, said Fleeman. “It is hugely beneficial because air traffic control is a small community. The main benefit is that we can use one exercise like this to get all the controllers trained at the same time.”
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2016 14:37 |
| Story ID: | 198922 |
| Location: | NC, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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