Photo By Staff Sgt. Joseph Morgan | The command post door at the 124th Fighter Wing safeguards a network of information...... read more read more
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GOWEN FIELD, Idaho – Underground, behind secure doors, amongst the hum of computer monitors and radio chatter, command post controllers safeguard the installation’s vital information serving as command’s secure communication to the 124th Fighter Wing and beyond.
“The command post acts as the wing commander's executive agency,” said Master Sgt. Ben Olds, a command and control operations craftsman with the 124th Fighter Wing Staff. “What that means is, we’re a communication facilitation point when the commander has any information for the base which he wants to put out to the broadest audience.”
These messages are received in a number of ways to include email communications, secure phone lines, radio broadcasting, emergency mass notification systems, the AtHoc cloud system, the giant voice and more.
“We’re the ones pushing out [force protection condition] updates, safety messages and weather warnings,” said Olds. “We also serve as the primary point of contact for higher headquarters. It’s our job to disseminate any messages that come from them to the command team and other decision-makers on the base.”
Whether it’s a flightline incident, weather warning or an active shooter, the command post controllers leap into action notifying installation command and local agencies as needed. They train accordingly, as these scenarios can often be high tempo and inherently stressful. This is when readiness comes into play; when the scenarios they train for are boiled down into a series of well-documented steps.
“It’s about being comfortable in your role,” said Tech. Sgt. Austin Murphy, a command and control operations craftsman with the 124th FWS. “I do the same thing with an active shooter that I would do for a weather warning. The sense of urgency is the only real difference. We essentially practice the same steps but with different information. You don’t need to overreact in emergency situations. Just stick to your checklists.”
According to Murphy, readiness can be defined by having confidence in systems, so that one can approach tense situations in a systematic, level-headed fashion. And readiness keeps the command post functioning at peak efficiency on the commander’s behalf.
In addition to the day-to-day operations of the command post, they facilitate the installation's crisis action team. The crisis action team, composed of group commanders and group representatives, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the base during an incident or accident on base. This enables the command structure on base to safely communicate through command post controllers in a crisis.
“The command post primarily exists to broadcast messages to and from the commander through military channels up to higher headquarters,” said Olds.
In times of crisis the command post keeps the messages and information flowing, allowing the command and base to continue carrying out operations.
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2022 17:17 |
| Story ID: | 418714 |
| Location: | BOISE, ID, US |
| Web Views: | 613 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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