Photo By Sgt. Daniel Haun | Carlton, Mich. native, U.S. Army Pfc. Rodney Fater, an air traffic control operator...... read more read more
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LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - AH-64 Apaches and UH-60 Blackhawks circle a landing zone, each unaware of the other's next movement. No one is there to guide them in succession, no one is there to ensure their safety. Such is the tale of a world without Army air traffic control operators.
Fortunately, Soldiers attached to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Aviation Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, here at Forward Operating Base Shank are guiding pilots, ensuring the safety and rapid transit of Task Force Bayonet personnel.
U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy D. Dorries, an air traffic control operator attached to the 4th Aviation Bn., 3rd Inf. Div., says that separating the aircraft and informing them of their surroundings is crucial.
"We have to give traffic calls, it's a must. We can't just let our aircraft fly around, not knowing what's around them. That's one thing we train hard on - traffic controls and separation," said Dorries.
Carlton, Mich. native U.S. Army Pfc. Rodney Fater, an air traffic control operator attached to HHC 4th Aviation Bn., 3rd Inf. Div., concurs.
"You've got to keep them apart, or you're in trouble. Everything's important when they're in the air, but you've got to keep them apart or you're going to lose your job, plain and simple," said Fater.
Dorries described the crucial process for directing air traffic as "separating" air assets.
"We separate aircraft; we give traffic calls to aircraft depending on where there location is, and who is going to be crossing in front of them, beside them, or behind them. We've got to let them know everything above and below them as part of the separation process," said Dorries.
While separating, Dorries and company guide aircraft into varying sectors.
"We bring them in according to what our puzzle is here, meaning if we have different aircraft inside of our traffic pattern, we'll fit them in according to the position they are," said Dorries.
Along with orienteering pilots, air traffic controllers provide advisories for the pilots, said Dorries.
"We issue them safety advisories if there's any safety advisories for Forward Operating Base Shank, as well as any aircraft that might be in that area. There's different phraseology we have to use for the pilots, in order to make them aware of that, and then they have to follow our instructions from there," said Dorries.
Juggling all these aircraft in the air and on paper requires a great deal of incisive action.
"You've got to make decisions quick, fast; there's really no time to think. You've just got to know what's happening, and then act. The most important thing is to act quick and efficiently," said Fater. "'Safe, orderly and expeditiously' is our air traffic controller motto; you've got to think on your toes, and fast."
According to Dorries, the fast-paced requirements of this career do not come without application.
"We study hard. It's like going to college on a continuous basis; you're always studying regulations," said Dorries. "The shift leaders have to make sure they implement those changes and that we supervise them accordingly. If our trainees or people on our shift are making bad calls, it is our place to stop that and correct it."
Position correlation is one of the mainstays of these studies, said Dorries.
"They don't have side view mirrors, they don't have rearview mirrors. They can only see what's in front of them. Without us, they don't know where everything else is at," said Dorries. "We're here as a middleman to make sure they get what they need, when they need it."
The job is not without its share of liability.
"We control millions of dollars of aircraft every single day. We have hundreds of people's lives in our hands. Everyone that's in that aircraft is our responsibility until they're on the ground safely," said Dorries.
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2010 16:45 |
| Story ID: | 46160 |
| Location: | LOGAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 196 |
| Downloads: | 153 |
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