Photo By Sgt. Olivia Cowart | Sgt. Joshua Jenkins, an air traffic control operator assigned to the 3rd Battalion,...... read more read more
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FORD ISLAND, Hawaii - The Long-Range Maritime Air Assault (LRMAA), a pivotal event in the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) rotation 26-01, would not have been possible without the air traffic controllers (ATC) from 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 25th Infantry Division (ID). Soldiers from Foxtrot Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment recently planned and executed an airfield on Ford Island, Hawaii alongside Marines from Mike Company, Marine Air Control Squadron 4, Marine Air Control Group 18. Beside coordinating safe aircraft movement, ATC’s are also responsible for rapidly setting up runways to provide forward arming and refueling capabilities to aircraft, both in tactical and non-tactical environments. “When I arrived a couple hours after the first group of Soldiers rolled out, we were already at our full operational capacity,” said Command Sergeant Major Douglas J. Patterson, the senior enlisted advisor for the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th CAB. “We were ready to start accepting aircraft and take follow on missions. And I’d say by the morning of the second day, we were ready for full combat operations.” The execution of the LRMAA took several months of logistical preparation. Foxtrot Company was responsible for surveying the land and planning the small details of this large scale operation. “The planning was insane,” said Chief Warrant Officer 1 Dallas B. Mclendon, an Air Traffic and Airspace Management Technician. Mclendon was responsible for coordinating plans through United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) airspace managers who then communicated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “I am really proud that we were able to get Ford Island to look as nice as it did.” The ATCs at Ford Island controlled airspace from ground level to 400 feet in order to best cooperate with Honolulu International Airport airspace. With a little over 340 people on ground, they also controlled the airfield which stretched a mile long. They managed, at times, more than 30 aircraft staged throughout the island, petroleum supply specialists operating Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT), and helicopter maintenance crews actively moving across the airfield. The U.S. Marines were embedded with Foxtrot Company. They assisted by bringing their weather surveying equipment that was certified through the FAA and Air Force. This equipment ensured that the wind and altimeter readings were accurately broadcast to pilots, increasing the overall safety of the mission. “JPMRC 24-01 was my first time training with the Marines, and I actually love it. They’re super knowledgeable and they’re really good at training our younger Soldiers,” said Sgt. Joshua Jenkins, an ATC operator. The ATCs were staged directly on the airfield with their Mobile Tower System (MOTS), which is a rapidly deployable ATC tower. The 25th ID is a light infantry division. The MOTS enables the ATCs the ability to provide control tower operations within 10 minutes of arrival. To maintain their equipment, the ATCs rely on their Air Traffic Control Equipment Repairers, also known as 94Ds. They specialize in the internal software and systems that run the MOTS. “I was working an overnight shift in the MOTS. At 2 o’clock in the morning, everything went black,” Jenkins said. “I went through protocol to try and get the power back. I ran through it all. I shut it off, I tried to turn it back on. The generator wasn’t pushing power, so I had to go get our deltas.” “It took them 5 minutes to diagnose the issue and get the system back up and running,” Jenkins said. Overall, the LRMAA was successful. The ATCs were able to safely coordinate 25 helicopters in and out of Ford Island to air assault infantry units to their next objective on the Island of Hawai’i. After the mission was complete, Foxtrot Company packed up their equipment and moved to their next location. “I remember two years ago being nervous to key up a mic. And now being in the position that I’m in, with the knowledge that I have, I can share that with these new Soldiers. It’s really rewarding to help them take the mic, learn, and actually talk to the aircraft.”
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2025 22:12 |
| Story ID: | 555593 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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