Photo By Staff Sgt. Cooper Cash | Soldiers assigned to Fox Company F, 2nd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th...... read more read more
Subscribe
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Atop stacked shipping containers, radio chatter reverberated in a glass-enclosed room. The air traffic control operator gave instructions through a black handheld microphone. Then, over the metallic speakers, a pilot acknowledged and began his descent into Forward Operating Base Shank, April 26.
Soldiers assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Task Force Knighthawk provide safe, orderly and expeditious control of air traffic as they cross the airspace of FOB Shank, said U.S. Army 1st Sgt. William E. Haddon, Fox Company’s first sergeant from Lancaster, Pa.
When the unit arrived in theater, there was no radar system in place, which presented problems for aircraft crews. Their first two months in theater, Fox Company soldiers worked feverishly to diagnose and repair the existing, but non-operational, radar system, said U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon K. Parnell, the senior air traffic control equipment repairer and Lexington Park, Md., native.
“In the past medevacs have been a little hesitant to go out when the weather was bad, because they worried about getting back to Shank safely,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon D. Woodson, an air traffic control operator. “Now if the weather is a little iffy, they don’t have to worry about getting back with their casualty, because we are going to be able to talk to them and control them down safely since out radar is working perfectly.”
Every soldier focuses on the three basic skills of shooting, moving and communicating, but air traffic controllers are especially focused on one.
“Communication is a must. If we are not communicating well, we could be trying to land an aircraft while the radar team is trying to land another,” said Atlanta native Woodson. “Effective communication is essential for our overall goal of the safe operation of aircraft.”
Woodson said pilots need precision and expedient guidance to navigate through airspace to stay a safe distance from other aircraft and to manage their fuel. This is especially true when operating where aircraft converge, as they do near airports. To provide this assistance, air traffic controllers are constantly mapping out and keeping track of planes in the area.
“It’s very challenging; you have to be able to think on your feet,” said Woodson. “Situations have arisen where a decision has to made in a second, and it can affect the lives of people in the air.”
Civilian contractors have taken over most of the ATC operations throughout Afghanistan, but Fox Company’s first sergeant said his Soldiers bring something else to the table.
“We are the only military air traffic services in (Regional Command) -East; and having knowledge of the military’s [Air Weapons Teams] and medevacs, and knowing how important they are to support the ground war fighter, gives us an advantage,” said Haddon. “Our soldiers are disciplined, and although our guys don’t make as much money as the civilians, they are proud of what they do.”
Parnell said success is achieved when people do not know you are doing your job.
“We live by the Ordnance Corps creed; we are the men behind the man behind the gun. We are the people unseen,” said Parnell.
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2011 17:09 |
| Story ID: | 69663 |
| Location: | LOGAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Air traffic services control Logar province skies, by SSG Cooper Cash, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
