CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - After four successful years of sustained operations, the Tactical Air Operations Center operated by Marine Air Control Squadron 2 at Camp Leatherneck was deactivated during a ceremony, Nov. 2.
Since 2009, the operations center has coordinated more than 320,000 fixed wing operations, 80,000 aerial refueling operations, and 7,000 rotary wing operations in support of coalition forces throughout Afghanistan.
Marines with Marine Air Control Squadron 2, serving under 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), handed over responsibility for airspace control to the U.S. Air Force’s 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron based in Qatar, marking both the end of the unit’s deployment and the end of deployment cycles for Marine air control units.
Controlling the Air
At the time, MACS-2 was serving in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was sent directly to Afghanistan to provide mission critical airspace surveillance and control capabilities.
The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan established the Tactical Air Operations Center following the redeployment of the British Royal Air Force Number 1 Air Control Centre.
The operation center has functioned around the clock to successfully de-conflict airspace in Regional Command (Southwest), an area consisting of more than 70,000 miles of airspace.
During the last two years, Marines with MACS 1 and 2 have supported more than 1,200 troops in contact missions, 3,400 priority-tasking missions, and 4,800 surface-to-surface fire missions.
Keeping the radar in the fight
During the ceremony, the Marines retired the unit’s TPS-59 RADAR, which had been used by the operation center since November 2009.
The TPS-59 RADAR is part of the air command and control mission, providing positive control of friendly aircraft, detection of enemy aircraft and missiles, as well as providing situational awareness to higher headquarters and combatant commanders.
The TPS-59 RADAR was essential to the operations center and allowed the Marines to update pilots with flight pattern information, providing them exact numbers pertaining to the distance and elevation between an aircraft and potential hazards.
“The radar is a vital piece of gear,” said Staff Sgt. Serapio Lara, the senior traffic director from San Antonio, Texas. “It gives us peace of mind and the pilots peace of mind that we have positive control of the situation, which gives everyone comfort that we are relaying good information without human error.”
The radar not only helped aircraft from running into one another, but also helped keep them from flying into dangerous patches of the sky that could hinder the aircraft’s abilities.
Maintaining the Radar
The TPS-59 RADAR was designed to operate for short periods of time in expeditionary settings; however, due to the mission requirements in Afghanistan the radar has operated continuously since its installation.
During the deployment, the maintenance sections worked continuously on the radar system to ensure it functioned properly. The Marines performed preventive maintenance regularly, keeping the radar functioning at its peak ability.
The few times the radar needed corrective maintenance; the Marines were able to quickly and effectively correct the problem, said Staff Sgt. Jack Linke, staff non-commissioned officer in charge from Auburn, Wash.
“The TPS-59 performed flawlessly with only a few minor issues,” said Lt. Col. Charles Smith, the commanding officer of Marine Air Control Group (Forward) from Lima, Ohio. “What’s significant about this equipment, is that we’ve taken expeditionary gear and sustained it for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the last four years.”
The future of Marine air control units
To end the ceremony, Chief Warrant Officer Martin Hood, the maintenance section officer in charge from Bridgeport, Ohio, turned off the unit’s TPS-59 RADAR symbolizing both the transfer of responsibility and the end of a technological era.
Afghanistan will serve as the last deployment for the TPS-59 RADAR. The TPS-59 RADAR has been in use since 1985 and after 28 years of service, the radar is being replaced with a new system.
Due to the change, air control units will have new equipment, new operating procedures, and new readiness qualifications.
“It’s going to be a huge transition for us,” said Master Sgt. Herbert Smith, the unit’s senior air director from Orangeburg, S.C. “But it’s going to be a good transition for us, moving toward a new direction.”
With the retrograding of equipment and the redeployment of MACS-2, air control units will return to preparing themselves for the next expeditionary mission.
“This deactivation marks the end of this chapter in our history; however, it is also a step forward for Marine Air Command and Control, the Marine Corps and our great nation,” said Linke, while narrating the end of the ceremony. “The operations have been tallied and the logs have been closed. [The Air Force] has the watch now.”