ATC Airmen manage safe, efficient operation

Published May 12, 2007
By Senior Airman Erik Hofmeyer
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A team of Airmen observe the diversity of air power used in the Global War on Terrorism from the highest vantage point on base - the air traffic control tower.

Forward deployed U.S. Armed Forces and Coalition partners depend on every flight that takes off from and lands at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which among other missions, serves as a major mobility hub transporting servicemembers and equipment in and out of the area of responsibility.

Such a diverse mission needs a high-speed tower operation to control and regulate the more than 18,000 take offs and landings during a typical AEF rotation.

Airmen remain in constant communication with host nation air traffic controllers and aircrews assigned to the wing to initiate and issue air traffic control clearances, instructions, and advisories to ensure the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic, said Staff Sgt. Roy Johnson, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron air traffic control watch supervisor.

Taxiways can get bottled up quickly during the high operations tempo, so Airmen manage the orderly movement of aircraft on the ground, which frequently involves "thinking on one's feet."

For example, during a recent taxiway resurfacing, 379th EOSS devised innovative ways to manage takeoffs and landings with taxing aircraft on the runway, while not delaying any arriving or departing traffic, Sergeant Johnson said.

Although air traffic controllers are rated and experienced when they arrive for a deployment, they must quickly learn aircraft parking plans, know the different ramps, taxiways, call signs and many other airfield-related details, Sergeant Johnson said.

Controlling aircraft at deployed locations is challenging, and quite different from the traditional missions controllers are used to. Airmen must overcome terminology and dialects to create a safe environment for aircraft to conduct combat operations.
Another challenge is there are more than a dozen U.S. and Coalition airframes are assigned to the 379th AEW. Aircrews from European countries operate under International Civil Aviation Organization regulations.

On the other hand, U.S. pilots follow U.S. federal and military air directives. Controllers mesh the guidelines together and create a safe environment for aircraft to land, said Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Olson, 379th EOSS Tower chief controller.

Air traffic control Airmen work closely with host nation controllers from 11 different countries to direct air flow. However, Airmen bridge the cultural differences and work methods to ensure smooth lines of communication, Sergeant Olson said.

"As a controller, you watch every airframe possible, see the trends in air power," Sergeant Olson said. "It's incredible to see the effects of air power and especially seeing the final figures from the entire rotation."