Southwest Asia -- I am Senior Airman Laura Hackman, a 386th Expeditionary Operations Group airfield management shift lead. My home unit is the 375th Operations Support Squadron located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
The purpose of airfield management is to ensure the safety of aircraft landing and departing from the runway by inspecting the airfield and coordinating necessary repairs as well as responding to airfield emergencies. Airfield management also plays a part in or oversees aircraft parking plans, flight plans, flight following and coordination with other agencies such as air traffic control, command post, maintenance operations and air traffic operations center. All these agencies are essential to the success of the flying mission.
Although my duties and responsibilities remain the same, the biggest difference between doing the job in a deployed location is that the airfield is much busier.
Some challenges we come across here in a deployed location are due to restrictions mandated by host-nation laws and regulations. At home station we have a lot more freedom with our flight plans; having that extra level of approval to go through means we have to be a little more flexible and work ahead to ensure we get things done in time for a proposed mission.
The best part of the mission here is when I receive feedback that all of my efforts helped get a mission into and out of a difficult country. It is very gratifying and makes all the hard work worth it.
When I’m not working I enjoy making things, especially crafts and knitting.
My professional goals are to finish my Community College of the Air Force degree and to find my niche in the Air Force. My personal goals are to continue to grow as a person and find a community to settle into.
I joined the Air Force to serve my country and to better myself.