Photo By Spc. Jason Dangel | Spc. Radha Bhramdat, air traffic controller, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation...... read more read more
By Sgt. Jason Dangel
Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The U.S. Army is sometimes described as a large jigsaw puzzle –all the pieces have a place in the accomplishment of the overall mission, and if a piece is missing, the picture or mission cannot be completed.
The air traffic control mission at Camp Taji, performed by the Soldiers of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, encompasses not just one but many pieces of the aviation mission for MND-B.
"This is one of the busiest airfields in Iraq," said Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Brown, who hails from Kingstree, S.C., and serves as the senior enlisted supervisor for air traffic controller operations at Camp Taji. "We control all aircraft that fly within five nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet in the air. Our job is to put the aircraft on the ground safely."
Unlike the other service branches of the military, which have service members working a wide array of specialties, who complete the air traffic control mission, the Army has a sole military occupation specialty responsible for providing those services. These Soldiers must coordinate all movements in their airspace to include both fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft.
In a typical week the "Spartan" Soldiers can see more than 3,000 movements in or out of Camp Taji's airspace. A movement is defined as any aircraft coming or going. Take-offs, landings, touch and goes as well as an aircraft simply transitioning through the airspace is considered a movement.
The company's air traffic control mission is to ensure the safety of all coalition forces traffic coming in and out of their airspace.
With flights operating 24/7, the air traffic controllers coordinate their movements so accidents do not occur. These operations take place from both temporary landing zones as well as fixed sites, such as the company's fixed position at the brigade's airfield, respectively named Taji Tower.
Today in Iraq, the company successfully operates the fixed site as well as numerous other sites all over Iraq, directly supporting not only MND-B but the Multi-National Corps – Iraq mission. This success, however, wasn't always a foreseeable achievement when the company stood up at Fort Hood, Texas, a little more than a year ago.
More than 80 percent of the air traffic controllers assigned to the company were straight out of advanced individual training when they arrived at their first assignment in the CAB.
This situation posed many challenges for Capt. Amanda Violette, then the newly assigned company commander, as she worked to not only build the company but, at the same time, prepare them for their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"There are a limited number of rated air traffic controllers across the board," Violette said, a native of Nobleboro, Maine.
"The challenge we face as commanders for these companies is a Soldier will get a rating while they are deployed, and when they redeploy, they get out of the Army and go to work for the [Federal Aviation Association]," she explained.
This is a typical route Soldiers will follow when pursuing a career as an air traffic controller, which results in a shortage of qualified air traffic controllers, she said.
In order for a Soldier to become certified as an air traffic controller, he or she must complete 154 days of on-the-job training – assuming that they have successfully completed the required 14 weeks of training during AIT.
This training is defined as a progressive approach to obtaining the necessary qualifications, the end state being certified by the FAA for the Soldiers specific working location.
During the initial stages of the company's existence, Violette took a unique approach to ensure her company was qualified to direct coalition forces aircraft in Iraq.
Working with civilian crews from both the Hood Army Airfield and Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood, Violette was able to augment some of her Soldiers into daily aviation operations at the central Texas military facility.
"Hood Tower and Robert Gray Tower took on six of our controllers. This was their place of duty for about six months while they obtained their [Control Tower Operator] certifications. This really saved us in terms of being ready for this deployment," said Violette.
"These six Soldiers make it happen for us here in Iraq. If it wasn't for them, we would barely be able to control operations at Taji," she continued.
Currently, only six of the approximately 40 Soldiers assigned to the company are CTO certified, but this number will increase dramatically as the unit approaches the six-month mark of their deployment and the end of the required on-the-job training.
"We are on track," said Violette. "We can't expect to do everything overnight; it takes a while with all the development that's involved, but we have done a great job so far."
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2008 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 23020 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 475 |
| Downloads: | 357 |
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