Photo By Master Sgt. Jonathon Alderman | Members from the Wyoming Air National Guard, 243d Air Traffic Control Squadron,...... read more read more
Two UH-60 Blackhawks crossed the sky over Cheyenne’s air space on a dry August morning. In perfect attack formation they positioned, hovered and kicked up wind, dust and debris as they rapidly descended onto the field adjacent to the air traffic control tower. An instant later, airmen assigned to an elite team of airfield operators, known as "NEST" (Non-permissive Environment Security Team), charged out of the helos. The choppers instantly lifted and provided armed overwatch, as the armed airmen emerged from the dust of the rotor's downwash and using bolt cutters, breeched the gate separating the airfield from the control tower. In unison, the NEST stealthily made their way to the base of the control tower, breeched the door with an inert training explosive device, and stormed up the tower stairs towards the cab. The objective was to capture Cheyenne’s control tower, claim the airspace, and secure the airfield as a part of an Agile Combat Employment training event called Triple ACE AT.
“Triple ACE was a three-day training event created and executed by the 243d Air Traffic Control Squadron (243 ATCS) Red-tailed Hawks,” explained Captain Dan Hochhalter, the Commander of the 243 ATCS, and the Director of Triple ACE AT. “During this event, our Hawks proved Agile Combat Employment (ACE) in three different areas of responsibility: rapid mobile air traffic/landing zone/drop zone control; medium and light package Radar Airfield and Weather System (RAWS) equipment setup/employment; and Non-permissive Environment Security Team (NEST) seizure.”
The exercise involved six military units, three civilian aviation organizations, observers from 12 different states, and key leadership from around Cheyenne and the Wyoming National Guard. The purpose of Triple ACE was to demonstrate power projection through a "hub-and-spoke" tactic at six locations over the course of three days.
"Hub-and-spoke ATC operations involve rapidly spurring out from a centrally secured location to other austere positions needing airfield, landing or drop zone operations." Hochhalter goes on to explain, "Some of these locations will require Seizing, Opening, Controlling, and then Returning-to-base (SOCR) in the same day. We did exactly this, at six different locations simultaneously each day, for three days straight, utilizing just one ATC squadron."
These six locations operating concurrently in southeast Wyoming included two airports, two drop zones, and two landing zones. The overall distance across these locations was nearly 100 miles. Some of these locations were rustic, simulating a real-world scenario where airmen may be required to turn natural or underdeveloped terrain into a makeshift airport. The 243d began this three-day exercise on an austere landing strip 80 miles north of Cheyenne, just outside the Camp Guernsey Army installation. This location was surveyed and built up as a landing zone (LZ) and adjacent drop zone (DZ) where allied forces could also assemble and forward-deploy. Here (Wright LZ), multiple C-130s from both the Wyoming and Montana Air National Guard conducted non-stop operations for numerous hours each day, in addition to heavy loads being dropped and controlled at nearby Moss DZ; all while helicopter traffic was being mixed in for personnel infil/exfil to the LZ.
“Landing zones can be established on paved surfaces as well as dirt and grass strips,” Hochhalter said. “Being able to quickly survey, mark, and control on unimproved surfaces is a critical next step for the ATC community and our projected next theater.”
During the exercise, the Hawks successfully established an additional drop zone 20 miles north of Cheyenne. They had to survey and set up equipment before it could be adequately controlled as drop zone area. In addition to seizing and controlling the Cheyenne Airport, the 243d convoyed and setup their mobile air traffic control tower (MSN-7) at a location roughly 10 miles east of Cheyenne. From there, they controlled airspace over a grass landing strip, and expertly controlled Blackhawk helicopters and over a dozen general aviation aircraft in the pattern as they performed touch-and-gos, or quickly infilled/exfilled airmen. This location served as one of the landing zones, in the hub-and-spoke model.
“Landing Zone Controllers (LZCs) and Drop Zone Controllers (DZCs) are the future of military ATC, and Southeast Wyoming has an expansive training area to assist in training these new controller skills,” Hochhalter outlined. “These Wyoming locations are also perfectly setup for training more NEST Operators in the art of taking airfield seizure handoffs from Special Tactics Teams (STTs),” said Hochhalter. “NEST Operators are also being trained as LZCs and DZCs to immediately control the follow-on portion of the squadron into the area, which would further establish a sustained operation; all while providing their own security to their people and equipment so that STTs can forward deploy and open yet another location.”
Back in Cheyenne, the NEST portion of the Hawks made their way up the control tower stairwell, expertly clearing each floor, and seizing the tower cab. At that point, they began controlling the airspace which allowed the 243d to subsequently land a C-130 and demonstrate critical refueling capabilities. Once parked, the C-130 offloaded an empty R-11 fuel truck while engines were running (ERO), wet wing defueled (WWD) from itself to the truck, and then departed.
Following this expeditious offload and defueling, UH-60 Blackhawks needing fuel landed and received fuel from the now full R-11 truck and also did so while engines were still running; successfully completing the first hot pit refuel to ever occur on the 153d Airlift Wing’s apron.
"Although Triple ACE was a training event, the airmen involved faced real-world challenges," Hochhalter said. For example, one airport involved in the exercise was under construction which restricted the type of aircraft that could land there, and a real-world nationwide aircraft grounding forced the command team to adjust their plans last minute. “The Hawks had prepared nearly a year for this training event,” Hochhalter explained. “(They) had attended multiple out-of-state exercises leading up to Triple ACE, which provided them the tools and experience needed to quickly pivot and generate alternate courses of action, which resulted in exceeding all expectations. I couldn't be prouder of my Hawks.”
After three days of execution the squadron had successfully controlled 1,041 operations; more than tripling the previous record set by an ATCS during an annual training week. "It brought a whole new meaning to the 'Triple' in Triple ACE," joked Hochhalter, after discovering they had tripled the record. "Here at the 243d, setting the standard is the expectation." "Triple ACE proved that the 243d is postured and ready to convert to a Combat Airfield Operations Squadron (CAOS)," Hochhalter pronounced. "Being one of ten ATCSs in the Air National Guard, the Hawks have proven they are ready to lead the way for their community in blazing the trail for all ATCSs to convert to a CAOS; a much-needed evolution that will better structure and train the ATC and airfield ops communities for the next fight--a fight the Hawks are ready for."
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2022 11:21 |
| Story ID: | 429564 |
| Location: | WYOMING, US |
| Web Views: | 601 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The Hawks With a Fist Full Of ACEs, by SSgt Kylee Warren, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
