Photo By Shawn Monk | Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Leonard, left, and Tech. Sgt....... read more read more
Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen with the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron’s Deployable Instrument Landing System Team completed a two-week annual training exercise from June 3, 2024 to June 16, 2024 that focused on their newest equipment, the AN/TRN-50 Deployable Instrument Landing System.
The new equipment is able to be packaged in shipping containers, rapidly mobilized by air, then quickly set up like an erector set by the D-ILS team. The AN/TRN-50 essentially creates a landing site with precision aircraft approach capabilities allowing aircraft to land in close proximity of mountains, bodies of water, obstructions and during inclement weather conditions with low to zero visibility.
The AN/TRN-50 comprises of an array of antennas, masts, electronics, and power generators, all assembled and erected by four Air National Guardsmen including three Radar, Airfield, and Weather Systems maintainers and one Electrical Power Production Specialist.
“This was just the first step, but it was a big one for the D-ILS team”, said Tech. Sgt. Shane Miller, the team lead for the training on the AN/TRN-50 at the 258th.
In addition to working with the new AN/TRN-50, the team of Guardsmen also partnered with the FAA and the Altoona-Blair County Airport to train on the instrument landing system currently in operation at the airport, giving the D-ILS team an opportunity to enhance their knowledge on the operation and observe procedures of a real, in-use instrument landing system similar to the AN/TRN-50.
“It was advantageous to get the D-ILS team to the Altoona-Blair County Airport to work with the FAA on their equipment”, explained Miller. “It’s one thing to work on a piece of equipment at the Squadron. It’s something entirely different, however, to see how it works and to know that you are responsible for the lives in those planes using your equipment.”
During the two-weeks, members of the 258th also dedicated time to learn tower climbing and rescue skills necessary for building large antenna masts. The training occurred at the 258th’s radar tower located at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. Members were instructed by Staff Sgt. Justin Radcliffe, a recent graduate of the Air Force’s Tower Climbing and Rescue Trainer Course. Guardsmen received new skills on how to climb and rescue people from non-standard, lattice towers such as fall arrest equipment usage and rappelling, combined with practical exercises on ground-based and structure-based rescues. Students also demonstrated their proficiency in performing a pick-off, a rescue technique where the rescuer rappels to the ground with a victim attached to their body harness.
“Without exercises like these, there is a real possibility that these young troops’ first airfield experience with the AN/TRN-50 could be during a deployment”, commented Miller.
The Guardsmen completed over 60 maintenance tasks, requiring the use of sophisticated test equipment such as oscilloscopes and spectrum analyzers. In total, they logged over 600 hours of direct, hands-on maintenance and training, plus the training they received on the climbing tower.
The 258th ATCS serves an essential mission by providing air traffic services both stateside and overseas to civil, military, and even presidential aircraft while also maintaining mobile readiness to deploy with less than a week’s notice. For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact your local Air National Guard recruiting office or the 171st Air Refueling Wing Recruiting Office at (412) 776-7636.
Story co-authored by Master Sgt. Keith Boring, and Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Monk
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2024 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 476523 |
| Location: | JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 258th Maintainers Elevate Skills During Intensive Two-Week Training Exercise, by Shawn Monk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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