Balad air traffic controllers maintain safer skies for Iraq

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bryan Ripple
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) --  With 5,000 air operations per week within a five-nautical-mile radius from surface level to 3,000 feet, the airfield here is the busiest in the Department of Defense.

In fact, the runways at Balad Air Base are part of the world's busiest combat operation.

At this pace, the 22 Airmen assigned as air traffic controllers in the Balad tower have their eyes on 18,000 to 20,000 air operations per month and 72,000 to 75,000 during the Air Expeditionary Force 5-6 rotation alone. At the end of the year, it's likely air traffic controllers here will have tracked more than 290,000 operations.

"These numbers are just our takeoffs and landings, including 35 different airframes," said Master Sgt. Scott Alexander, deployed here from the 4th Operations Support Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. as the Balad Tower assistant chief controller. "You can go from talking to eight aircraft at one time to 20 aircraft coming from all over the place. We've really got some sharp young people here handling the traffic."

When the controllers arrive for their AEF rotation, they've got a lot to learn in a short period of time to be certified to do their job. Being based in the middle of an active combat zone is different than traditional missions air traffic controllers are used to. Controllers at their home station control aircraft operations that are normally conducting training missions or exercises in preparation for deployments. Here, they control aircraft that are playing an active part in the Global War on Terrorism.

"These folks are doing a great job in a tough environment. It's amazing," said Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Smith, the Balad Tower Chief Controller, deployed from the 18th OSS at Kadena AB, Japan . "These people get three to four months to be certified at their home station; here they get 5-7 days," he said.

"For never having seen the complexity of airspace we have here as compared to the home stations of these Airmen, they do a great job getting acclimated very fast," said Tech. Sgt. John McCoy, tower watch supervisor. "This is the most traffic any of us have seen in our careers," he said, adding "They work very well together and if something happens, someone else just steps right in and does the job."

The air traffic controller mission at Balad is unique and exciting to many of the Airmen serving in the midst of all the action on the flightline. For some, it's a role reversal of sorts.

"I wanted to take a job in the Air Force that wasn't a normal job you hear about, but something important to the mission," said Senior Airman Beau Portman, a tower controller deployed from the 100th OSS at RAF Mildenhall, England. "At first, it was a little overwhelming, but I've gotten used to it now." He added, "Back at home station, I was used to launching tankers to refuel fighters. Now I'm launching fighters that will be refueled by tankers in the AOR."

Another individual who works at the tower is the Supervisor of Flying, or "SOF." These individuals are fighter pilots who help facilitate the expeditious flow of aircraft. "We talk to the pilots and other agencies on base and relay information," said Capt. Kip "Serj" Johnson, a fighter pilot with the 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed from Aviano Air Base, Italy. On his second deployment to Balad, Capt. Johnson said being a fighter pilot, "Is an awesome responsibility we're given and we're ready and motivated to be here. We support the ground commanders in every way we can."

Vital to the air traffic control team are the 38 radar controllers working about 75,000 square miles of Iraqi airspace in the Combined Enroute Radar Approach Control (CERAP.) The unit moved from a tactical style location in between the runways to a new expeditionary building near the tower almost a year ago.

Tech. Sgt. Mark Hopkins is the noncommissioned officer in charge of air traffic control training and standardization at the CERAP and is deployed to Balad from the 347th OSS at Moody AFB, Ga. The CERAP is located inside a portable facility known as a Transportable Radar Approach Control (TRAPCON.)

According to Sergeant Hopkins, this $8 million transportable facility is the first of its kind in the AOR. The equipment in the new building provides more detailed information than the older equipment did and gives controllers a better view of what's going on in the skies of Iraq.

"It's definitely a challenge," said Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth King, deployed from the 56th OSS at Luke AFB, Ariz., as the chief controller at the CERAP. "Meshing 38 controllers with varying levels of experience, our radar controllers handle the middle third of Iraq's airspace from the surface to space from the Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia borders in the west, to the Iran border to the east," the chief said.

Combat airpower flights are not the only ones important to the rebuilding of Iraq.

"Throw in the combat airspace piece and often our controllers have a sliver of airspace to get non-combat aircraft into and out of five different airports, and at the same time, allow our coalition aircraft the freedom to execute combat sorties in combat airspace without worrying about running into civilian aircraft," Chief King added.

With the help of air traffic controllers at Balad Air Base, the people of Iraq can be better protected and the rebuilding of their economy through commercial air traffic will be on a faster track.


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