Controllers use "giant voice" to keep Airmen informed

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael O’Connor
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFPN) --  Packed into a small, windowless container like sardines in a can, the Airmen who run the command post at Camp Sather here are always in the know, and they do not mind letting everyone know it in a very loud voice.

The eight controllers make their point by transmitting crucial safety and security information from the “giant voice” public address system. But as attention-getting as it may be, running the system is just a small part of their daily duties. For instance, the controllers are also in charge of the “big button” that sounds Alarm Red throughout the camp, letting everyone know to take immediate cover because of an imminent or ongoing attack.

The controllers never sound the alarm on a whim, said Senior Airman Amber Hough, a senior controller deployed from Yokota Air Base, Japan.

“Everything we do is directed by the commander. Contrary to popular belief, we’re not trigger happy. Everything we do is done for a reason, to include hitting the big button,” she said.

While some Airmen may not appreciate being awakened in the middle of their sleep by the giant voice system, it is the best way to quickly get the word out, said Col. Thomas O’Donnell, the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron commander. If it were not for the giant voice, he said his staff would have to do a person-by-person recall to rally the troops, wasting valuable time.

“My folks are doing a great job,” said Master Sgt. Dianna Camac, the command post chief deployed from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. “They’ve adapted well to the environment here and (to) the added responsibility of relaying air traffic control information to aircrews. They’re a very sharp group,” she said.

“We are the pulse, if you will, and if something should take a turn for the worse, (like a rocket attack), we stay up and running while the rest of the camp takes cover (and awaits further direction from us),” said Airman 1st Class Calvin Jackson, a deputy controller from Eielson AFB, Alaska.

“We act as the executive agent to the deployed commander,” said Senior Airman Sara Ziesman, a senior controller from Yokota AB. “We also coordinate aircraft support by maintaining the information flow between maintenance, cargo and passenger-support agencies.”

Airman Ziesman said the controllers also coordinate the arrival, support and departure of visiting dignitaries and the transfer of human remains.

For the team’s youngest controller, Airman 1st Class Anthony De Maio, 19, a deputy controller from Misawa AB, Japan, being deployed to Iraq is just what the doctor ordered.

“In technical school, you train for wartime operations,” he said. “At home station, it’s always peacetime ops. It’s great to finally be able to do what I was trained for.”