Command post controllers always on duty Published Sept. 3, 2004 By 1st Lt. Denise Burnham 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- -- The job of a command post controller is a challenging one. In a deployed location his or her job can be even more demanding than at home. The staff is on duty around the clock to assist with emergencies and notifications that crop up at all hours of the day.A controller’s job is dictated by the local mission. Controllers do everything from keeping track of the flying schedule to keeping track of commanders in case they are needed.“We have all recall rosters for commanders, first sergeants and key personnel,” said Staff Sgt. Leigh Anne Ritchey, a command post controller for the 40th Air Expeditionary Group at a forward-deployed location. “We pass important messages and are able to reach out and touch the base populace during an emergency.”The overall mission of command post controllers is to be the "eyes and ears" of the group.“We gather information from many different agencies,” said Sergeant Ritchey. “It can be quiet at times, but when an emergency happens, it happens fast, and 20 different things are going on at once.”Controllers have the challenging task of making sure people are notified during emergencies. Once the initial emergency is over, the team plays catch up with additional information.“We are the central location for the collection, coordination and dissemination of critical and noncritical information to ensure the commander is abreast of any current situations occurring,” said Master Sgt. David Williams, the 40th AEG’s chief command post controller.If an emergency occurs, controllers have special checklists that help them navigate through various circumstances and unforeseen problems."In any given situation, we have a quick-reaction checklist and it tells us who to call and what information we need for that specific situation," said Sergeant Ritchey. "Basically, we have one for almost every incident you can think of. We even have a catch-all list."Checklists would not be helpful without the controllers’ keen decision-making abilities. Judgment is something controllers learn with experience on the job.The controllers are expected to use good judgment to disseminate information to the right people."Our most common situation is an in-flight emergency and we have a special checklist that we run. We notify all the commanders," Sergeant Ritchey said. "We send out reports for any major incidents, such as aircraft damage; I've seen it more here than at back home because of the high ops tempo."The most exciting part about being a controller is knowing that if things go down we are right in the middle of it,” said Sergeant Ritchey. "We have the capabilities to give the commander the information (he or she) needs to make a good and well-informed decision."