Travis' unblinking eye

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Creedon
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Command Post duty officer
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Fog rolls across a dark and cold airfield, as much of Team Travis sleeps peacefully, their workday done. It is quiet - at least, as quiet as Air Mobility Command's largest base can be - and few will stir tonight, safe and warm in their beds. 

Maintainers busy themselves readying aircraft for the next day's missions, while Security Forces maintain a never-ending vigil. The relative peace may lead some to believe that Travis itself slumbers, but there is a place where none will sleep; it is a place where all is seen and heard, and where nothing escapes notice. Here, even in the dark of night, the pulse of the base is monitored, measured and recorded. This place is the Command Post, the eyes and ears of the wing. Here, at a moment's notice, the slumbering giant will spring to life, ready to defend our nation. 

The men and women of the Command Post are a proud lot, and with plenty of reason. Few other jobs can be as stressful as that of a controller - answering a phone that never stops ringing, radios that drown out everything else and managing a scene that, to the untrained eye, would appear to be utter chaos. 

There is a method to the madness, however, and it's the controllers that seemingly through magic convert this disorder into a well choreographed ballet. They do it so well, in fact, that they have been recognized on multiple occasions - from the 'Outstanding' rating they received during last fall's Operational Readiness Inspection to the rave reviews during their February Air Mobility Command Headquarters Command and Control Review - the Command Post team never disappoints. 

Much of what the Command Post does is behind the scenes, and it is rare indeed to see a controller in action. The scene itself can be confusing at first, with video and audio feeds from every corner funneled onto multiple screens, while the never ceasing chatter of data drones on. They call it the console, and it's designed to handle huge amounts of data. At the push of a button, the controllers can see nearly anything they want, no matter how small, maintaining constant situational awareness. 

With another push of a button, they will be connected with everyone from the wing commander to the Pentagon. Behind the heavy, closed steel doors these young Airmen will collect information from every aspect of the wing's operations, distill it, and relay it to commanders, twenty four hours a day. Once leadership has received the information, they determine the best course of action, and the controllers relay the orders to the appropriate unit. They are the relay point for most operations - from maintenance to the terminal, leadership to the flight kitchen and down to the commanders and first sergeants of any unit - the Command Post has you on speed dial. 

Starting from the Airman on the flightline all the way to the top at HQ AMC, the information never stops flowing through here. If leadership is the brain of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, the Command Post is its nervous system. 

"We prefer not to disturb wing leadership in the middle of the night, because it interrupts their rest," said Staff Sgt. Janice Jones, 60th AMW Command Post controller. "But it's one of our duties." 

Unfortunately, calls in the middle of the night are all too frequent. With any aircraft incident, casualty or law enforcement event involving Airmen assigned to Travis, it's a guarantee that the phone is going to ring somewhere in the chain of command, with a controller on the other end. Too often, the calls are bad news. On occasion, however, a well placed call to the Command Post can get Airmen the help they need, when they need it. Controllers are expected to use a wide array of contacts and explore every avenue available to solve the myriad of problems they'll come during a 12-hour shift. 

To prepare them for such a daunting task, controllers must undergo rigorous training before being allowed to stand watch. It takes months of specialized instruction, followed by intense training at the local level, all run by their fellow controllers. By the time they are certified to man the console, these Airmen will have spent hundreds of hours memorizing procedure, organization and structure, all so that when the time comes, they will be able to relay accurate and timely information to the place it can do the most good. With so much potentially hanging in the balance, time and error are luxuries the controllers can't afford. From wartime taskings to minor car accidents, controllers have a hand in everything. 

As with any modern Airman, their assignments to the Command Post career field will carry them far across the world, from Reserve and Guard units stateside to the sands and heat of Baghdad. Most of the controllers at Travis have seen multiple deployments, supporting the mission wherever AMC assets go. To aircrews, it's reassuring to know that, no matter where the destination, when they arrive there will be a functioning Command Post, ready to coordinate their missions and take care of their needs. 

Meanwhile, as the sun rises, the fog begins to thin across the field and Team Travis wakes to another day. To most, the night has been like any other, and the familiar hum of operations will soon replace the silence. To a few, however, the morning sun is no different than the dead of night, no different than a holiday, a weekend or the height of the busiest day. 

To those who know, there is a place where Travis maintains its constant readiness. To those who know, Travis is ever watchful. Those who know will sleep soundly at the end of the day, reliant on the men and women of the Command Post to watch over them. But to the controllers manning the console, it's just another day as the unblinking eye of the 60th AMW.