607th ACS produces combat ready Air Control Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Aspen Reid
  • 56th Fighter Wing
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz --  A dark room filled with blue haze from multiple computer monitors serves as a training hub for the 607th Air Control Squadron trainees on their quest to become mission capable Airmen at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

The 607th ACS produces combat ready Airmen as interface control technicians, surveillance technicians and electronic protection technicians.

“We provide tactical control to aircraft,” said Staff Sgt. Patrick O’Neal, 607th ACS weapons director instructor. “When aircraft have radar or relay limitations, we provide that critical relay and control function to give them direction and provide deconfliction to keep [pilots] safe.”

The 607th ACS uses new programs such as the Battlespace Command and Control Center to effectively train more Airmen for live missions and deployments.

“The BC3 program is a good simulation to what we have in real operations,” said O’Neal. “It’s an upgrade from the 1980s operation module technology that we have been using. We’re able to accomplish more training with more students on this equipment.”

Trainees spend their time in academics, simulations and debriefs most training day with simulations lasting an average of three hours.

“We do a three-hour, rigorous drill,” O’Neal said. “This is to ensure they understand and comprehend the material and they’re able to accomplish the tactical aspect of the material they were taught.”

All Airmen assigned within the Control and Reporting Center career field have been trained in the 607th ACS. This makes the 607th ACS one of the most multifaceted units in the Air Force and a pivotal component in training the world’s greatest combat-ready Airmen.

“The 607th is the focal point for the CRC,” O’Neal said. “This is a school house that operates in training every single one of the functions that the CRC provides.”

The newly trained Airmen that emerge from the 607th ACS are prepared and able to perform key roles in command and control operations around the world.