107th ACS schools weapons directors

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class David Owsianka
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 107th Air Control Squadron is an Arizona National Guard unit and weapons director schoolhouse for the Air Force. They also assist the 325th ACS, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and have built a partnership with the Royal Netherlands air force.

The primary mission of the 107th ACS is to train weapons directors. Weapons directors are the enlisted controllers that provide ground control intercept for military aircraft.

The school originated at Tyndall and was a part of the 325th ACS training squadron.

In 2001, the school house split to efficiently train enlisted and officer Airmen. The officers stayed at Tyndall and the enlisted school house moved to Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix. The 107th moved to Luke AFB in 2009 to further the training advantages of collocation with the 56th Fighter Wing pilots.

"With the different missions for enlisted and officer, it was better to split the two up to allow us to have better use of the resources the Air Education and Training Command provides to us," said Lt. Col. Lynda Lovell, 107th ACS commander.

The enlisted Airmen who come to Luke for training will go through a 74-day course that is split into six blocks of training.

The first block focuses on safety and equipment specifics. This five-day block introduces what equipment the students will use during the course and how to safely use it.
During the second block the students learn basic control and how to talk to a simulated pilot.

The third block is more advanced with the Airmen learning aerial refueling operations.

"This is one of the most important portions of our schooling because there will be multiple tankers and receivers in congested air space with lots of safety concerns," Lovell said.

In the fourth and fifth blocks, students practice numerous high performance simulations talking directly with pilots.

They perform a large force exercise requiring them to do close air support, search and rescue, refueling, check-in, high value asset monitoring, and offensive and defensive counter air.

The sixth block is live training and is a huge part of the course. The students work hand-in-hand with student pilots as they go through their training.

The students get briefed at the 107th ACS, to collect the information they need before going back to the 107th ACS to control the mission on their radar scope. After their flight is complete they will be debriefed by their instructor and go back to the fighter squadron and debrief with the pilots.

While completing the mission, 107th ACS has developed relationships with a unit from the Netherlands.

The 107th ACS also assists the 325th with awarding officers an air battle manager rating.
"The purpose is to provide missions for the ADM students," Lovell said. "When we have fewer local students it allows us to bring Airmen from Tyndall to train."

They provide the month-long training to Dutch students who support Dutch pilots at the 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport where international students are trained.

The 107th ACS is a total forces initiative unit comprised of Arizona Air National Guard, active-duty and civilian employees.

"The Airmen in this field are very involved in the mission, said Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Burr, 107th ACS student. "We participate in the fight by talking to the pilots during their engagement."