Sgt. D. G. Smith communicates with his team while setting landing lights. This is in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Greece for exercise Dynamic Mix.
Air traffic
controllers from Marine Air Control Squadron-2 and Headquarters and
Headquarters Squadron
participated in a Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team course aboard
Station and Camp Davis, Feb. 14 - 18.
The 24 controllers
spent time in the classroom learning what the purposes and responsibilities
of an MMT are. They then went to Camp Davis, N.C. to
apply what they
learned, rapidly establishing and controlling tactical landing zones in
remote locations for fixed wing aircraft and landing zones for rotary
wing aircraft.
Four teams of six
Marines tested their skills at setting up a 3,500-foot by 60-foot landing
zone within the target time of 20 minutes. A series of orange
nylon panels, nails,
sandbags, and ropes were placed every 500 feet along the edge of the runway
between the approach and departure ends setting up
daytime landing
zones. Different colored lights were placed, similarly to where the daytime
panels are placed, to set up nighttime landing zones.
The concept of an
MMT is for the controllers to be inserted into an area prior to aircraft
arriving. The team finds a clear location and sets it up before
aircraft come in
and do what they have to do, said Gunnery Sgt. David A. Lee, Marine Aviation
Weapons Tactics Squadron-1, Yuma, Ariz., ATC chief
and MMT instructor.
The MMT is normally
the lead element for establishing rapid ATC services for a Marine Air Ground
Task Force during limited hours. As a stand-alone
ATC capability,
the MMT can provide ATC for airfield seizures, noncombatant evacuations,
humanitarian civil assistance and other MAGTF operations.
For instance, MMTs were used during a fairly recent real-world operation in Sierra Leon, West Africa, said Lee.
The MMT supports
the MAGTF in a number of ways. This includes surveying air sites to determine
each sites operational suitability for the number and
type of aircraft;
marking landing zones; establishing a control point from which to formulate
and issue ATC clearances, instructions and advisories; and
establishing communications
for ATC services.
The MMT is capable
of controlling landing zones for Marine Expeditionary Unit and Marine Expeditionary
Force operations. The MMT has the organic
capability to operate
for up to 72 hours without resupply or augmentation.
Normally a team works
together over a long period of time and basically wont need to use a lot
of communication between each other to set up the LZ
in under 20 minutes,
said Lee. You have to continue to work together as an MMT, though.
During the biannual
MAWTS training, only eight Marines at a time are taught the MMT tactics.
These Marines are then instructed to continue the training
back at their units.
However, the number of controllers taught through the process are few.
Therefore, MAWTS instructors travel to other bases in an
attempt to teach
the MMT course to larger groups of controllers.
The purpose of this
is to give Marines MMT experience before they go to a MEU, instead of them
deploying with a MEU without having received the
proper training,
said Staff Sgt. David T. Gowans, MACS-2 operations chief.
Out of the four teams
who participated in the MMT training, one is scheduled to deploy with the
upcoming Dynamic Mix exercise. Another team is
scheduled to deploy
with the upcoming 26th MEU.