By Maj Monty Harshner (ret)
Bottom-line Up Front (BLUF):
1. Earn credibility and your trust with bosses and your Flight.
a. Ensure the AFIs and/or FAA governing directives support your position.
b. Be willing to listen, and understand the needs of the people and the mission.
2. Pick battles carefully. Sometimes the Flight will have to do things they do not want to do to support the mission.
3. Establish good working relationships with FAA Ops and Procedures, facilities, and your MAJCOM.
4. If your only alternative available is to tell your leadership “no,” be backed by clear written guidance, AFIs, or FAA regs.
5. Lead courageously, know what you are willing to stand for. (easier typed than done, I acknowledge that).
I arrived at Nellis Air Force Base as a 2d Lt, already having served 15 years as an enlisted air traffic controller. The Air Force had moved air traffic control (ATC) away from the Air Force Communications Command and placed it within an Ops Group. Since that change, I thought the pilots severely misunderstood the AOF role in “their” Group. I was eager to finally have some authority to say “no” and protect controllers. That was a very myopic view. I eventually grew out of it and began to understand the importance of the mission. Effectively leading required blending the Airfield Operations Flight capabilities within the overall mission. So, don’t be like me, and enjoy being “that person” that says no. More on that later, as there have been several times throughout my career where the FAA regulations competed directly with what I shall call pilots intentions. You’re going to have to find your way, but I will offer a little advice at the end.
More typical scenarios I dealt with were manning issues. In Airfield Ops, the career field manning dipped pretty low. Still, the flying continued, so there were great discussions about the ATC duty day. When we were running out of qualified ATC Watch Supervisors, with extended flying hours, the debate became about extending ATC duty shifts beyond 10 hours, like overseas (Editor’s Note: AFMAN13-204v3 states that the ATC duty day may be extended to 12-hours outside the National Airspace System [NAS] when directed or waived by the MAJCOM). In that case, it was my duty to point out the fact that overseas we’re not dealing with the NAS. Whereas stateside, we have to abide by FAA regulations or run the risk of operating illegally in the wake of any mishaps. CCTLRs and AFM can offer input and try to get the team to be creative with scheduling. Find ways to staff the facilities when needed, and pare down during the less busy times. Tap into your AOF staff and any other qualified Airfield Ops members that may be filling duties outside of the AOF. There is no “checklist” for these manning crises, you have to be creative, but remember to always stay legal.
A more contentious situation I dealt with involved a Wing leadership request. They wanted to demonstrate their ability to take off from a taxiway and were very adamant that they were going to exercise this procedure. I was a Captain now, with a firm understanding of the FAAO 7110.65, so I describe the seven different ways that that is an “illegal” act. At the time, it was in the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC), as well as the “Base Flying Reg” 11-250 series instructions. The name/document has changed over the years, but the rules guidance exists somewhere. I also had my CCTLR and AFM by my side, as they are the real technical experts. But the pilots were very determined to force our controllers to support that departure. So, the first thing I did was tell them they would not get a takeoff clearance from the Tower for that activity. That departure would be at their own risk, and they would receive no clearance from ATC. They pushed back hard that they were not allowed, ironically by their own 11 series instructions, to take off without an ATC clearance. I dug my heels in and told him that no clearance would come from the controllers for that operation. When it looked like they were going to force my hand, I asked for an email giving me the direct order. I then planned to put myself in local control and not issue the clearance, so when they wanted to hold someone accountable, it would be me. Fortunately, in the end, cooler heads prevailed, and that exercise was never attempted, at least during my time there. In the rare instance that you have to put your foot down and say no, be backed up by FAA regulations, ATC and AM regulations, and hopefully somebody at MAJCOM.
Additionally, it is vital to have a relationship with whoever services your air space within the FAA. That position used to be called Ops and Procedures, I’m not sure what the duty titles are today. It’s essential to nurture this relationship. “Anything can be done with coordination,” is an old ATC saying. Having strong relationships will assist you in the instances where they’re trying to push the envelope or do something non-standard. I used a few different tools to build this relationship with NORCAL TRACON. I took my AOF staff over to visit their facility and hosted them at mine. The Ops and Procedures guy was a private pilot. I coordinated a Civil Landing Permit for his aircraft for the formal visit, since it was official business. I also invited him to the Tower during our airshow and treated him like a VIP guest. This built a solid working relationship that paid great dividends throughout my tours in the area. And reduced problems when incidents that could be elevated occurred. (pilot deviations, UAS integration hurdles, etc.).
You probably didn’t log on to this page to hear stories from an old guy, so I’ll get to the advice portion. It’s a delicate balance between the wings flying mission, unconventional operations and governing guidelines in the AF and the FAA regulations. Again, you’re going to have to find your way, and the advice is sort of a cliche. If leadership insists on doing something you perceive as risky, they run the Wing/Group, so you’re going to have to do what you’re ordered to do. All you can do is advise them of the cost that may be incurred by their operation. “Yes ma’am, yes sir we can do it, here’s what it’s going to take/cost.”
My path was different than my peers. I had 15 prior-enlisted years in, so I had the luxury to stay at the flight level most of my career. I wasn’t interested in staff or HQ jobs. I loved working at the AOF level. Many of my peers at the time got caught up in the race to Lt Col, and that’s fine. I wanted to take care of people. Sounds self-righteous, but it’s really who I am. I still did everything correctly career-wise, and was a school select when promoted, but retired in 2011. If I would have stayed one more day, I would have had to stay 6 years. Seriously, one day turns into 6 years, a story for another blog post perhaps (promotion, In-res, PCS x2, 1-year deployment all adds ADSC). I love the career field, and every single thing that ever happened to me that mattered to me, in some way had to do with the USAF. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I’m excited about your journey, this is the fairest and most professional the USAF has ever been. I wish you the best.
Major Monty Harshner retired from active duty in 2011 after 27 years of service. He commissioned through OTS and served in numerous AOF roles to include being the AOF/CC, 9 OSS/OSA, at Beale AFB and AOF/CC, 60 OSS/OSA, at Travis AFB. He also served as Officer Instructor and Training Flight Commander, 334 TRS, Keesler AFB. He deployed several times to various locations within the CENTCOM AOR. He now lives in California, where he referees high school and Junior College (JUCO) basketball games, as well as serving his community as a substitute teacher.
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