Combat Airspace Operations
Jun 2025 - Present
235th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron
Combat Airspace Operator (AOC)
Qualified in June 2025 to manage and deconflict airspace inside a Combat Air Operations Center for deployed and contingency missions.
01 // The Problem
In deployed and contingency environments, multiple air missions operate concurrently within shared, congested airspace: CAS aircraft, tankers, ISR assets, helicopters, and UAS all requiring simultaneous coordination. Without dedicated combat airspace management, the risk of fratricide, airspace conflicts, and mission degradation increases significantly. The AOC Combat Airspace function provides the command and control layer that keeps all of those assets deconflicted and mission-effective.
02 // Approach
I completed the formal Combat Airspace qualification pipeline in June 2025 to move from tower-level airspace control into theater-level AOC operations.
The training covered:
- theater airspace management authorities and command relationships
- airspace control orders and special use airspace within deployed environments
- coordination with air defense and other mission functions inside the AOC
- AOC workflows used to synchronize airspace across a deployed theater
The role also draws directly on my ATC background in procedural separation, airspace management fundamentals, and live control discipline.
03 // Outcome
Adds AOC-level airspace management capability to the 235th CAOS mission portfolio.
The qualification helps bridge:
- tactical ATC knowledge
- theater-level airspace coordination
- joint and coalition air operations inside a deployed Combat AOC