Active Military Operations Longer writeup

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.

Worth noting

A few things I would call out

  1. Completed formal Combat Airspace qualification training in June 2025, qualifying to operate within a Combat Air Operations Center (AOC) in deployed and contingency environments.
  2. Performs airspace deconfliction across simultaneous fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and UAS operations in complex joint airspace, coordinating between theater and tactical-level assets.
  3. Bridges ATC tower-level control expertise with theater-level airspace management and joint AOC workflows.

01 // What was getting in the way

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 // What I did

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:

  1. theater airspace management authorities and command relationships
  2. airspace control orders and special use airspace within deployed environments
  3. coordination with air defense and other mission functions inside the AOC
  4. 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 // What changed

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