Safety through radio

  • Published
  • By By Airman First Class Makensie Cooper
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs

The 15th Operational Support Squadron Radar, Airfield and Weather Systems shop technicians aid in the safety of military aircraft taking off and landing on the flightline to ensure mission success.

The Hickam RAWS technicians maintain and install everything from weather equipment and radios to ground control and navigational aids on Oahu and the Big Island for military crews.

“The main thing we do here is we take care of all of the radios in the tower so they can be in contact with all of the aircraft, and we maintain all the backup radios as well,” said Senior Airman Troy Stanley, 15th Operation Support Squadron RAWS Shop.

One piece of equipment under the RAWS Shop is the Tactical Air Navigation System, a radio air-navigation system that provides aircrew distance information as a guide to show their geographical location and is usually used by combat controllers in remote airfields.

“In our squadron, we fly a lot to locations where we don't have conventional weather and radar support,” said Capt. Bryan Anderson, 65th Airlift Squadron pilot. “The ability to call and get an updated weather product and give us more confidence on where we are going will be safe to fly, especially being here in the Pacific, which is a very open theater with not a lot of divert options to land if the weather gets bad.”

By maintaining the radios and radar systems in the control tower and aircraft, the Hickam RAWS shop ensures safety and reduces accidents on any flightline.

“The communication with the aircraft helps keep the ramp safe and secure,” said Master Sgt. William Kelley, 15th OSS RAWS Shop noncommissioned officer in charge. “The weather equipment gives the air traffic controllers all of the essential weather data that they can relay to the pilots for safe operations of their aircraft for takeoff and landing.”