Airmen fly with local law enforcement

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashley Williamson
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, NC --  Air traffic controllers and apprentices from the 4th Operations Support Squadron visited the Wayne Executive Jetport in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Oct. 21, 2015, to meet with and discuss how the Wayne County Sheriff's Office aviation unit and Team Seymour Airmen can increase interoperability.

Seymour Johnson AFB airfield operations and the WCSO created an agreement on June 2, 1999 to assist interoperability between the two forces to keep the community and law enforcement safe. To revitalize the program and improve communication and operations between the two, Airmen discussed operations between the units and received helicopter flights.

"The whole purpose of the event was to better understand how the military can assist the county and to give us a perspective on what their role is so we can come up with a solution that minimizes conflict," said Senior Airman Tanner Sobleski, 4th OSS air traffic controller.

After discussing possible improvements to the program, the WCSO aviation unit took each of the Team Seymour Airmen on an incentive flight around the Goldsboro area.

"This incentive flight, in being able to get out here and actually see it from a different perspective, actually opens up the bridge and helps cover some of the gap that we're lacking in communication; this way, we get more insight," Sobleski said.

Lt. Tom Parker, WCSO aviation unit chief pilot, said this opportunity increased the working relationship between the organizations and will allow the WCSO to go into certain airspace needed to provide effective support for ground units in Wayne County.

"This is an opportunity for the sheriff's office personnel, or the aviation unit itself, to coordinate with the controllers of Seymour Johnson to help us coordinate and better communicate what we need in terms of doing our mission," Parker added. "This opportunity will allow them to see firsthand the aerial perspective of what we can use from them in terms of airspace usage."

With the many hours of discussions and flights behind them, Parker said the units achieved a better understanding and appreciation of one another.

"We know that we are not the only ones taking up air space," Parker said. "We just greatly appreciate the opportunity to come together and just work together with all the controllers and all those at Seymour Johnson. We greatly appreciate their support and everything that they do for us, and we look forward to each chance that we get to work together."