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56-550: The Joint Communications Unit ( JCU ) is a unit of the Joint Special Operations Command charged to standardize and ensure interoperability of the communication procedures and equipment of JSOC and its subordinate units. JCU was activated at Ft. Bragg (now Fort Liberty), NC in 1980, after the failure of Operation Eagle Claw . JCU has earned the reputation of " DoD 's Finest Communicators". The JCU prides itself in its ability to conduct operations and exercises on

112-508: A Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory before being hired by the Federal Aviation Administration . Conditions such as hypertension , while not disqualifying, are taken seriously and must be monitored with medical examinations by certified doctors. Controllers must take precautions to remain healthy and avoid certain medications that are banned for them; all medications, even over-the-counter drugs , must be reported to

168-573: A 30 September 2011 air attack that killed Anwar al-Awlaki , an al-Qaeda cleric and Yemeni-American U.S. citizen. After several days of surveillance of Awlaki by the Central Intelligence Agency, armed drones took off from a new, secret American base in the Arabian Peninsula, crossed into northern Yemen and unleashed a barrage of Hellfire missiles at al-Awlaki's vehicle. Samir Khan , a Pakistani-American al-Qaeda member and editor of

224-501: A 30-minute break. Except at quieter airports, air traffic control is a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year job where controllers usually work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and public holidays. These are usually set 28 days in advance. In many countries, the structure of controllers' shift patterns is regulated to allow for adequate time off. In the UK, the most common pattern is two mornings, two late afternoons, and two evenings/nights followed by

280-567: A December 2013 drone strike that killed numerous civilians at a wedding ceremony. Despite a ban on military drone operations, the Yemen government allowed CIA drone operations to continue. On 25 March 2016, Special Operations Forces in Syria killed ISIL commander Abu Ala al-Afri . On 26 October 2019 U.S. Joint Special Operations Command's (JSOC) Delta Force conducted a raid into the Idlib province of Syria on

336-581: A November 2009 report in The Nation , JSOC, in tandem with Blackwater/Xe , had a drone program, along with snatch/grab/assassination operations, based in Karachi and conducted in and outside of Pakistan. In October 2009, leaked diplomatic cables from the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson , states the Pakistani Army approved the embedding of U.S. Special Operations Forces, including elements from

392-421: A bullhorn, al-Qurashi proceeded to detonate a bomb that killed himself and 12 others, many of which were members of his family. After the explosion, the U.S. soldiers entered the compound and had a shootout with the survivors, including a deputy of al-Qurashi, who was then shot and killed by the U.S. forces. The raid lasted nearly two hours and no U.S. forces were killed. Air traffic controller Although

448-414: A degree of situational awareness that is significantly better than the population average. In 'games' involving short-term memory, peer-induced stresses, and real-time risk analysis, air traffic control specialists scored better than the control group in every experiment . Excellent hearing and speaking skills are a requirement, and trainees undergo rigorous physical and psychological testing. Moreover,

504-415: A fast processing of numeric computations and mathematics, assertive and firm decision-making skills, the ability to maintain their composure under pressure, and an excellent short-term memory . Through numerous studies throughout the decades, it has been demonstrated that traffic controllers usually have a superior visual memory , and in addition, studies have shown that air traffic controllers generally have

560-405: A four-day break. Many countries regulate work hours to ensure that controllers are able to remain focused and effective. Research has shown that when controllers remain "on position" for more than two hours without a break, performance can deteriorate rapidly, even at low traffic levels. Many national regulations, therefore, require breaks at least every two hours. Sylvia Noble Tesh documented

616-417: A large hole into the side of the compound. After entering, the compound was cleared, with people either surrendering or being shot and killed. The two-hour raid culminated with Baghdadi fleeing from U.S. forces into a dead-end tunnel and detonating a suicide vest, killing himself along with three of his children. The complex operation was conducted during the withdrawal of U.S. forces northeast Syria, adding to

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672-613: A major speech to "seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq." Sometime in 2007, JSOC started conducting cross-border operations into Iran from southern Iraq with the CIA. These operations included seizing members of Al-Quds, the commando arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard , and taking them to Iraq for interrogation, as well as the pursuit, capture or killing of high-value targets in

728-481: A single misunderstanding about altitude levels or runway numbers can have tragic consequences. Controllers communicate with the pilots of aircraft using a push-to-talk radiotelephony system which has many attendant issues, such as the fact that only one transmission can be made on a frequency at a time and can either merge or block each other and become unintelligible. Although local languages are used in ATC communications,

784-823: A variety of platforms including, but not limited to ships, aircraft, vehicle and field conditions. The JCU has positions for active duty Army , Air Force , Navy , Marine Corps , and DoD civilian personnel in a variety of communications, automation, electronics maintenance and logistic specialties. Because of the JCU's deployment status, unit personnel receive a wide range of training, including: ultra high frequency and super high frequency satellite systems, local area networks , wide area networks , servers , active directories, networking, voice over IP , videotelephony , video distribution, fiber system installation, and advanced tactical communication scenarios on various air, land, and sea platforms. This United States military article

840-621: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command ( JSOC ) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization, to plan and conduct special operations exercises and training, to develop joint special operations tactics, and to execute special operations missions worldwide. It

896-459: Is due to an FAA requirement that trainees begin their training at the Academy no later than their 31st birthday, and face mandatory retirement at age 56. However, retired military air traffic controllers may qualify for appointment after reaching 31 years of age. Communication is a vital part of the job: controllers are trained to focus on the exact words that pilots and other controllers speak, because

952-654: Is logically part of the Operational Preparation of the Battlespace (OPB), which follows the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace , a concept well-known in the U.S. and NATO doctrine, OPB is seldom used outside of SOF channels. OPB is defined by the U.S. Special Operations Command as "Non-intelligence activities conducted prior to D-Day , H-Hour , in likely or potential areas of deployment, to train and prepare for follow-on military operations". In

1008-485: Is maintained by the 3rd Operational Support Group (3 OSG), which is based at Ft. Liberty. According to Rolling Stone contributing editor Seth Harp, 3 OSG is the same unit commonly referred to as "Delta Force"; however this is contradicted by a 2016 evaluation of foreign officer involvement at USSOCOM by the DOD Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence and Special Program Assessments which lists 3 OSG and

1064-540: Is posted to a new unit or starts work on a new sector within a particular unit, they must undergo a period of training regarding the procedures peculiar to that particular unit and/or sector. The majority of this training is done in a live position controlling real aircraft and is termed On the Job Training (OJT), with a fully qualified and trained mentor or On the Job Training Instructor (OJTI) also 'plugged into'

1120-722: The Combat Applications Group ("CAG", a known identifier for Delta Force) as two separate entities under JSOC. Advanced Force Operations are defined by JP 3-05 as "Operations conducted to refine the location of specific, identified targets and further develop the operational environment for near-term missions." According to Gen. Michael Repass, who conducted it in the Iraq War and was very familiar with its use in Afghanistan, "AFO consists of U.S. Secretary of Defense -approved military operations such as clandestine operations . It

1176-517: The Iraq War , Gen. Repass, who first commanded the 10th Special Forces Group , took control of a Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force, which used the 5th and 10th Groups to conduct AFO. AFO units were heavily involved in Operation Anaconda and Operation Viking Hammer . JSOC has provided domestic law enforcement agencies support during high-profile or high-risk events such as the Olympics ,

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1232-541: The Joint Communications Unit is tasked to ensure compatibility of communications systems and standard operating procedures of the different special operations units. The Joint Special Operations Command also oversees the Special Mission Units of U.S. Special Operations Command . These are ultra-elite special operations forces units that conduct highly classified and complex operations. So far,

1288-537: The Presidential inauguration . They were allegedly deployed under a secret counter-terrorism program named Power Geyser . The New York Times quoted a senior military official as saying, "They bring unique military and technical capabilities that often are centered around potential WMD events," A civil liberties advocate who was NOT the Constitutionally elected Civil Officer of the U.S. National Organizations but who

1344-523: The Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Task Force Brown) are controlled by JSOC when deployed as part of JSOC Task Forces such as Task Force 121 and Task Force 145 . JSOC has an operational relationship with the CIA 's Special Activities Center (SAC). SAC's Special Operations Group (SOG) often recruits from JSOC SMU personnel. JSOC's Security Operations Training Facility

1400-517: The Fiscal Year 2000 Defense Department Authorization Act, Public Law 106-65, permits the secretary of defense to authorize military forces to support civilian agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation , in the event of a national emergency, especially any involving nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. In January 2005, a small group of commandos were deployed to support security at

1456-734: The Joint Special Operations Command, with the Pakistani military to provide support for operations in the country. This goes beyond the original claims of the U.S. that the only role of the Special Forces was in training the Pakistani military. The leak further revealed that JSOC elements involved in intelligence gathering and surveillance and use of drone UAV technology. JSOC is credited with coordinating Operation Neptune Spear that killed Osama bin Laden on 1 May 2011. JSOC directed

1512-499: The Obama administration has decided to escalate operations against Al-Shabaab in the aftermath of the group's Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, that took place from 21–24 September 2013 and which left some 70 people dead. According to The New York Times the Yemen government banned military drone operations after a series of botched drone strikes by JSOC, the last of which was

1568-777: The R-side Area controller. This can be done with or without the use of radar: radar allows a sector to handle much more traffic; however, procedural control is used in many areas where traffic levels do not justify radar or the installation of radar is not feasible, such as over oceans. In the United States, en-route controllers work at air route traffic control centers or ARTCCs. In other countries, area controllers work in area control centers , controlling high-level en-route aircraft, or terminal control centers , which control aircraft climbing from or descending to major groups of airports. Aerodrome or Tower controllers control aircraft within

1624-458: The US, "center" controllers. Area controllers are responsible for specific sectors of 3D blocks of airspace with defined dimensions. Each sector is managed by at least one area controller, known as an "R-side" (Radar) controller that handles radio communications. During busier times of traffic, there may also be a second area controller, known as a "D-side" (Data), assigned to the same area in order to assist

1680-598: The United States, with some speculating it was due to too many white males being hired over minorities. The FAA says it "is blind on the issue of diversity". At the same time, the FAA also stopped giving preference to applicants who were military veterans with aviation experience. In addition, group of external experts appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need for immediate action on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, to address safety concerns in

1736-796: The World Cup, political party conventions, and Presidential inaugurations. Although the use of the military for Local law enforcement purposes in the U.S. is generally prohibited by the Posse Comitatus Act , Title 10 of the U.S. Code expressly allows the Secretary of Defense to make military personnel available to train Federal, State, and local civilian public safety officials in the operation and maintenance of equipment; and to provide such officials with expert advice. Additionally, civilian and military lawyers said provisions in several federal statutes, including

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1792-605: The border with Turkey that resulted in the death of brahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai also known as Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi . The raid was launched based on a CIA Special Activities Center intelligence collection and close target reconnaissance effort that located the leader of ISIS. Launched after midnight local time, the eight helicopters carrying the teams along with support aircraft crossed hundreds of miles of airspace controlled by Iraq, Turkey and Russia. Upon arrival, efforts were made for Baghdadi to surrender, with those efforts unsuccessful U.S. forces responded by blowing

1848-683: The completion of academic training, the graduating student will be granted an Air Traffic Control license, which will include one or more Ratings. These are sub-qualifications denoting the air traffic control discipline or disciplines in which the person has been trained. ICAO defines five such ratings: Area (procedural), Area Radar, Approach (procedural), Approach Radar, and Aerodrome. In the United States, controllers may train in several similar specialties: Tower, Ground-Controlled Approach (GCA), Terminal Radar Control, or En route Control (both radar and non-radar). This phase of training takes between six months and several years. Whenever an air traffic controller

1904-460: The complexity. Death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi On 3 February 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that a raid conducted by Joint Special Operations Command in the city of Atme , Syria in Northwest Syria near the border with Turkey, had killed the second leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. After U.S. forces evacuated 10 civilians using an Arabic translator and

1960-408: The computers, rather than being automated out of existence altogether. However, there are problems envisaged with technology that normally takes the controller out of the decision loop but requires the controller to step back in to control exceptional situations: air traffic control is a skill that has to be kept current by regular practice. This in itself may prove to be the largest stumbling block to

2016-595: The default language of aviation worldwide is Aviation English . Controllers who do not speak English as a first language are generally expected to show a certain minimum level of competency. Area controllers are responsible for the safety of aircraft at higher altitudes, in the en-route phase of their flight surrounding busier airports and airspace. Area controllers may also handle aircraft at lower altitudes as well as air traffic around small airports that do not have their own towers or approach controllers. In most nations, they are known as "area", "en route", or, colloquially in

2072-959: The following four JSOC units are known, each has an internal task force color code: The Intelligence Support Activity's primary role is to act as a deep reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering special mission unit, in support of other combat oriented units within JSOC. Delta Force and DEVGRU are the military's primary counter-terrorism units, eliminating high-value targets and performing hostage rescues are their main roles, along with special reconnaissance and direct action assignments. The 24th Special Tactics Squadron attaches personnel as enablers to these two units such as Combat Controllers to provide air traffic control and fire support , Pararescuemen to provide combat medicine and combat search and rescue , and Tactical Air Control Party specialists to co-ordinate close air support . The Joint Communications Unit provides communications capabilities. Units from

2128-428: The immediate vicinity of the airport and use visual observation from the airport tower. The tower's airspace is often a 5-nautical-mile (9.3 km) radius around the airport, but can vary greatly in size and shape depending on traffic configuration and volume. The tower positions are typically split into many different positions such as Flight Data/Clearance Delivery, Ground Control, and Local Control (known as Tower by

2184-436: The introduction of highly automated air traffic control systems. User acceptance or willingness to use such technology is another important consideration air service providers need to consider prior to implementing any new technology. In a recent study with over 500 air traffic controllers from around the world, Bekier and colleagues found that once the focus of decision-making shifts from the air traffic controller, support for

2240-406: The jihadist Inspire magazine, also reportedly died in the attack. The combined CIA/JSOC drone strike was the first in Yemen since 2002—there have been others by the military's Special Operations forces—and was part of an effort by the spy agency to duplicate in Yemen the covert war which has been running in Afghanistan and Pakistan. On 28 October 2013, a drone strike by JSOC on a vehicle near

2296-477: The job. Despite years of effort and billions of dollars spent on computer software designed to assist air traffic control, success has been largely limited to improving the tools at the disposal of the controllers, such as computer-enhanced radar. It is likely that in the next few decades, future technology will make the controller more of a systems manager overseeing decisions made by automated systems and manually intervening to resolve situations not handled well by

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2352-458: The media in the United States frequently refers to them as air controllers , or flight controllers , most air traffic professionals use the term air traffic controllers , ATCOs , or controllers . For a more detailed article on the job itself, see air traffic control . Air traffic controllers are generally individuals who possess superior situational awareness , spatial awareness , and are well organized. Other skills that are essential include

2408-477: The medical authority, and failure to do so can result in a revocation of medical certification. Numerous drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are either banned or would require an air traffic controller to apply for a Special Consideration Medical Certificate and undergo stringent and continuous monitoring of the underlying medical condition. Almost universally, trainee controllers begin work in their twenties and retire in their fifties. This

2464-504: The men's aid. Then-JSOC commander William McRaven visited the affected family, offered them a sheep in restitution, and apologized. In May 2003, elements of Task Force 20 (TF 20) remained in Iraq following the invasion and shifted to hunting down high-value former Ba'athist insurgents under direct JSOC command. In July 2003, Task Force 5 (formerly Task Force 11) and Task Force 20 were merged to form Task Force 21, later renamed Task Force 121. On 11 January 2007, President Bush pledged in

2520-418: The overseeing aviation authority without explicit testing and waivers signed by the overseeing medical authority, demonstrating that the disorder does not impact the individuals ability to do the job. Almost universally, controllers are subjected to rigid medical and mental exams to ensure safety in the air traffic system. In the United States, for example, all air traffic controllers are required to take and pass

2576-621: The pilots); at busier facilities, a limited radar approach control position may be needed. The roles of the positions are: Most countries' armed forces employ air traffic controllers, often in most if not all branches of the forces. Although actual terms vary from country to country, controllers are usually enlisted. In some countries, all air traffic control is performed by the military. In other countries, military controllers are responsible solely for military airspace and airbases; civilian controllers maintain airspace for civilian traffic and civilian airports. Historically, in most countries, this

2632-440: The position of the air traffic controller requires some of the strictest physical and mental health requirements for any profession in the world; conditions such as diabetes , epilepsy , heart disease , and many psychiatric disorders (e.g., clinical depression , ADHD , bipolar disorder , personality disorders , a history of drug abuse , among many others) almost always disqualify people from obtaining medical certification from

2688-399: The position to give guidance and ready to immediately take over should it become necessary. The length of this phase of training varies from a matter of months to years, depending on the complexity of the sector. Only once a person has passed all these training stages they will be allowed to control a position alone. Typically, controllers work "on position" for 90 to 120 minutes followed by

2744-468: The stresses and challenges faced by air traffic controllers in her 1984 study "The politics of stress: the case of air traffic control." published in the International journal of health services. In a study which compared stress in the general population and in this kind of systems markedly showed more stress level for controllers. This variation can be explained, at least in part, by the characteristics of

2800-603: The target of lethal operations by the military or the CIA. In May 2013, the White House announced that it would carry out targeted killing operations only against those who posed a "continuing and imminent threat to the American people." The strike on 28 Oct was the first known American operation resulting in death since that policy was announced and is considered evidence by some observers that views have changed in Washington and that

2856-429: The technology dramatically decreases. Unsurprisingly, they also found that air traffic controllers enjoy the core tasks of their role: namely, conflict detection and resolution. In 2014, it was reported that in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration had stopped giving preferential treatment to air-traffic controller applicants who had passed classes from the 36 FAA-approved college aviation programs across

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2912-601: The town of Jilib in Lower Shabelle killed two senior Somali members of Al-Shabaab . Preliminary evidence suggested that one of them was Ibrahim Ali (also known as Anta), an explosives specialist known for his skill in building and using homemade bombs and suicide vests. The US administration has been reluctant to use drone strikes in Somalia. The reluctance partly centered on questions of whether Al-Shabaab—which has not tried to carry out an attack on American soil—could legally be

2968-528: The war on terror. The Bush administration allegedly combined the CIA's intelligence operations and covert action with JSOC clandestine military operations so that Congress would only partially see how the money was spent. According to The Washington Post , JSOC's commander Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal operated in 2006 on the understanding with Pakistan that US units will not enter Pakistan except under extreme circumstances, and that Pakistan would deny giving them permission if exposed. According to

3024-486: Was established in 1980 on recommendation of Colonel Charlie Beckwith , in the aftermath of the failure of Operation Eagle Claw . It is headquartered at Pope Field ( Fort Liberty, North Carolina ). The JSOC is the "joint headquarters designed to study special operations requirements and techniques; ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct joint special operations exercises and training; develop joint special operations tactics." For this task,

3080-596: Was part of the government and controllers were civil servants. However, many countries have partly or wholly privatized their air traffic control systems; others are looking to do the same. Civilian Air Traffic Controllers' licensing is standardized by international agreement through ICAO . Many countries have Air Traffic Control schools, academies or colleges, often operated by the incumbent provider of air traffic services in that country, but sometimes privately. These institutions are structured to provide training to individuals without any prior air traffic control experience. At

3136-651: Was told about the program by a reporter said that he had no objections to the program as described to him because its scope appeared to be limited to supporting the counterterrorism efforts of civilian authorities. JSOC carried out raids in Afghanistan. The number is not publicly known, but is estimated to be in the hundreds. Several have been documented in the 2013 documentary Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill and by other reporting. In one 2010 raid in Gardez , JSOC troops killed one U.S.-trained Police commander and another man, and three women, two of whom were pregnant, who went to

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