Display

The giant voice has a name: Command post

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jared Duhon
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Imagine a nice warm summer afternoon, a cool breeze keeps it just right for a nap. As you begin to fall asleep, you hear a booming voice on the base speaker system doing a test.

The operators of the system, and that voice you hear, are one of the bases most important assets.

"I always envisioned command post as the nerve center of the base," said Lt. Col. Travis Condon, 436th Mission Support Group deputy commander. "If you lose the nerve center then you lose the primary focal point for command and control."

Being the nerve center command post is charged with the duty of keeping the base informed.

"We are the go to for commanders because all of Air Mobility Command's messages go through us," Staff Sgt. Amanda Hendrix 436th Airlift Wing emergency action controller. "Our base commanders are busy and we ensure they get the important information, allowing them to make informed decisions."

Information can arrive at anytime so command post is always manned, no matter the occasion.

"We pretty much work 12 hour shifts," said Condon. "Three days on six to six, three days off, three nights on six at night to six in the morning. With a set schedule, we don't get to participate in holidays or family days."

Commanders aren't the only patrons of the information command post receives.

"We are the focal point for major events on base," said Hendrix. "Active shooter and bomb threats are some of them."

For base inspections command post does not change how they operate.

"Being the nerve center or focal point of information for the base we use our tools to inform members," said Hendrix. "Real world activities or inspection we pass the information, our mission does not change."

The giant voice system isn't the only tool used by command post to pass important information to the base.

"We use the giant voice system to pass most of our information," said Hendrix. "But, we also use the AtHoc system. The AtHoc system allows us to send information to the base via desktop, email, and telephone notification."

All of these systems aid command post to do what they do best.

"Our mission can be boiled down to a simple saying," said Master Sgt. Andre Scott, 436th Airlift Wing command post NCO in charge of command post operations. "Get the right information to the right people at the right time to go in the right direction."