WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Some Air Force jobs are highly visible and well known, but others happen more in the background. Such is the case with those who work in Command Post at the 445th Airlift Wing.
Hidden behind a thick steel door down a hallway in the headquarters building sits the central hub of all the happenings around the wing.
“We are the information handlers for the wing,” said Senior Master Sgt. Darrell Hornback, the superintendent of the 445th Command Post.
On any given day, the command post receives and sends all different types of information pertaining to things happening around the base and the wing, said Master Sgt. Amber Church, the NCO in charge of reports for the command post.
Some types of activities conducted in the command post are coordinating the flight and static activities of the nine C-17s assigned to the wing, notifying security forces of flight line activities, informing the maintenance operations center (MOC) regarding aircraft malfunctions, emergency management, and relaying important information to the wing commander.
Currently, the 445th has five Air Reserve Technician openings for command post specialists. Tall positions require a top secret clearance.
It is the only operation at the wing that is manned 24/7 so it takes a lot of manpower for the two man shifts, said Hornback.
“Somebody who is calm, who can work well under pressure, who is really good at customer service is the type of person we are looking for to fill these openings,” said Hornback. “Things can tend to be fairly calm, but at any moment, a phone call can change everything.”
Church adds that it takes the right personality and ability to deal with people, including being motivated and honest.
“The important part of the job is safeguarding safety and security for all members of the 445th to ensure the 24/7 mission readiness of the wing,” said Hornback.