Imagine being an air traffic controller just steps away from the battle's edge, prepared to enter into combat at a moment's notice if necessary. That's what it's like to be a Combat Control Specialist in the Air National Guard. In this role you'll provide command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR) to your team in order to control and enable the use of manned and unmanned, lethal and non-lethal airpower in any and all geographic and environmental conditions across the full spectrum of military operations. Combat Control Specialists are part of a Special Ops team and are also FAA-certified air traffic controllers. They operate in remote and sometimes hostile areas directing air traffic and alerting pilots and command of the location of hostile forces on the ground.

Combat Control Specialists are specially trained in:

• Air Traffic Control, reconnaissance and air power control principles and procedures
• Aircraft flight characteristics
• Encompassing tactical airlift and weapons delivery
• Air and surface firepower systems and effects
• Federal Aviation Administration and military air regulations
• Map, aeronautical chart, and publication use
• Characteristics and use of tactical and ATC communications systems and equipment, air navigation aids, night vision equipment
• Meteorology principles
• Infiltration techniques
• Movement and route selection
• Alternate insertion and extraction methods
• Parachute procedures and equipment
• Small unit tactics
• Amphibious and SCUBA operations
• Small arms and crew served weaponry
• Destructive demolition applications
• Must maintain Secret security clearance
• Qualification as a military freefall and static-line parachutist, combat diver
• Must pass a physical qualification