Air traffic controller wins AMC award

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  A civilian with the 319th Operations Support Squadron here has been named Air Mobility Command's Air Traffic Controller of the Year.

Brian Sullivan, 319th OSS Airfield Operations Automation manager, works in the Radar Approach Control (RAPCON) tower, which provides air traffic control service to 14 airfields within 4,200 square miles of airspace.

"Not many folks realize the amount of air traffic the RAPCON works in the airspace surrounding Grand Forks Air Force Base," Sullivan said, adding that in fiscal year 2013, the RAPCON controlled more than 133,000 aircraft operations, making it the second busiest RAPCON in Air Mobility Command.

Maj. Steven Smith, 319th OSS Airfield Operations Flight commander, said it is no surprise that Sullivan won the award, describing him as a linchpin for the flight.

"He programs and maintains all our automated systems," Smith said about why Sullivan stood out among the nominees the flight had for the award.

"He's the go-to guy for so many things; it's wholly deserved."

In addition to handling such high traffic numbers with ease, Sullivan and his team scored an "Excellent" rating during an Airfield Operations Certification Inspection.

"We earned a 98 percent compliance [rate] in our first work center inspection," Sullivan said. "It was the highest in the Airfield Operations Flight."

Sullivan will now compete for recognition at the Air Force headquarters level, however he remains humble about the recognition and wants to share it.

"I consider this award a win for the entire RAPCON team," Sullivan said, "I couldn't have earned this award without the help of my co-workers."