Andrews Radio Airmen Assist Globally: 
Air Force pilots landing at Yokota AB, Japan, set their radios to communicate with the ground operators on approach—who are actually halfway across the world at Andrews AFB, Md. Operators with the 789th Communications Squadron at the Centralized Network Control Station at Andrews use 14 high frequency ground stations located around the world to communicate with aircraft, providing air-to-ground communications for USAF aircraft flying around the world. The CNCS also assists with phone patches and message relay services, ship-to-shore communications, and emergency assistance for DOD users. Operators field calls for everything from requests for a command post to efforts to reach other aircraft.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
