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From pavement to the busiest RAPCON in the AF

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Scott Saldukas
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Like most other young boys, John Hammer dreamed of growing up and being a professional football star. Instead, the 30-year-old staff sergeant, husband, and father of three, is a senior watch supervisor at the busiest airfield in the Air Force.

Before joining the Air Force in 2005, Hammer lived and grew up in Knob Noster, Mo., where he held a full-time job and was enrolled as a full-time student. 

"It was tough," he said. "It was hard to make ends meet and concentrate on education."

Hammer explained that he thought about joining the Air Force for nearly two years before finally making his decision.

"Initially I just wanted a stable career and the possibilities to further my education," he said. "I was looking to get into computer security, [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] or something I could think of, at that point, which would benefit me outside the Air Force."

That all changed when someone in the Delayed Enlistment Program got cold feet and dropped out, which opened an air traffic controller slot that was leaving sooner than he had anticipated.

"My recruiter said, 'John, if you take air traffic control, you can be out of here in a few weeks'," Hammer said. "At that point, I was outside pouring concrete in hundred-plus degree weather. That's when I told him I would love to leave."

Freed from the unchanging daily routine of laying concrete, Hammer was determined to give his all to his new opportunity. At the time, Hammer had no idea what lay ahead.

"It wasn't until tech school before I actually realized what being a controller would really entail," he said. "To be honest, it was quite overwhelming."

After arriving at his tech school, Hammer went through a strenuous training period for six months, learning the basics of his new job where the washout rate was extremely high. From there, he moved to Laughlin where the training only seemed to get more intense.

"It's day-in and day-out studying," he said. "You'll take 12 to 14 written exams after arriving here within your first year. Then you have to get watched while you're in position and get mentored by your trainer. I would have to say that is the most stressful part of the job."

With the intensity and responsibility levels of the job being extremely high, Hammer said there was one person who was always in his corner. When he was feeling doubtful about his ability to make it through his training, Hammer shared his concerns with his older brother Joel.

"He would always tell me, 'don't quit, don't give up,' and would always provide me with words of encouragement. I would second guess myself and think maybe I do deserve to be out there on a construction site.  

After working his way through training and earning his spot to control, Hammer moved to the radar approach control section where he runs a shift as the senior watch supervisor, overseeing up to 23 people.

Hammer and his RAPCON team control 62 airfields with 10,000 square miles of airspace within 100 miles of Laughlin.

On Jan. 10, Hammer and the rest of the air traffic control team were announced to be in control of the busiest tower in the Air Force controlling a combined 337,436 operations.

"It's my responsibility as a senior watch supervisor to make sure all of the controllers are doing their job up to par or better," he said. "It's a huge responsibility. We have to fly missions and sorties to get pilots qualified to complete Laughlin's mission. In doing so, graduating pilots ensures we maintain the world's strongest air power."

The best part of the job is how there's always something new to discover, Hammer said. It's a far cry from the life he left behind.

"Essentially, it's always a new puzzle to figure out, constantly arranging these moving parts so that everything flows smoothly," he said. "You know when there is nothing to show for your work at the end of the day, it's a good thing."

Nearly seven years in and Hammer still can't believe how far he's come.

"I never thought when I was pouring concrete I would be doing what I do now," Hammer said. "I remember being outside with guys from the construction team and I would see an aircraft and hope I would be talking to them one day. I really couldn't even fathom what I would be getting into let alone dealing with the busiest combined air traffic control tower in the Air Force."

Knowing he excels in one of the most stressful jobs in the Air Force is rewarding he said, but he couldn't have done it without the inspiration his brother provided along the way.

In 2008, Joel was killed by a drunk driver.

"Since, it has definitely given me more motivation to improve and get better," he said. "Any time I'm faced with any type of adversity in life, I automatically resort to his words of inspiration and wisdom. The motivation factor is always there to do better because of his influence on my life."

Hammer carries the lessons he learned from the brother who meant so much onto the job each and every day, he said. That positive influence in the air traffic controller field that emphasizes the need to help each other, is paramount.

"People think that we are snobbish, but we are like a big family because what we deal with on a day-to-day basis may seem like a different language to other people," the senior watch supervisor said. "So the way we interact with each other is a lot different than the way we would interact with somebody who is unfamiliar with what we do. We train, we teach and police each other constantly so we are always on our toes and getting better."