THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 1996 TAG: 9602060324
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Bryan Suver says his job is ``recognized throughout the Navy community as important. When you're guiding $38 million aircraft, you have a lot of responsibility.''
Suver more than just an air-traffic controller; he is a facility watch supervisor. That job entails ensuring a smooth operation at Oceana, including the airfield, tower, radar room and flight planning room.
An air-traffic controller must master the tasks and regulations of 17 separate positions to qualify as a supervisor. Most sailors take two to three years to qualify; Suver took only 18 months.
Suver had 16 weeks of basic training in his field, plus an additional eight weeks of training to be a controller on board an aircraft carrier, and eight more weeks of advanced radar training.
The most challenging part of his job, he said, is ``dealing with a bunch of airplanes coming in all at one time. But when you know you did a good job, that's the reward.''
Suver's job today is not as stressful as it has been in the past. That's because the number of squadrons at the master jet base changes frequently, due to changes in the Navy. Currently, Oceana is home to only 10 squadrons, but the control tower still averages handling more than 250,000 operations a year.
His is the best job in the Navy, Suver says, ``because of the caliber of people it attracts. They're bright, and they have high standards, usually overachievers who are career-oriented.
``I think that's because the job is demanding. You have to comprehend, then apply, a lot of different rules, and be able to stick to them.'' by CNB