ATC speaks our language

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Strohmeyer
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  Imagine being responsible for millions of dollars and hundreds of lives all while speaking a foreign language. This is everyday life for Japan Air Self-Defense Force air traffic controllers who must be able to speak two languages to ensure JASDF, U.S. Air Force and civilian aircraft can safely land at Misawa Air Base.

Master Sgt. Gordon Miller, 35th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control liaison, is helping JASDF air traffic controllers achieve this goal by serving as an instructor and coordinator for a new and upcoming ATC English course here at Misawa Air Base.

"Misawa Air Base is different from other air bases," said Sergeant Miller. "We rely on JASDF controllers to communicate with our aircraft, which requires them to have extensive English training."

The ATC English class, which will be the first of its kind in the Air Force for JASDF controllers, is currently in the planning stages and is slated to begin in late July.

"We are acquiring monologue books from the JASDF technical school and voice recordings of training scenarios," said Sergeant Miller. "Other Japanese bases are showing interest in this training program as well and plan to implement this into their training regiment possibly this year."


A typical day in the English class will be about two hours a day, up to three times each week. Students will go over vocabulary, reading, writing and dialogue exercises. A computer based training course is also being created for their off-time.

Their training is already longer than other career fields, and the additional training adds that much more.

"Our technical school is a about year long," said JASDF Senior Airman Hitomi Yoneya, air traffic controller. "We spent about two months studying English, which helps prepare us for our duty station."

The demands of ATC are already difficult, added Sergeant Miller. The addition of a foreign language raises the bar even further. Despite the challenges, the goal for this course is to help JASDF controllers feel more comfortable speaking English so they can focus more on the mission.

"This course will greatly improve the English skills of the controllers here, which is what I believe to be the best ATC Squadron in JASDF," said Sergeant Miller.

Although the program will enable smooth communication from the tower, the benefits go much further.

"To me, I have the best job in the world," said Airman Yoneya. "I plan on being an air traffic controller for the rest of my career, so having the opportunity to experience this training is very important for me."