From the Frontlines: Master Sgt. Lowell Morris

Published July 13, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Montse Ramirez
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Flying blind is not an option. Combat missions are crucial to supporting overseas contingencies, allowing for no errors by everyone involved.

To execute these missions effectively, Airmen like Master Sgt. Lowell Morris, a 509th Operations Support Squadron combat airspace management technician, are needed.

Sergeant Morris recently returned from a seven-month deployment from an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. His job was to ensure there were no civilian aircraft flying in coalition forces' airspace. Sergeant Morris said that on a day-to-day basis, his unit built and executed an air control order, which is the delegation of airspace inside the theater.

"Any time the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines wanted to fly or shoot any type of large weaponry, there had to be airspace approved for that action," Sergeant Morris said. "They would make the request for the airspace, and we would make sure it was available and de-conflict from other airspaces."

Sergeant Morris and his team coordinated with air traffic control facilities all over the region.

"We were responsible for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa," he said.

Sergeant Morris' duty while deployed differed in the sense that instead of communicating with the aircraft directly like he does here, he communicated with air traffic controllers.

"My deployed job was completely different from anything I've ever done," Sergeant Morris said. "I was working on a larger scale. We were able to see how all the pieces fit together to form a well-oiled machine. Here, we tend to stick to what we know and don't branch out. We know the mission is getting done, but we really don't see anything outside of our comfort zone."

Instead of watching small targets on a screen, Sergeant Morris was able to witness the coalition's progress.

"It was great to see my day-to-day actions actually making a difference," Sergeant Morris said. "What we would design or implement one week, we would see on CNN a few weeks later."

In addition, Sergeant Morris also had the opportunity to be a first sergeant which allowed him to help Airmen with personal or work-related problems.

"It was nice to be able to help people with issues and see them get resolved quickly, especially since they were far from home," he said.

Sergeant Morris said one of his most memorable accomplishments was being able to help a few Airmen get home on emergency leave.

"Knowing they would get home in a timely manner to be with their families was very rewarding, said Sergeant Morris.

Whether Sergeant Morris was executing air control orders or taking care of his Airmen, he played a crucial role in ensuring mission success.