Petty Officer 3rd Class Katherine Waltz examines one of the antennas she's responsible for setting up as part of her duties with Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Pacific. The 12-member unit is based at Naval Air Facility Misawa, one of eight in the Navy and the only one in Japan. The team deploys to remote locations in support of P-3 Orion aircraft. (Jennifer H. Svan / Stars and Stripes)
NAVAL AIR FACILITY MISAWA, Japan — The Navy considers it sea duty. But the 12 sailors with Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Pacific aren’t seafarers.
They don’t make port calls, instead arriving in foreign lands by plane. And they don’t have to worry about seasickness, as they mostly perform their jobs on solid ground.
But like ship-bound sailors, they also don’t have much time to establish routines at their home base at Misawa. Duty pulls them away about 50 percent of the time over a three-year tour, said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Edward Heim, the unit’s assistant officer in charge.
The "MOCC" sailors, as they call themselves, deploy across the globe, supporting the Navy’s heavily tapped P-3 Orion maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. From the ground, they provide critical voice and data links to P-3 air crews. "We go where the P-3 goes," Heim, 42, of Chicago, said.
That includes Afghanistan and Iraq, where P-3s fly surveillance and reconnaissance missions, providing another set of eyes for ground troops. The aircraft also support Operating Enduring Freedom in the Philippines and are called on to assist in humanitarian crises, such as Hurricane Katrina.
MOCC sets up house near an airfield. Its sailors are considered "rapid deployers," packing 20,000 pounds of tactical gear in a C-130, arriving on scene first and setting up within four days. Typically, they require a roof to work under, but Heim said the unit is becoming more expeditionary.
That capability was on display last week at Misawa, where MOCC sailors operated from tan tents for an inspection, powering elaborate communications gear with generators. The only thing missing were cots and showers.
"Most of the places we go to have access to a hotel or barracks," Heim said.
MOCC personnel connect P-3 air crews to e-mail and phone lines. They troubleshoot when crews have radio communication problems with ground troops. They provide pre-mission planning — for example, informing crews what radio frequencies link them to the ships they’re supporting. After a flight is over, MOCC members collect any data the aircraft records and quickly send it to military commanders.
There are eight MOCC units in the Navy. The one at Misawa is the only one in Japan.
Because the unit is so small — 10 enlisted and two officers — everyone has to learn each other’s jobs, Heim said.
One of Petty Officer 3rd Class Katherine Waltz’s many duties is setting up antennas and finding satellites. If anything breaks, she’s the maintenance technician called on to fix it.
With high scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, Waltz, 24, of Phoenix, had her choice of Navy career fields. She landed in the MOCC after working as a P-3 flight technician.
"Every day, I’m still learning," she said. If a cable breaks, she builds a new connection for it, something she didn’t do on the aircraft, she said.
Heim said it’s hard to find sailors interested in going to MOCC. Because it’s such a small community in the Navy, not many sailors know about it.
"If you’re interested in seeing the world, interested in learning about new equipment, MOCC might be a place for you," he said.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Katherine Waltz examines one of the antennas she's responsible for setting up as part of her duties with Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Pacific. The 12-member unit is based at Naval Air Facility Misawa, one of eight in the Navy and the only one in Japan. The team deploys to remote locations in support of P-3 Orion aircraft. (Jennifer H. Svan / Stars and Stripes)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Reuben Hernandez, 29, an electronics technician, demonstrates the use of satellite communications equipment inside expeditionary tents set up by Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Pacific. The team of 12 sailors deploys around the globe in support of P-3 Orion aircraft. (Jennifer H. Svan / Stars and Stripes)
Sailors with Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Pacific, including center, from left standing, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Edward Heim, Petty Officer 2nd Class Freddie Thomas, and Petty Officer 1st Class Brent Borden, worked last week inside expeditionary tents at Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan. (Jennifer H. Svan / Stars and Stripes)
