Tech controllers bid farewell to AFSC

Published Feb. 3, 2010
By Angela Cutrer
Keesler News staff

Angela Cuntrer -- On Jan. 26, Snoopy finally retired. He was 50 years old and boasted a long, successful career.

Snoopy went down fighting, of course -- he was a good, brave Airman. He served a long time as the mascot for tech controllers, but now he has to let go of his career field because it has evolved into a different, pioneering embodiment of what education is now and what it will be soon.

All of this change meant that this month marked the last for the 3C2X1 Air Force Specialty Code, network integration, previously known as communications-computer systems control class. The course was taught in the 336th Training Squadron.

The first class graduated from tech school at Keesler on Dec. 13, 1960. Previously an officer field, many of its transplants hailed from the 293X0 ground radio operations career field. The first class of the 16-week course graduated at the old Thomson Hall and 5,579 Airmen graduated since 1999.

But now, that is all no more. Jan. 26, a "memorial" ceremony was conducted in front of Thomson Hall, complete with a time capsule filled with memorabilia and a dedication plaque in honor of the career field.

On the memorial marker can be found these words: "In memory of the spirit of the Water Walkers, 3C2X1-Tech Control-336 TRS, 1960-2010, We Were The Chosen Ones."

The final graduation ceremony in front of the hall featured Chief Master Sgt. Brian Sale from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., who began his career in 1992 as a communication-computer systems control apprentice student at Keesler. Chief Sale is now the 3D0XX functional manager for Air Force Global Strike Command. He oversees training, manpower utilization, assignments and related actions involving more than 400 active duty, guard and reserve personnel across five bases.

Tech controllers called themselves "jack of all trades, master of none," with the basic duty description of "operates, monitors, secures, and controls the physical, data link, network, and transport layers of garrison and tactical communications-computer systems, encompassing local and wide area networks, end-to-end telecommunications and circuit switching systems, long-haul transmission, and the global information grid; performs, coordinates, and supervises their design, configuration, operation, restoration and improvements; analyzes their capabilities and performance, identifies problems and takes corrective action; operates cryptographic equipment; fabricates cable assemblies; performs C-CS control facility quality assurance evaluation; (and) directs and makes operational adjustments to C-CS equipment."

So how did Snoopy get involved, you ask? According to legend, it all started when a maintenance officer seemed to sense that tech controllers had difficulty admitting they could make a mistake, emphasizing his thoughts with the comment, "Do you guys think you walk on water?"

Following the image of the cool, hip characters of the day, the mascot involving Charles Shultz's Snoopy was born, eventually evolving into the famous dog pictured walking on a wave made popular by Japanese artist Hokusai, a 310 patch cord in his hand.

In 2009, 365 tech controllers graduated, but the future now is that 27,000 enlisted Airmen are transitioning from 16 communications AFSCs (2EXXX, 3A0XX, 3CXXX) to 11 new cyberspace support specialties (3DXXX).

It is supposed that new mascots may be needed. Perhaps Snoopy can get another job?