As an air traffic controller, Montgomery native ‘controlling the chaos’

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – “It’s basically controlled chaos,” said US Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Laquetta Spann, air traffic controller for the 56th Operations Support Squadron. “Each day is different; you never know what you’re going to get.”

From humble origins in Montgomery, Alabama, to becoming the only Black female Chief Master Sgt. in the United States Air Force’s ATC career area, Spann has never wavered in her dedication to her work.

Having saying that, the route to success was not always easy.

“We did not have a lot of money growing up,” said Spann. “There were times when basic necessities like electricity and gas were beyond our means.”

Even though Spann grew up in a poor family, she always had one goal in mind: getting a college degree.

No schools had responded to Spann’s requests for scholarships days after she graduated from high school. She started thinking of other ways to pay for college.

Spann’s brother was in the U.S. Navy at the time.

“Throughout my life my brother has always inspired me and pushed me to do my best,” said Spann. “He played a pivotal role in encouraging me to enlist in the Air Force to become an air traffic controller.”

After getting a job as an air traffic controller, Spann had to deal with a lot of problems in her field.

“The job was very high-pressure and demanding from the start,” said Spann.

Air traffic control tried her calmness and strength, but she stayed committed to her goal of getting a degree and didn’t give up.

Years later, Spann was sent to Kadena Air Base in Japan, where she met new people and learned about a whole new part of her job.

“I had the opportunity to work with an amazing team in Kadena,” said Spann. “The camaraderie and support I experienced there truly changed my perspective.”

Spann continued her schooling while she spent time at Kadena, balancing her military duties with her classes. After years of hard work, she finally got her college degree.

But after she got her degree, she found that the Air Force gave her even more than she had asked for. The real relationships she made with her fellow service members helped her feel more committed to the Air Force and made her want to keep serving.

“I reenlisted and then reenlisted again, because I was having so much fun,” said Spann. “Once I found people I enjoyed working with, the fulfillment I felt doing air traffic control was like nothing else.”