“We make sure nothing swaps paint.”
That’s how one expert laughingly describes the job. It’s a simple, vivid image for a complex reality. High above the vast, mostly empty expanse of Utah’s west desert, a coordinated dance takes place every day, where some of the world’s most advanced fighter jets, including the F-35 Lightning IIs, execute high-stakes training exercises alongside weapons testing and private and commercial air traffic.
Keeping these worlds safely apart is the critical mission of a small team of air traffic controllers at a facility known as Clover and Chaos Control. They are the unseen guardians of the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), a massive sandbox of restricted airspace for the U.S. military that stretches nearly 230 miles long and 140 miles wide. From a dark room on Hill Air Force Base, filled with radar tubes and screens filled with data, these fifteen controllers manage a colossal slice of the sky.
Training isn’t the only thing that take priority at the UTTR, there are critical weapons testing programs that require constant coordination and deconfliction, not only with other UTTR organizations, but with other services and agencies.
“Our biggest challenge is managing the high volume of scheduled conflicts,” said Micah Tebbs, UTTR Control Branch chief. “ We have a lot of customers and frequent last-minute changes. Our controllers are excellent problem solvers—it really develops dynamic thinking and quick decision-making at every level.”
“There’s something new every day. It always keeps you on your toes,” says Brayden Roland, an Air Traffic Control Specialist at Clover. “You can’t really plan for it—you have to act on the fly, trust your instincts, and figure it out as you go.”
Most of the controllers are military veterans, like Roland, who spent over eight years on active duty, and Benjamin Shrewsbury, who served for ten years. They are highly experienced and hired for their ability to make split-second decisions in dynamic environments. Their background gives them a unique understanding of the pilots they guide.
In addition to military test and training, the Interstate 80 commercial flight corridor, the busy western gateway to Salt Lake City, slices directly through the middle of the training range, splitting it into a north and south section. Clover Control works in a tight partnership with civilian controllers at Salt Lake Center, handing off aircraft between the military and civilian worlds.
A typical mission for a pilot from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base starts in regular airspace. Then, they are handed over to a controller in Clover’s control room. That controller guides the jet into the restricted military airspace. Once inside, control is transferred to a tactical controller, or TAC C2, sitting just across the room in “Chaos Control.” This specialist helps build the “battlespace,” guiding the pilot through complex combat training scenarios, feeding them tactical and target information.
“When you see these training scenarios that we help facilitate here, actually being applied in real-world situations, it connects everything and makes us feel like part of a much bigger overall goal,” Roland explains.
When the training mission on the range is complete, the process reverses. The tactical controller hands the jet back to the air traffic controller, who sequences it into an orderly flow for the safe journey home.
This small team doesn’t just support local pilots. The UTTR is a “national treasure,” connecting, via airspace “bridges,” to other ranges near Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Id. Linking these creates a massive battlefield for pilots to practice for modern warfare, where an engagement might span nearly a thousand miles.
“Fifth-generation warfighters need a large battlefield to develop their tactical picture,” said Tebbs. “They have to practice that before facing it in combat, so providing enough room is critical.”
To meet this growing need, a proposal is on the table to create a new, even larger block of controlled airspace, tentatively called the Western Range Integration initiative. This expansion would give pilots more room to train for long-range scenarios, ensuring they are prepared for any threat. It would mean hiring more controllers and adding more equipment, but it’s a necessary step to maintain readiness, Tebbs said.
Because they have air traffic control responsibility inside UTTR air space, what truly sets Clover Control apart is its flexibility. At most military ranges, if airspace is scheduled for training, it’s closed to everyone, whether it’s being used or not. Here, the controllers only activate the airspace when it’s needed. If a mission is canceled due to weather or maintenance, they keep the airspace open, allowing Salt Lake Center to route commercial flights through for time- and fuel-saving shortcuts.
For the controllers at Clover, the job is more than just a series of technical tasks. It’s about camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose.
“This facility is critical and essential to helping the primary warfighter achieve readiness for worldwide missions—at any given moment,” Tebbs said. “And, this wing stays very busy, that's for sure.”
They are the vital link that ensures America’s warfighters are the best-trained in the world, Tebbs said, while simultaneously protecting Air Force pilots and the public. They “own their piece of the Air Force,” and every day, they deliver.