Lindsay. I am believing , with the info on the previous post for this thread - You were definately listening to a Range Control frequency. As range control comms with units are done on a dedicated low band freq for that installation. "Dust Off" is also a dedicated low band freq.
Most Military installations have "Ranges". Those ranges vary as such for = Machine Gun Fire , Aircraft weapons practice. Mortar firing, Artillary Firing, small arms ( rifle and pistol ), Tank Gunnery Practice, demolitions and ect.
When a particular unit gets a " Range" , the officer , senior NCO for that unit contacts range control and advises that the range is " Hot " ( after scheduling it with Range Control ), and a flag goes up at that range also as a visual indicator.
In reading the above post , It sounds that an aircraft was either (A) = Getting ready to use a range, Or (B) = needed to transit a series of ranges and got "Range Controls" permission to do so ; as to not get hit by small arms fire , a mortar round , or worse an artillery round.
Vehicles and aircraft, who wish to transit a series of ranges to get to a particular one, or for some reason need to transit a series of ranges to get to a certain point, have to call Range Control and get permission to " Enter and occupy' a range or " transit a range" ( very large inpact area - Ex= artillery ). In my day, since people are not infallable - TWO individuals physically checked a map and verified yes or no that the range could be occupied or transited. In a aircraft sitiation , think of Range Control as being a ATC center , FAA and NORAD all wrapped up into one, because the NCO at Range Control is the supreme deirty, and has the ultimate authority no matter what rank the other John Doe might be. Messing with him or her CAN get you in a boatload of trouble. I mean more trouble than you can handle.
I have never known, In my military career , for a Range Control NCO or Officer to make a mistake. It was always the other guy whom (A) Was not performing situational awareness. ( B ) made a mistake at reading a map and compass ( eight digit grid coordinates ). ( C ) traveled from point "A" to point "B" along the wrong azmuith ( magnetic heading ). I spent time at Fort Hood , which by estimates is the largest military installation in the free world. There are ranges there ( impact areas ) that would take you a good half day to drive across.
Range Control is also the primary contact ( or was ) for medical evac and emergencys on a U.S Army base. Key word "WAS" , so it is worth plugging in a scanner and listening to if you are close.
Hope this helped Lindsay.
FF - Medic !!!! ( 1st Cav @ Ft.Hood, TX : 2nd Infantry Div @ Camp Casey, Korea )
