KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Playing hiding seek isn’t too hard of a game; at least that’s the case when you’ve got a teammate on your side who has climbed up the tallest tree around and can see where everyone is hiding through his binoculars. Not only that, but he’s going to tell you exactly where to find them via walkie talkie.

Of course this is all make believe, but the aircraft operating here in Japan really do have their own friend in the tree – so to speak.

The 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron provides command and control support for all U.S. and allied aircraft that need it within their area of operation. Aircrews comprised of more than 18 members operate the E-3 Sentry to monitor the skies with its 30-foot rotating radar to relay important information.

“We are the guys in the air and on the radio telling the pilots of other aircraft where they need to go and what they need to do,” said Maj. Jeff Yeatman, 961st AACS mission crew commander. “This can be about changing their altitude for the safety of the flight or to de-conflict them with other airplanes. It can also be helping them find the tanker that’s going to refuel them and it can be to warn them about a threat that’s in the area.”

The Sentry is comprised of four sections that crews sometimes refer to as the four tribes. Together, they run the airborne warning and control system.

The four tribes are made up of flight deck members, technicians, controllers and the surveillance team.

Members of the flight deck are responsible for the overall conduct of flight operations and placement of the aircraft

A team of technicians operate the aircraft mission systems and stand ready to repair any equipment that malfunctions during the flight.

A surveillance team is constantly tracking everything on the radar and passes the most useful information to the controller team.

Controllers are constantly communicating with other aircraft in order to make sure air traffic doesn’t conflict with each other. They also provide guidance to fighter pilots and ensure tactical dominance is maintained.

“The four tribes work together to bring situational awareness to any air battle,” said Lt. Col. Kyle Anderson, 961st AACS commander. “It takes a team to make this happen and because of that we can share the big picture with friendly aircraft and operations centers.”

In some situations, the AWACS is used as extension for the higher headquarters air operations center. Commanders can then reach out and push instructions and orders to the forces under their command.

The AWACS can also support and coordinate jointly with other services, such as Army forces on the ground and can be used to identify ships for the Navy during maritime operations.

Plenty of man hours proceed each mission. Airmen from the 961st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron work around-the-clock to make sure the jet is ready to go and hours more coordination goes into mission planning to ensure the aircrew stays current with all training needs.

Whether it’s interdicting an enemy’s war making capabilities through awareness or identifying an unknown object, the AWACS is nothing without the Airmen who support it.

“The most rewarding part about working with the AWACS is the people,” said Anderson. ”In the end, that's what makes the mission happen. Building relationships between the four tribes, and also the maintenance folk who support them, is invaluable because you just can't get the mission done without them.”