LANGLEY AFB, Va., Oct. 9 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command issued the following press release:
"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...