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NKT

Cherry Point MCAS (Cunningham Fld)

Navy ATCT-RATCF Cherry Point, North Carolina

Facility Information

Facility Overview
Identifier NKT
Facility Name Cherry Point MCAS (Cunningham Fld)
Type ATCT-RATCF
Military Branch Navy
Tower Operated By U.S. Marine Corps Military & DoD civilian controllers
Airspace & Operations
Hours of Operation 24
Airspace Class Class D
Overlying ARTCC ZDC
Airport Diagram Airport Diagram (PDF)
Location & Contact
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Location Cherry Point, NC
Cost of Living Index 106.0 (6.0% above avg)

Controller Pay

DoD Civilian Pay (GS-2152)
GradeStep 1Step 10
GS-9 $73,818 $95,969
GS-10 $81,290 $105,671
GS-11 hired here $89,313 $116,113
GS-12 hired here $107,048 $139,166
GS-13 hired here $127,295 $165,486

Official federal pay rates for this location (OPM, January 2026). New hires usually start at the lower grades. Rates are for radar-rated jobs; controllers hired for tower duties only earn about 4% less at the same grade.

Military Controller Pay
GradeYears of ServiceMonthly Basic Pay
E-3over 2 yrs$3,015
E-4over 3 yrs$3,482
E-5over 6 yrs$4,110
E-6over 10 yrs$4,760
E-7over 14 yrs$5,835

Plus tax-free housing and food allowances; some ATC assignments add $75–$450/mo special duty pay.

Administration

Organizational Structure
Region Southern

Nearest Facilities

EWN New Bern Tower FCT 15 mi
NJM Bogue Tower DoD 17 mi
13NC Oak Grove McOlf DoD 23 mi
NCA New River MCAS (McCutcheon Fld) DoD 34 mi
OAJ Ellis Tower FCT 42 mi
ISO Kinston Tower FCT 51 mi
GSB Seymour Johnson AFB DoD 68 mi
ILM Wilmington Tower FAA 73 mi
FAY Fayetteville Tower FAA 113 mi
FBG Simmons AAF DoD 117 mi