Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Procedure
A military tanker was cleared to work the Buckeye MOA from 5;000 FT to FL500; in addition they were cleared to work the Charlie shelf FL190-FL220. I observed the tanker exit the Buckeye MOA at FL250 without clearance; I issued a whiskey alert and advised him that he needed to either return to the MOA or descend to the altitudes of the Charlie shelf. The tanker replied with a roger; after watching the aircraft for a minute and not observing a turn or descent I then asked the tanker his intentions. He informed me he was returning to the MOA and executed a turn to return. He informed me that he thought the Charlie shelf was active to the same altitudes as the MOA. The tanker had been cleared in by the previous controller so I don't know what the clearance was but I was briefed the Charlie was only active FL190-FL220. The Charlie shelf used to be used solely as a refueling shelf by tankers to refuel the fighters in the MOA. After one of our changes to the Letter of Agreement the requirement to refuel was removed; now the military schedules that area in addition to the MOA to get a bigger area to work in. Our routes and procedures are built around the MOA but not around the Charlie shelf; if the military become more active in Buckeye there are no restrictions to them scheduling the Charlie shelf as a MOA extension. I would recommend since the Charlie shelf is not depicted on charts as part of the MOA that it's use be restricted to refueling as was it's original intention; since refueling isn't nearly as common and the tankers always do a great job of staying in the shelf when refueling. Our airspace and procedures were not designed for the military to use the Charlie shelf whenever they want but as a way to accommodate the refueling of the fighters.
ZID Controller described a military airspace 'spill out' event; the reporter noting that current airspace and procedures do not accommodate the military's combined operations in the Buckeye MOA.