Steve - Our discussions this afternoon produced the military analogy.  I researched the air traffic control system this evenning at home (internet access still out at the office) and came up with the following:
 
The Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center, located in Herndon Va., controls all the airspace in the U.S.  While they do not talk to the pilots (unless it is an emergency), they control the controlers in all the sectors in the U.S.  A description from an article describes it as the following:
 
"Some air traffic controllers work at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center in Herndon, Virginia, where they oversee the entire system. They look for situations that will create bottlenecks or other problems in the system, then respond with a management plan for traffic into and out of the troubled sector. The objective is to keep traffic levels in the trouble spots manageable for the controllers working at enroute centers."
 
The point is, while there are controlers who control areas around airports, zones, and sectors across the country, there is one entity which tells them where to route and re-route aircraft based on weather conditions, emergencies, backlogs at airports, etc.  While I am sure they have a backup for the facility in Herndon, the point is, there is only one and that is to consolidate control - particularly in an emergency.
 
The Website for a quick tour is at <http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyFAA/Information/etms>
 
The description of the ATCSCC enhanced traffic management system is as follows:
 
	Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS)

Congratulations, you?re halfway through the tour! 

ETMS is the system used by our Traffic Management Specialists to predict, on national and local scales, traffic surges, gaps, and volume based on current and anticipated airborne aircraft.  Traffic Management Specialists evaluate the projected flow of traffic into airports and sectors, then implement the least restrictive action necessary to ensure that traffic demand does not exceed system capacity.

 	 	 	
	 	
	This example shows alerted sectors in the Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center?s (ARTCC) airspace

	 	
	Monitor Alert, a part of ETMS, analyzes traffic demand for all airports, sectors, and airborne reporting fixes in the continental United States, then automatically displays an alert when demand is predicted to exceed capacity in a particular area. 

Armed with this information, the Traffic Mangement Specialist examines the situation, then provides spacing and routes to assist in controlling the flow of traffic. 

Your next stop is the Flight Inspection Liaison Office <http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyFAA/Information/FILO/filo.html>.