ZDC ASSOCIATE RADAR CTLR EXPRESSES CONCERNS OVER FACILITY STAFFING DURING MODERATE AND BETTER TFC CONDITIONS.

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2 ENRTE SECTORS WERE COMBINED (R1 AND R15). THESE 2 SECTORS ENCOMPASS A LOT OF AIRSPACE. RADAR MAN WAS BUSY IN WESTERN PART OF SECTOR. ERROR HAPPENED IN EASTERN PART OF SECTOR. 7 ACFT IN WESTERN AREA -- 2 ACFT IN EASTERN AREA. I WAS BUSY SEQUENCING STRIPS; BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN A 1-MAN SECTOR AND I ARRIVED TO HELP; BUT THINGS WERE ALREADY BUSY AND STRIPS OUT OF ORDER AND NOT CAUGHT UP. ERROR HAPPENED 4 MINS AFTER I ARRIVED AND WAS NOT AWARE OF RADAR SIT YET. BECAUSE OF SHORT STAFFING; WE OFTEN COMBINE SECTORS AND DO NOT SPLIT THEM APART SOON ENOUGH WHEN THEY GET BUSY. THIS IS COMMONPLACE PRACTICE TO COMBINE SECTORS AND USE ONLY 1 RADAR CTLR TO WORK IT. SOME CTLRS THINK IT IS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS TO ASK FOR HELP OR TO SPLIT THE SECTORS APART; THEREFORE; THEY OVEREXTEND THEIR OP AND SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT SHOULDN'T. ZDC'S MANY OPERRORS WILL SURELY CONTINUE; BECAUSE OF THE STAFFING ISSUES AND THE ATTITUDE THIS GENERATES AMONG THE CTLR WORK FORCE. HOPEFULLY; YOUR GROUP HAS SEEN THIS TREND AND CAN RELAY ANY FACTS/TRENDS TO THE FAA/NTSB.