Photo By Sgt. Benjamin Valmoja | Senior Airman Renato Menchaca, 85th Flying Training Squadron aviation resource...... read more read more
Team XL is in the business of training the best military pilots in the world – just about 300 of them a year to be more specific. But training pilots isn’t as cut and dry as getting in a plane and flying.
As one could imagine, there are mountains of paperwork required to keep student pilots on the right track, and the 47th Operations Support Squadron aviation resource managers are the gatekeepers of Laughlin’s flight records.
“We track everything. Everything from how much sleep our aircrew is getting to how current a member is on landing procedures,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jayly Jackson, 47th OSS host aviation resource management superintendent. “As 1Charlies, we keep track of and maintain everything that has to do with our aircrew members flying: physical and physiological status, flight hours, training, crew rest; it’s all what we do.”
Aviation resource management, also referred to as 1Charlies as homage to their Air Force Specialty Code, 1C0X2, is broken down into two twin agencies, host aviation resource management, or HARM, and squadron aviation resource management, or SARM; both doing the same task differently. HARM manages records from a bird’s eye view, encompassing the entire wing’s aircrew, while SARM is squadron specific.
“The two work hand in hand with each other – they’re symbiotic,” Jackson said. “There’s a constant flow of information back and forth between the two of them.”
Deep in the tangles of dim corridors that make up Anderson Hall, HARM can be found in their small corner with their own critical piece of the wing’s mission. Every single second of every single flight is meticulously recorded and tucked away by the HARM Airmen.
On the other hand, face to face with each flyer, SARM provides the customer service aspect while still ensuring every pilot who steps out to an aircraft is current with certifications and qualified to fly. They are the eyes and ears, collecting information as it unfolds – not so much as a bloodshot eye should slip the watch of SARM.
“When a member is grounded from flying, the HARM usually informs the SARMs. But there are times when the SARMs know before the HARM and so they inform us so that we can update the system,” Jackson explained. “When there is an aircraft mishap, the HARM and SARMs work in tandem to ensure that all documentation involving the mishap aircrew is updated and secured immediately after mishap notification. The two feed each other.”
Not only does Laughlin’s ARM get the job done, the team gets it done well. With multiple awards, like their most recent 2018 Sgt Dee Campbell Outstanding Small Unit Award, it is clear they are a world-class unit. Airman 1st Class Kye Moffett, 434th Flying Training Squadron aviation resource manager, said the recognition is a welcomed pat on the back for handling the tremendous operations tempo that Laughlin demands.
“It felt great,” Moffett said. “It feels like I’m doing a lot more than my peers around the Air Force, so hearing that we are doing a good job means we’re on the right track.”
With more than 50,000 sorties per year, Laughlin is the Air Force’s 6th busiest airfield – no easy tempo to tame as a small unit, Laughlin’s 1Charlies set the standard for innovation and excellence.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2019 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 321713 |
| Location: | LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 378 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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