Aviation resource Airmen train for future success

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
FORT DIX, N.J. (AFPN) --  Known amongst each other as "one-charlies," Airmen in the Air Force's aviation resource management career field can get advanced training through a pair of courses in the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's Mobility Operations School at Fort Dix, N.J.

The Host Aviation Resource Management course, and the Squadron Aviation Resource Management course, provide advanced training in not only operating the Air Force Aviation Resource Management System Database but also build experience in areas crucial to the service's flight operations.

"The HARM course is mainly responsible for the overall operation of the ARMS database," said Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Mastan, HARM course director. "Responsibilities of Airmen working in this type of office ensure, for example, that aircrew members meet requirements for incentive pay and validate pay with the local finance office."

Overall, the course provides supplemental training to the base-level "one charlie" functional manager's continuation training program, Sergeant Mastan said. "One charlie" is short for the first two digits in the Air Force specialty designator of 1C0X2 for aviation resource management. In both courses, the "one charlie" students are required to have a five-skill level (journeyman) for six months.

Sergeant Mastan explained the basics for the HARM course.

"This course is designed for the students to gain a better understanding of their HARM duties through lectures, guided discussions, task performance and hands-on computer training," said Sergeant Mastan, who was the Air Force's ARM Instructor of the Year for 2006. She added the HARM course instructs in "high impact" areas such as resource management, system management, flight time, ARMS reports and training management.

"Some of the tasks performed in this course include input and audit of flight time, cutting an aeronautical order and a flight record folder audit," Sergeant Mastan said. "This is work that not only tests them on their job but gives them something that they can take back and make their fellow Airmen better."

Similar in style is the SARM course, said Staff Sgt. Khadejah Mitchell, course director.

"In this course, classes are designed to provide instruction in areas such as scheduling, resource management, system management, training management, standards and evaluations, ARMS reports, flight time and mobility and deployments," Sergeant Mitchell said. "The course really helps, I believe, each student learn and apply the proper application of Air Force instructions to enhance job knowledge. It's not an easy course by any means."

Sergeant Mitchell added that like HARM, the SARM course has a "comprehensive curriculum" that will ultimately aid the "one-charlies" working at home station or deployed.

"These courses concentrate on areas and tasks difficult to teach in the normal work environment," Sergeant Mitchell said.

Both Sergeants Mastan and Mitchell support each other in teaching the courses. Sergeant Mitchell has been teaching the SARM course since September 2005. Sergeant Mastan has taught her course for the Mobility Operations School September 2006. Both say they enjoy the opportunity and hope they are making a difference in the aviation resource management business.

"I've always enjoyed the interaction with other 'one charlies' and to be able to share my knowledge and experience with them," Sergeant Mastan said. "I learn so much about our career field and what's actually going on in the field from our students. Even though we're the instructors, we also learn something new from our students in every class."

Sergeant Mitchell said, "I always want our students to have a greater understanding of the standards and be able to take that knowledge back to their home stations and use it. That simply benefits everyone involved."

Annually, approximately 108 Airmen complete the HARM and SARM courses, Sergeant Mastan said. Their training impact, however, affects thousands of Airmen.
"You're talking about support for flight operations and scheduling Air Force-wide," Sergeant Mastan said. "Those 100-plus Airmen we train impact our Air Force across the board."

The USAF EC's Mobility Operations School offers 53 in-residence and 11 Web-based training courses with more in development. The school covers topics in operations, transportation, maintenance, aircrew resource management and command and control to name a few. Besides Fort Dix, the MOS also has operating detachments at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., Scott AFB, Ill., Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and Fort Polk, La. 

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