ARM Airmen send prepared pilots to fly

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  During RED FLAG-Alaska it is the responsibility of Aviation Resource Management technicians to make sure pilots and aircrews make their flight on time.

Prior to their arrival, Airmen at the operations desk must make sure crewmembers have computer access and are properly placed in the system.

ARM technicians, called "One-Charlies" due to their Air Force specialty Code 1C0XX, are trained during RED FLAG-Alaska exercises to work with multiple aircrews at one time. At other bases they typically work with fewer crews at a time.

In order to manage multiple aircrews they have to coordinate with five to six base agencies daily, including weather and base operations.

While the aircrews already know what time they are scheduled to fly it is the One-Charlie's responsibility to make sure they are qualified to make their flight.

Towards the end of the day they post the next day's flying schedule so pilots know ahead of time when they are scheduled to fly.

Part of their job includes troubleshooting any issues, including complications with tail numbers, missing names, or misspellings that can be corrected immediately.

The constant flow of pilots arriving from and departing for their flights can get hectic.

"If you don't know how to handle the stress or the pressure of the job you can find yourself pulling away from the desk and taking a breather," said Tech. Sgt. Rafael Gonzalez, 353rd Combat Training Squadron.

During RED FLAG-Alaska it is ideal to have two technicians, the deployed ops support superintendent, Top three and flying boss at the front desk.

"Training here at Red Flag is important for the younger One-Charlies because it gives them an idea of the different aircrews and how to work with fighter pilots and bomber aircrews. It gives them more experience with the different planes. While some of us have had experience with the different planes the younger One-Charlies may not, which presents an opportunity for us to share what we know," said Master Sgt. Kirk Baringer, the 333rd Fighter Squadron Aviation Resource Management Team Chief at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

ARM Airmen make sure all training and qualifications are met. This is important because if pilots and aircrew do not meet qualifications, they will not be allowed to fly. They work closely with flight records to ensure pilots hold the required certifications to complete their mission.

One-Charlie's work every time a plane is airborne. During the day, logs are kept up-to-date with changes in weather and flightline conditions. RED FLAG-Alaska is a great tool for training pilots and One-Charlies. While pilots are gaining experience in skies above Alaska, the aviation resource management Airmen are also getting the training they need to be at the top of their skill level.