SARM: the heartbeat of the squadron

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody Dowell
  • Altus Air Force Base Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Oklahoma --  For aircrew, proper scheduling and accurate documentation of lifelong aerial and ground training is crucial. Ensuring these important tasks are completed are the men and women of the Squadron Aviation Resource Management Office assigned to the 58th Airlift Squadron.

“Our office is specific to the 58th AS, we do all the C-17 Globemaster III [cargo aircraft] training authorizations and flying career documents,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kama Cassius, 58th AS, SARM NCO in charge.

The SARM office provides accurate flight and personnel information for the legality of flying. The office double checks information on the flight schedule and ensures that the aircrew are capable to perform their training.

“We make sure everything is correct like, dates, mission numbers, call signs, ranks and names,” said Cassius. “We work closely with the director of operations and the commander to make sure Airmen can legally fly. There are a few reasons that can make a person not legally able to fly like, knowledge qualifications, being medically fit or being properly trained”

Without flight records, students cannot prove what they are qualified for. The SARM office manages these documents, which follow aircrew members throughout their flying careers.

“We document anything they do from hours, sorties, combat time, and night time flights,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nicholas Everson, 58th AS, SARM journeyman. “The records are for the Air Force and for the Airmen personally to keep track of manpower, training and life time of the aircraft. It showcases the base’s efforts at briefings and those numbers get documented by us. You see it everywhere on how many sorties and hours flown in a month, quarter or year and if those numbers are wrong that comes back down to us.”

Each member of the squadron requires and depends on the work that the SARM office does for them.

“As a pilot, I rely on the SARM office for a number of things,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Ben Sims, 58th AS assistant operations officer. “They are not just one of the steps for an aircraft to take off, they are the number one stopgap in determining if someone is ready or qualified to get on an aircraft.”

The SARM office will continue to assist the 58th AS, by ensuring that they are allowed to be in the sky and that their flight records are documented. Continuing the process for Air Force to have global reach.