Wing scheduling coordinates Wolf Pack mission

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Many career fields in the Air Force have several different jobs within the one Air Force Specialty Code and aviation resource management is definitely one of them.

At Kunsan, three of the generally four distinct jobs within the ARM family are employed ensuring 8th Fighter Wing pilots from both the 35th and 80th Fighter Squadrons can fly, fight and win.

One office of the trio, current operations, known as 'wing scheduling' here, takes care of programs such as: simulator tours, incentive flights, air-refueling requests, air shows and fly-bys and scheduling static displays and tours.

"We are a very important piece to the wing's mission here," said Tech. Sgt. Tamica Evans, 8th Operations Support Squadron wing scheduling NCO in charge. "We are a conduit of information between all the other agencies on base and in the Pacific Air Forces."

Indeed, Evans and her crew of two others, Master Sgt. Maureen Badey, 8th OSS wing scheduling superintendent, and Senior Airman Tiffany Hall, 8th OSS aviation resource management systems journeyman, are important to not only the 8th FW, but the region as a whole.

"We're in constant communication with differing agencies like air space, tankers, overseas orientation and the flyer program," Evans said.

"Not all of these agencies are even located here," added Badey. "For instance, most of our air refueling is supported by the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan."

Previously covered in this series on Kunsan's ARMs, the host aviation resource management office, HARM, was identified as taking care of Kunsan's pilot's records. Wing scheduling, on the other hand, monitors the wing's flying hour program.

"In FY2011, our flying hour program totaled more than $83 million in flying hours," Badey said. "This equates to more than 10,000 flying hours and nearly 7,000 sorties."

According to Badey, this is huge for such a small wing.

"In comparison to other bases with more jets and more aircrews, Kunsan maintains a healthy flying hours program," she said.

"We're key, not only to the peninsula, but to the Pacific Air Forces' mission overall," added Evans.

But in an ever changing Air Force, the mission and mission requirements are constantly changing, requiring the Airmen of wing scheduling to re-coordinate every leg of the Wolf Pack's flying plan.

"Lots of people's jobs are tied into the flying mission here," said Badey. "But we coordinate all these jobs to work in tandem with one another for a constant flow of information so we can take the fight north if and when we need to."

"Kunsan definitely has a more active program than at other bases," Evans continued. "Not only are we supporting our mission, but Kunsan generally has a theater support package here temporarily assigned from another base we track as well."

A program, which directly correlates with the flying program, is the orientation flight program for exceptional performers, said Evans.

"We setup the classes and training for the orientation flights," she said. "This program is very important and when we brief it at the newcomer's orientation people get very excited to know such a thing exists at Kunsan."

"It's definitely a great morale incentive," she added.

Wing scheduling programs aside, ARMs Airmen don't work in one specific flight their whole career, they have the opportunity to move around and experience all aspects of their career field. Hall said this would be her first base working in the wing scheduling section.

"We work closely with leadership which makes you feel like a major player," said Hall. "It's different from other sections at other bases I've worked, but I'm still learning the ins and outs."

"At the end of the day, just knowing I'm helping people makes it all worth it," Hall added.

[Editors note: This article is part two of a three part series highlighting the three aviation resource management sections at Kunsan.]