5,000th aviation resource manager graduates Published July 15, 2009 By Senior Airman Kimberly Limrick 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- June 9, Keesler graduated the 5,000th student from the aviation resource management course in the 334th Training Squadron. "This is a huge milestone for the career field and the Air Force," said Senior Master Sgt. Anthony Pearson, aviation resource management instructor supervisor. "Just imagine--5,000 aviation resource managers have made it through the school." Airman 1st Class Kadirra Wallace had no idea she was the 5,000th student to graduate until the ceremony. A Pittsburgh native, Airman Wallace is headed to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and plans to obtain her bachelor's degree in medical technology. She said she joined the Air Force to branch away from the city, pay for college and explore other countries. She looks forward to traveling, learning about unique customs of other countries and providing help to citizens in need. "Airman Wallace was surprised and excited," said Tech. Sgt.Michael Hubert, one of the instructors. "She was presented a certificate at graduation from Ronda Cumberland, our flight chief, and a career field coin fromLibby Harper, our local heritage honoree." Room 305 in Cody Hall is dedicated to Mrs. Harper. Classes began in October 1986 and have always been held at Keesler, according to Sergeant Pearson. The student-to-instructor ration is 10-to-1 and the course is 26 academic days over a six-week period. Initially, the career field was called operation system management, but as the Air Force changed, so did the career field and its name. "The name changes were a reflection of how we support all aircrew members on flying and or jump status, thus changing the way we do business," Sergeant Pearson said. "As computer systems changed, so did the aviation resource management database." He reminisced, "When I entered the career field (in 1985) we were using 5½-inch floppy disks on the old Zenith computers. Now we have flat-screen monitors and the database is Internet-driven. In the near future, the system is going Web-based. "These changes are to keep up with how the Air Force is leaning forward and how most Airmen who enter the military are computer savvy," he added. Sergeant Hubert said the course for the career field is in the process of being rewritten. "Knowing I was coming here at the time new things were happing in the career field, the rewriting of the course, is why I volunteered to take this assignment," he said. "I feel fortunate to be part of the instructor core here with the new curriculum coming on board. When I look back at what we as instructors have done here, I'll be proud of what we accomplished." "I am really excited about being here," Sergeant Pearson agreed. "All of us instructors aremaking a huge impact on the career field andAir Force.We arementoring the next generation of aviation resource managers. Whenwe look back over our careerwe can honestly say, 'I made a difference in that person's life.'"