US Commander Notes Significant Progress Over Past Nine
Months
The Iraqi air force reached 2,000 flying training hours at
Kirkuk Regional Air Base July 13, with the help of Airmen from the
52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron. The milestone comes 11
months after Lt. Col. Mark Bennett, the 52nd EFTS commander,
arrived at Kirkuk.
"This is very significant across the entire operation, from
maintenance, life support, intelligence and base support," said
Colonel Bennett. "To go from zero to 2,000 hours in under nine
months is an epic accomplishment. I am absolutely amazed we have
been able to accomplish what we have.
"The risk associated with the Iraqi pilots and student pilots is
significant, which makes this accomplishment even more astounding,"
he added. "Consider the fact all their families are living in
Baghdad under the current threat of insurgency and all the folks
who would like to see us fail. They are amazingly courageous
individuals to come here and do this."
The Iraqi pilots believe developing the Iraqi air force is
important, Colonel Bennett said. They're student pilots today, but
will be the Iraqi air force's future leaders.
When Colonel Bennett first arrived at Kirkuk in late 2007, he
had one corner of a general purpose shelter, a sheet of plywood and
two sawhorses with which to build his squadron.
"If you saw us nine months ago, we were nothing -- no aircraft,
no facilities, no students, no progress, no events at all," said
Iraqi air force Colonel Basim, the Iraqi flying training wing
deputy commander. "When we started, we thought about how we would
like it in the future. The future is huge."
The Iraqi air force has risen like a phoenix from the sands to
reach 2,000 flight training hours. But as huge as this milestone
is, commanders, instructors and pilot trainees realize this is only
a small step in a larger plan for the Iraqi air force.
"Five years ago, their air force was [non-existent]. Now they
have an air force and a flying training wing that's flown 2,000
hours," said Capt. Jamie Riddle, a 52nd EFTS instructor pilot.
"It's a tribute to how hard they've worked and how much our
American advisers have worked."
Captain Riddle and 2nd Lt. "Joseph," an Iraqi pilot trainee,
flew the sortie that chalked up the record for the team.
"Getting to this point was no easy task," Lieutenant Joseph
said. "I risked many things to come here, especially my
relationship and my friends. I have to hide myself now because of
the dangers I live in. I came here to be a pilot. My relatives,
many of them don't know I am here. These are the hardest challenges
I face. I just found myself making the 2,000-hour mark with Captain
Riddle. It's just amazing and I'm so happy."
The milestone was accomplished with no mishaps, and the 27
students in the squadron have flown more than 70 solo sorties
combined. The training program averages 20 sorties a day, with all
sorties logged as combat sorties.
"We are in the threat ring, if you will," Colonel Bennett said.
"There is a constant threat out there. Just outside the wire are
individuals ... who could potentially do us harm, which makes the
job that much more difficult."
To date, the team effort at Kirkuk has proven a success everyone
can be proud of.
"This huge accomplishment is from working hard together as a
team. We don't say Iraqi or US," said Colonel Basim. "As pilots and
instructor pilots, we are a team. We are brothers. That is why we
have success in our jobs as pilots and [why] we have reached this
position."
(Aero-News salutes Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston, 506th Air
Expeditionary Group Public Affairs)