Pilot reflects over service during Operation New Dawn

Published Nov. 29, 2011
By Maj. Stacie N. Shafran
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs

BAGHDAD -- With the onset of the holiday season, Capt. Ryan Wade has a lot to be thankful for this year. He's especially grateful for the opportunity to spend time with his wife, Lindsey, whom he married in July before departing to Iraq for his first-ever deployment.

In early August, Wade, an instructor pilot, deployed from the 89th Flying Training Squadron, 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to conduct flight training with the Iraqi air force.

Assigned to the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in Tikrit, Wade quickly fell into his role advising pilots from Iraqi air force Squadron 203, a T-6A Texas II flight training squadron. The T-6A is a single-engine, two-seat aircraft used by more than six countries, including the U.S., as a primary fixed wing trainer.

Wade also completed the five mandatory theater indoctrination sorties in the T-6A needed to qualify him as a mission-ready pilot in Iraq. However, due to timing, he was unable to fly with the Iraqi pilots before the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron turned over flight operations to the Iraqi air force Sept. 5. The transition occurred because of the U.S. military's commitment to withdrawal forces in honor of the 2008 security agreement.

At the time of the transition, the joint training program produced 11 qualified Iraqi T-6 instructor pilots, creating organic pilot training capabilities within the Iraqi air force. Producing an instructor pilot often takes 18-months and more than 280 flight and simulator hours. The Iraqi air force, while partnered with the U.S. Air Force, developed flight commanders as well as fully functional sections capable of performing training, standardization and evaluation, safety evaluations, and life support.

Following an Iraqi air force T-6 instructor pilot graduation ceremony Sept. 5, Wade spent a few weeks in Squadron 203's scheduling office teaching instructor pilots how to properly build a flying schedule.

Then Wade's commander asked him about his major in college. The captain, who graduated in 2007 from the U.S. Air Force Academy, studied civil engineering with a focus in structural design. Within days he found himself as the new project lead and construction manager for a project building new guard towers within COB Speicher.

"I have been blessed with and trained on several sets of skills, and during my time in Iraq was required to use the ones that I honestly never planned to use again -- my civil engineering and construction management knowledge. By far this experience taught me early on in my career that I'm an officer first and a pilot second. I know that sounds really cheesy, but that's what it boils down to," said Wade.

Throughout his variety of jobs while deployed, Wade said he enjoyed learning about the Iraqi air force. The service celebrated its 80th anniversary this year and has steadily modernized and rebuilt over the past few years.

At the end of 2006, the Iraqi air force had 748 airmen and 28 aircraft. Now, there are more than 6,000 airmen and 72 aircraft, including the T-6A and C-130E. Also, in September, through the Foreign Military Sales program, the Government of Iraq made its first payment for 18 F-16 fighter aircraft. The FMS program is the government-to-government method for selling U.S. defense equipment, services, and training. With this F-16 package, Iraq purchased logistical support as well as pilot and maintenance training. When the aircraft are delivered, sometime in late 2014 or 2015, Iraq will have one of the most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft in the world.

Although he was ready to fulfill his full six-month deployment commitment, Wade, who is from Fairfax Station, Va., returned to the 89th Flying Training Squadron in October where he gives check rides to the squadron's student pilots.

"I'm very happy to be home early and in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know the Lord was watching out for me, and I thank Him daily for bringing me home safely," he said. "My time in Iraq just really reinforced the need to be ready and willing to do any job when you're deployed. It was definitely an eye-opening revelation, especially on a first deployment. I never thought I'd be managing a construction project of just under a million dollars, let alone in Iraq -- and definitely not when I thought it was supposed to be a flying job."

Over Iraqi skies