Iraqi Air Force College soars into its first year

Published Jan. 25, 2011
By Senior Master Sgt. Larry Schneck
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs

TIKRIT, Iraq -- For future pilots and ground support officers, the gateway to Iraqi air power opened Sept. 1, 2010, at the Iraqi Air Force College here.

One hundred forty-three cadet pilots are studying courses in avionics and theory of aviation along with geography, history and an extensive core curriculum in the English language.

"We focus on the principles of flight," said Staff Brig. Gen. Ali Hasan, Iraqi Air Force College commander and 1988 graduate of the academy. "Flying is still the same, but the avionics systems have become more complex requiring us to provide the newest training."

Overall at the college, they're using the American education model with students interacting with the teachers and instructors. The objective was to reopen a school that had been training air force officers at Tikrit since 1972 but had completely shut down by the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Our mission was to start the college from scratch," said Capt. Luis Martinez, 321st Expeditionary Mission Support Advisory Group college advisor from Niceville, Florida. "We went from zero with no classrooms, no desks. Every bit of the college was created."

General Ali and his core staff arrived early in 2010 to begin preparations for reopening the school.

At the same time, U.S. advisors and trainers began assisting the Iraqis in the planning and logistics of reopening the institution.

Master Sgt. Mark Lehmen, 321st EMSAG logistics advisor was in the first group of permanently-assigned Airmen to arrive at Tikrit. His task was to help start the school project.

"I located unwanted U.S. military equipment through the Foreign Excess Personal Property program," said Sergeant Lehmen. "I found them a lot of stuff like desks, generators, vehicles, administrative supplies and even instruments to start a college band."

Another logistics challenge was finding real estate to house the new college.

The long-time facility had burned and was no longer suitable. The buildings the U.S. and Iraqi teams settled on for current training was once an Iraqi officer club and dormitory, but not far from the old location on the same Iraqi military installation.

"We hope to move back into the original learning center," said Brig. Gen. Khuder Mahmood, Iraqi Air Force College dean of students. "It used to be the finest facility in the Middle East. It was especially designed for cadet training."

The first college opened in 1950 in the city of Basra in southern Iraq. It was called the Iraqi Royal Air Force College until 1964 when it received its current name.

Despite the more complex aircraft over the years, the course work at the Iraqi Air Force College remains a 3-year program. The current cadet pilot Class 76 started Sept. 1, 2010. Plans are underway to relocate the ground support officer cadets at Tikrit at a future date.

"Personally, it's nice to be back as the dean of students," said General Khuder who graduated in July, 1987. "Despite difficult times, it's very pleasant to be back in the training wing."

The development and implementation of academics is one of the challenges for the cadre of U.S. advisors assigned to the 321 EMSAG part of the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission-Air.

ITAM-Air brought in experienced instructors already teaching in U.S. Air Force classrooms to help set up a schedule and to train the Iraqis leading the instruction of the first class of cadet pilots.

"We brought material from squadron officer school to help develop Iraqi Air Force officer instructors," said Capt. Charlie Dorssom, 321 EMSAG college advisor deployed to Iraq from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. and an instructor for the Air and Space Basic Course. "For a lot of these Iraqi teachers this is their first time in the classroom."

The foundation for the success of the training critically depends on proficiency in the English language.

"In order to learn and keep learning, cadets must have knowledge of English," said General Ali. "This is the language of aviation."

The college commander himself completed a rigorous 1-year Air War College program at Maxwell AFB.

The cadet pilots spend half of each day with English-speaking trainers who follow the American Language Course developed by the Defense Language Institute, American Language Center in San Antonio.

"Right now the students get a lot of language," said Captain Martinez who is also the manager of the English language training program. "Cadet pilots get tested on reading and listening skills to be able to enter introductory flight training."

Each student must take the DLI American Language Course Proficiency Test. A passing score is 80 percent.

"That's a pretty ambitious target," said Marcus Scorer, ELT program site lead. "We now have nine trainers. Our lasting legacy will be to transition and hand-off the teaching to the Iraqis."

The Iraqi Air Force College opened on the first day of Operation New Dawn in September. It will continue as U.S. Forces-Iraq reposture to a post-OND mission. Regardless, the training of cadet pilots continues in building a self-sufficient and strong air capability for the nation, according to General Hasan.