An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford tours Afghan Air Force English immersion lab

  • Published
  • By Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Petty Officer Jared Walker
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing
KABUL, Afghanistan --  Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, the Military Deputy of the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, toured the Afghan Air Force English immersion lab known as the "Thunder Lab" at Kabul, Afghanistan, Jan. 15.

General Shackelford toured the Thunder Lab's living areas, classrooms, viewed training on flight simulators and watched the Afghan Air Force lieutenants participate in leadership classes.

"Today, we showed leadership some of the processes and programs here at the Thunder Lab, including the flight room simulator," said Maj. Patrick Stovall, Thunder Lab Flight Simulator Instructor. "(The flight room simulator) provides the Afghan Air Force lieutenants an opportunity to put what they have learned in my class into action. They have learned procedures and aviation fundamentals which they will be able to put into action,"

"The process being made with the course here and the results are outstanding. It's just great work," General Shackelford said.

Members of the Afghan Air Force who live and go to school at the Thunder Lab said they were pleased to have General Shackelford visit.

"I enjoyed the general's visit today because he saw our classrooms and living places," said Lt. Mohammadyar, an Afghan Air Force student at the Thunder Lab. "He saw how we live and how things are running. I think the general's visit will help us improve things here."

General Shackelford said this was his first visit to Afghanistan. While his trip had to do mostly with constituency contracting, he said he wanted to take the opportunity to visit the Thunder Lab as a side trip to see the training held here.

"I will have favorable things to say about the training done here when I return to the states," said General Shackelford.