Operation Enduring Freedom

101106-N-6541W-002 KABUL, Afghanistan - Col. Mohammed Marif, Commander of the Pohantoon-e-Hawayee, The Afghan's Air Force's "Big Air School" in Kabul, Afghanistan speaks at the graduation of the first five female lieutenants from the Air Orientation Course. Graduation from this course is the females first step to service in the AAF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jared Walker/ RELEASED).

Operation Enduring Freedom

101106-N-6541W-007 KABUL, Afghanistan - 2nd LT. Mahsuma, one of the five female Air Force Lieutenants, presents her graduation certificate to those in attendance at the graduation ceremony. Graduation from this course is the females first step to service in the AAF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jared Walker/ RELEASED).

Operation Enduring Freedom

101106-N-6541W-019 KABUL, Afghanistan - Air Force Lieutenants graduate from their first professional military course at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee present their graduation certificates from the Air Orientation Course. Graduation from this course is the females first step to service in the AAF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jared Walker/ RELEASED).

Operation Enduring Freedom

101106-N-6541W-017 KABUL, Afghanistan - Males from the Thunder Lab, located at Kabul's Air Force base English immersion training center, congratulate the female lieutenants on their graduation from the Air Orientation Course. Graduation from this course is the females first step to service in the AAF. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jared Walker/ RELEASED).

AAF Female officers graduate from PeH orientation class

Published Nov. 11, 2010
By MC3 Jared E. Walker
438th AEW PA

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Another milestone was made in the modernization of the Afghan Air Force with the graduation of the first five female officers from their first professional military education course at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee, the Afghan Air Force's "Big Air School," in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Nov. 11.

The Air Orientation Course is designed as the first step to service in the AAF. The course consists of over 100 hours of classroom education in a multitude of topics. Topics include subjects such as AAF values, missions, history, ethics, leadership and introduction to aircraft. This Professional Military Education course is one piece of the puzzle aimed towards the professionalization and modernization of the AAF.

"Their progression has been outstanding to this point. Their attitudes and eagerness to learn should be assets as they embark on their military careers. They'll face many challenges but are well on their way to developing the tools to handle those challenges," said Lt. Col. Ryan Nichols, Commander of the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron.

The next step for the five graduates is English Language Training at the Kabul English and Language Training Center (KELTC) in conjunction with the on-going immersion training they are receiving at Thunder Lab, the English immersion training center at Kabul's Air Force Base.

With any PME course, a primary challenge is to internalize the subject matter and try to use it to better oneself as an officer, no matter the topic. These five graduates did this with a brighter than normal media spotlight as they enter the AAF as its newest female lieutenants.

"This is not the first time in the history of Afghanistan that we have females in the military, but this is the first time that we are having a graduation for our females," said Col. Mohammed Marif, Commander of PeH. "I can only imagine how much of a personal honor it is for these five females to inspire the females who will come up through the ranks after them."