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Iraqi BMT Top Off course caters to rehires

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kimberley Harrison
  • U.S. AFCENT Combat Camera
CAMP TAJI, Iraq --  More than 1,025 rehires are participating in a three-week Basic Military Training Top Off program at the Iraqi Air Force Training School here.

The BMT Top Off course is a refresher course, which reviews all the things involved in basic military training, such as drill and dorm inspection, but on a limited basis focusing mainly on academics for the Iraqi Air Force.

This definitely isn't a normal basic military training squadron where you'd expect to see fresh-faced recruits eagerly standing at attention anticipating the gospel of military life from their mighty training instructor.

After a seven-year hiatus from prior military service, the former Iraqi Air Force warrant officers, ranging in ages from 40-55, volunteered to return to active duty after a recall to service was announced by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense.

"These are individuals who left the military and the MOD is returning them to the active-duty Air Force," said Master Sgt. Paula Gaffney, 821st Expeditionary Training Squadron BMT instructor and advisor, deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"There are over 1,000 students in this class, so the class was split into two groups: A and B group," said Master Sgt. Everett Nicholson, 821st ETS superintendent and curriculum manager. "They alternate weeks when they go through the course."

This works well to accommodate not only the living arrangements, but also with the Iraqis' mandatory mujas, or vacation, periods. For every day the Iraqi airmen work, they are off a day so if they work 5 days in a row, they are off 5 days in a row.

This is the largest rehire class to date and there are 12 total Iraqi Air Force instructors on the staff. However, only four instructors are currently teaching each group. This allows the primary instructors to work on a similar cycle as their students and also receive staff support.

"This training isn't like American military training," said Sergeant Gaffney. "They take time off during the training course for vacation and they have officers and warrant officers teaching basic training, not enlisted."

Due to Iraqi customs one might think having officers train the course might present complications, especially so in this type of class where the students are warrant officers and considered elders.

"This is military life," said Iraqi Air Force 1st Lt. Ammar Hamed, basic military training instructor. "This is not like the outside...rank is respected as well as age."

The military instructors are doing an outstanding job and instruct in more than one course daily.

"The Iraqi Air Force offers 32 different courses at the school house," said Lt. Col. John Terry, 821st ETS commander. "We've been in an over watch mode for almost a year."

"Our mission here is specifically to advise the Iraqi basic military instructors," Sergeant Gaffney said. "We created the course's curriculum with the Iraqi cadre; we taught them how to teach the courses; we've observed them teaching the courses; and now we're seeing how well they run the courses themselves. Sometimes we advise them on things they can do better or maybe there might need to be a shift to the course so they can prepare the individuals better for their service."

U.S. Air Force basic military training advisors initially trained the AFTS instructors to conduct their own military training and are watching how well the Iraqi instructors absorbed the information.

Lieutenant Ammar really enjoys what he's doing at the schoolhouse and is not affected by the large class size.

"I've been an instructor for three years," he said. "The largest class I've taught had 412 students."

Lieutenant Ammar "is an awesome instructor," Sergeant Gaffney said. "He graduated with the first group who were taught to be instructors in 2007."

Another instructor faced with a large class load is Iraqi Air Force 1st Lt. Saef Ali, basic training instructor, BMT Top Off course instructor and company grade officer professional development course instructor, who will be the only instructor responsible for training the 170 officers who are part of this class.

"He speaks the best English of all the instructors," Sergeant Gaffney said, "and he does a lot of interpreting for me."

"The Iraqis have done very well in taking control of the basic military training program here at the school," Colonel Terry said.

Iraqi Air Force Training Squadron BMT Director Lt. Col. Ali Hussein Muhaimeed is proud of the accomplishments made by the dedicated Iraqi instructors, as well as the American advisors.

"I am proud because we are responsible for training our own people," said Colonel Ali, through an interpreter. "I'm also proud because we're building a new Air Force. We appreciate the American advisors because they help us to build the new Air Force and they want this new Air Force to be successful. They have given us everything we've asked for in training and we appreciate it."

One thing the U.S. Air Force didn't have to create is the Iraqi Air Force Core Values.

Posted on a wall, written in English are the Core Values: Integrity; Military Discipline; Loyalty to the Homeland; English language.

"They had an idea of what they were looking for and had specific guidance in their previous training," Sergeant Gaffney said. "We just titled it for them. They want to learn the English language because they understand English is universal and it will assist them in many things they do in dealing with other countries. They want to be able to interact with everyone."

Good things are happening each day at the school house and everyone is happy to be doing what they're doing, especially the students. Neither age nor the seven-year break seems to matter to them as they express happiness to be back in uniform.

"I'm proud to be given the chance to work for the Iraqi Air Force again," said Warrant Officer Fashel Olam Halaf, a 17-year veteran. "I'm happy to serve my country."

All warrant officers going through the BMT Top Off course will be returning to the same career fields previously held.

A 25-year veteran, Warrant Officer Vaher Abd, is equally proud to serve. "I'm very comfortable to return because I've been here before and I'm happy to be back in the Air Force."