Maintenance advisors take Iraqis on TDY for training

Tech. Sgt. Bobby McKenzie, left, 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron aircraft structural maintenance advisor, looks on with the help of an Iraqi interpreter while an Iraqi machinist fabricates a torque tool for C-130 main landing gear brakes at Camp Taji. Sergeant McKenzie took three Iraqi air force members to Camp Taji, Iraq to help better cross utilize their resources and also fix an IraqC-130s. Sergeant McKenzie is deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark., and is a native of Manchester, Tenn. (Courtesy photo)

Maintenance advisors take Iraqis on TDY for training

Tech. Sgt. Jim Grifasi, 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron metals technician advisor, observes and instructs Iraqi machinist Ehab, from New Al Muthana Air Base, while he operates a milling machine at Camp Taji. Together they are fabricating a tool to perform a C-130 wing Re-torque [inspection requirement], which has recently grounded hundreds of C-130s. Sergeant Grifasi took three Iraqi air force members to Camp Taji, Iraq to help better cross utilize their resources and also fix an Iraqi C-130s. Sergeant Grisasi is deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. (Courtesy photo)

Maintenance advisors take Iraqis on TDY for training

Published March 21, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Tim Beckham
U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team

NEW AL MUTHANA AIR BASE, Iraq -- In an attempt to help members of the Iraqi air force better cross utilize their resources and assets, two maintenance Airmen took three Iraqi air force members from here to Camp Taji, Iraq to help fix one of Iraq's C-130s.

Technical sergeants Jim Grifasi and Bobby McKenzie, advisors with the 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, spearheaded this effort to teach the Iraqis to use one another to help solve problems at the lower level.

"That trip taught them more than technical skills, it taught them things that don't necessarily come out of a book or don't come from a checklist, it taught them the value of understanding what it is that they have to do and how to problem solve," said Sergeant Grifasi, 321st AEAS metals technician advisor.

"We taught them to reach out within their own capabilities and to utilize resources in their own back yard," echoed Sergeant McKenzie, 321st AEAS aircraft structural maintenance advisor.

Sergeants Grifasi and McKenzie took two of their protégés along with one interpreter on the trip so they could not only help with the maintenance portion, but to also make connections and network with one of their sister units.

"Every Iraqi base is like its own unique air force," said Sergeant Grifasi, who is deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and a native of Buffalo, N.Y. "It is very important to help them realize that they are on the same team and that they can help each other out to get the job done."

The trip wasn't only a success from the maintenance standpoint it was also a success in relationship building.

"Once we got there they (the Iraqis) began to realize that this shop may have certain tools to do one job and they have tools better suited for other jobs and that they can use each other to get the job done," said Sergeant McKenzie, who is deployed from Little Rock AFB, Ark., and a native of Manchester, Tenn. "For example, the armament shop at Taji needed primer and paint for gun mounts on their MI-17s, and we have an abundance of primer and paint that will probably end up expiring, so we boxed some up and are going to take it to them on our next visit."

The trip was such a success that Sergeants Grifasi and McKenzie hope to bring some Iraqi maintenance personnel from Camp Taji to here on the next trip.
"The Iraqi leadership is beginning to understand the importance of not only sharing supply assets, but the overall value of communication between different units," said Sergeant Grifasi. "Hopefully this type of training will become more and more common in the future."