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Airmen on road teaching PME to Iraqi Airmen

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq --  Professional military education, a key way to prepare American Airmen to take on increased responsibility and to enhance contributions, is now a way of business for Iraqi airmen here thanks to temporary duty PME instructors.

Two non-commissioned officers recently oversaw an Iraq Air Force graduation here following their instruction of a two-week course focusing on principles and skills these new enlisted corps leaders could apply.

Tech. Sgt. Rick Dunaway, a PME instructor deployed from Maxwell AFB, Ala., and Russellville, Ark., native, said similar to U.S. Air Force professional military education, Iraqi Airmen are taught new ways to use team building and leadership skills, discipline, core values, management, ethics and the Law of Armed Conflict.

"The Iraqis are receptive to the courses," he said. "They welcomed it with open arms and were very knowledgeable."

Fellow PME instructor, Tech. Sgt. Michael Higby, deployed from Kapaun Air Base, Germany, agreed the Airmen were very attentive during the course.

The Iraqi Airmen acknowledge and understand there is more to sucess beyond the technical expertise of their career fields, the Anchorage, Alaskan native said. "There is working together and (a degree of) professionalism that is required to get along (with each other) and interact with their officers."

"At certain times you forget you're in Iraq because of how well the Iraqis understand and comprehend the material," Sergeant Higby said. "It nice when it happens," he said. "We'll ask them a question and they ... answer without their interpreter. They know the responses; they want to learn it ... they apply it quickly."

The PME instructors said among their goals while teaching professional military skills to Iraqi Airmen is identifying potential replacements within the Iraqi Air Force military to continue to teach courses laying a foundation for their military heritage.

Sergeant Dunaway compared it to the foundation set in the early years of the U.S. Air Force.

"If we look back at our Air Force 60 years ago, we had pioneers who taught new concepts and ideas," he said. "Teaching this is important; any interaction between people is the key to getting things done and the success of the mission."

The information these Airmen learned in the professional development course is crucial in building their personal and military life, according to Brig. Gen. Shihab Ali, the Iraqi base commander here. During the graduation, he thanked the two Airmen for supervising the course.

These NCOs are scheduled to return in here in March to instruct a larger group of Iraqi Airmen, they said.