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Bishkek students get insiders' glimpse of Manas mission

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan --  What lies beyond the fences that protect a military base can be a mystery to those living nearby who can only speculate about what goes on inside.

Manas' mystique was revealed, so-to-speak, to 13 students and faculty from the American University of Central Asia who received a special glimpse of the coalition airbase near Kyrgyzstan's capitol of Bishkek, March 26.

Members of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing took the students to as many places as an afternoon visit would allow.

In order to help the students understand what they were about to see, Col. James Pfaff, the wing's vice commander, gave them a mission brief in the headquarter's conference room.

"The enthusiasm these students bring is contagious. They are excited to learn what we do and who we are," said Colonel Pfaff.

"The people of Kyrgyzstan are our hosts and a partner in the global war on terrorism. In these visits, we establish a foundation for a better future as people from both our countries get to know one another," he said.

While the slide presentation was informative and interesting, tying the facts with face-to-face interaction and hands-on experience gave the students many memories they're sure to remember.

The visiting students were shown what really happens on the air mobility base to not only share with them the important work being done, but to also help dispel some of the assumptions the students had about the base.

"I enjoyed their curiosity," said Tech. Sgt. Nadia Edwards, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Judge Advocate. "Once they felt a little comfortable, they started asking all kinds of questions about our country, the military, and even some personal questions."

"They really wanted to know more about us and how we live," said Sergeant Edwards, who is deployed from the Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

"I learned that they are very diverse and most of them speak at least three languages, some as many as five. They anticipate that certain languages, like English and Spanish, will benefit them in the future," she said. "They're worried about life after graduation because there are so many students graduating and not enough jobs," said the Laredo, Texas, native.

The students shared different ideas of what part of the visit they liked the best. Many of them enjoyed visiting the Expeditionary Theater Distribution Center, where they tried on Individual Body Armor, which can weigh up to 35 pounds for the vest and helmet alone. Wearing the vest and helmet gave many of them the giggles as they lumbered around and bumped into one another. But, trying on the protective gear also gave the group a clearer understanding of the harm and danger the troops who transiting through Manas will face as they make their way to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force.

"Coming to the base has been wonderful," said Alesia Bulankina, an AUCA student. "The people are all so friendly. When we entered the main camp and went through security checks we weren't quite sure what to expect."

"I thought at first that the base would be boring - just gray and stiff, just military like and scary, but Manas is like a small city. It has everything to sustain itself. It even has street names," said the 20-year-old junior who is majoring in business administration.

The students also got to see Manas' falcons, whose jobs are to keep the runways free from birds that could potentially damage the civilian and military aircraft. Albeit a little apprehensive about the sharp beaks and piercing eyes, the students warmed up to the feathered friends, each taking a turn to hold the 1.5-pound protectors.

"It was a great opportunity to share with the local university students a snapshot of who we are and what we do at Manas," said Lt. Col. Gary Kirk, 376th Expeditionary Mission Support Group deputy commander.

"I believe they probably had very different thoughts on what they would see out here before they came. It was great to interact with them and explain our mission and how we support the coalition efforts in Afghanistan. I learned that they are a quite a diverse group of students with many different academic backgrounds," said the Prattville, Ala., native.

"These types of visits are great for Manas because it allows us to clear up misperceptions about the base and allows us to showcase our mission and explain the coalition effort. It also shows a human side to our installation and how we support the troops going downrange and returning home," " said Colonel Kirk, who is an Alabama Air National Guardsman deployed from the 226th Combat Communications Group in Montgomery.

Because the students' studies focus on a global perspective, many of them were veterans of the foreign exchange program and have lived in the U.S. during their senior year of high school. Their visit gave them insight on how an American base and coalition forces work together with the support of Kyrgyzstan. They got to climb aboard both the KC-135 Stratotanker and the C-17 Globemaster III and tour the planes from front to back with maintainers and aircrew explaining things along the way.

They sat in the pilots' seats in the cockpit and watched Airmen chain down enormous trucks inside the cargo bay of a C-17. They even climbed down into the tail of the KC-135 where the boom operator carries out his role in the refueling mission.

"To us, the visit was an excursion to see what the air base was really like," said Iskender Niyazaliev, the AUCA career center assistant. "We learned so much about how important the missions at Manas are. I was interested and surprised at the support the people here do for the community with the outreach programs for the orphanages and schools, elderly and the ill."

"I think the most important part of the visit was that the students learned that people at Manas are not angry and mean, but kind. I hope when they go back, they will share their experiences about this trip to their friends and families," said Mr. Niyazaliev. "There were many feelings today - anticipation, nervousness, curiosity, happiness, and a sense of discovery in that they uncovered some good truths about this mysterious base."