Iraqi air force reaches 2,000-flying hour milestone

KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq: The Iraqi air force reached 2,000 flying training hours here July 13, with the help of Airmen from the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron.

The milestone comes 11 months after Lt. Col. Mark Bennett, the 52nd EFTS commander, arrived at Kirkuk.

"This is very significant across the entire operation, from maintenance, life support, intelligence and base support," said Colonel Bennett." To go from zero to 2,000 hours in under nine months is an epic accomplishment. I am absolutely amazed we have been able to accomplish what we have.

"The risk associated with the Iraqi pilots and student pilots is significant, which makes this accomplishment even more astounding," he said. "Consider the fact all their families are living in Baghdad under the current threat of insurgency and all the folks who would like to see us fail.  They are amazingly courageous individuals to come here and do this."

The Iraqi pilots believe developing the Iraqi air force is important, Colonel Bennett said. They're student pilots today, but will be the Iraqi air force's future leaders.

When Colonel Bennett first arrived at Kirkuk in late 2007, he had one corner of a general purpose shelter, a sheet of plywood and two sawhorses with which to build his squadron.

"If you saw us nine months ago, we were nothing -- no aircraft, no facilities, no students, no progress, no events at all," said Iraqi air force Colonel Basim, the Iraqi flying training wing deputy commander. "When we started, we thought about how we would like it in the future. The future is huge."

The Iraqi air force has risen like a phoenix from the sands to reach 2,000 flight training hours. But as huge as this milestone is, commanders, instructors and pilot trainees realize this is only a small step in a larger plan for the Iraqi air force.

"Five years ago, their air force was [non-existent]. Now they have an air force and a flying training wing that's flown 2,000 hours," said Capt. Jamie Riddle, a 52nd EFTS instructor pilot. "It's a tribute to how hard they've worked and how much our American advisers have worked."

Captain Riddle and 2nd Lt. "Joseph," an Iraqi pilot trainee, flew the sortie that chalked up the record for the team.

"Getting to this point was no easy task," Lieutenant Joseph said. "I risked many things to come here, especially my relationship and my friends. I have to hide myself now because of the dangers I live in. I came here to be a pilot. My relatives, many of them don't know I am here. These are the hardest challenges I face. I just found myself making the 2,000-hour mark with Captain Riddle. It's just amazing and I'm so happy."

The milestone was accomplished with no mishaps, and the 27 students in the squadron have flown more than 70 solo sorties combined. The training program averages 20 sorties a day, with all sorties logged as combat sorties.

"We are in the threat ring, if you will," Colonel Bennett said. "There is a constant threat out there. Just outside the wire are individuals ... who could potentially do us harm, which makes the job that much more difficult."

To date, the team effort at Kirkuk has proven a success everyone can be proud of.

"This huge accomplishment is from working hard together as a team. We don't say Iraqi or U.S.," said Colonel Basim. "As pilots and instructor pilots, we are a team. We are brothers. That is why we have success in our jobs as pilots and [why] we have reached this position."