Iraqi Air Force

Courtesy Photo | TIKRIT, IRAQ (December 21, 2005) -- The 101st Aviation Combat Brigade hosted members of the fledgling Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron today. The objective was to share the two unit's capabilities and see each unit's aircraft.  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

12.23.2005

Courtesy Story

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

by Spec. Lee Elder
133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
21 December 2005

TIKRIT, IRAQ (December 21, 2005) " The 101st Aviation Combat Brigade hosted members of the fledgling Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron today. The objective was to share the two unit's capabilities and see each unit's aircraft.

The meeting is the beginning of a partnership between the two units and is part of ongoing efforts to help the Iraqi Air Force become self-sustaining. Besides getting acquainted, the 14 Iraqi squadron members also got a briefing on the brigade's intelligence and operational capabilities and then got a first-hand look at its aircraft.

"We both may learn from each other and share our common experiences to help build a more secure Iraq," said Col. Warren E. Phipps, 101st Aviation Combat Brigade's commander. "We can leverage both the capabilities of my brigade and the 3rd Air Force Squadron to assist in the security of the critical infrastructure of northern Iraq."

The key parts of the mission shared by both units is protecting the pipeline in northern Iraq that brings oil to Turkey and ensuring that electrical power systems are not destroyed by insurgents and other criminal elements.

The partnership between the two units is a good fit, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dave Schlesinger said. He is head of the Coalition Advisor Support Team in Kirkuk that assists the Iraqi Air Force's rebuilding effort in that area.

"Since we share the air space, one of the biggest benefits is to learn where the 101st is flying," Schlesinger said. "It works out well since we're doing the same mission, protecting the infrastructure of the country."

As part of their briefing the Iraqi airmen were shown the brigade's areas of concentration. Besides providing logistical support and air cover, aircraft are constantly monitoring key areas watching for insurgent or criminal activity.

Phipps explained that he keeps in close contact with commanders on the ground to ensure the brigade's fleet of more than 150 helicopters is maximizing its support for ground forces. He said it's not just U.S. and Coalition forces that benefit from these efforts. "We've been quite successful and they have learned a lot," Phipps said. "They are very, very good."

In two-and-a-half months, brigade aviators have flown nearly 2,700 missions and logged more than 20,000 flight hours. Among these missions were 10 air assault missions with Iraqi Army Soldiers, Phipps said.

Phipps" counterpart is Staff Col. Ali Salim, who is the acting commander of the 3rd Squadron. He said his unit has six aircraft and 15 officers who have flown more than 1,000 hours, most of which are reconnaissance missions. He was grateful for U.S. support and looked forward to a deepening relationship with his Coalition counterparts.

"We are just rebuilding our Air Force," Ali said. "The most important thing is that we cooperate with each other for the security of our country."

The Iraqi airmen were particularly enthused at the chance to check out the brigade's aircraft. Displays of the UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and OH58D Kiowa were available. The airmen enjoyed looking at the aircraft and being briefed on their capabilities by the Soldiers who fly and maintain them.

"We had only seen the aircraft on TV," Salim said. "Now, we went to the airplanes and learned their purpose."

• Date Taken: 12.23.2005
• Date Posted: 12.23.2005 21:40
• Story ID: 4187
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ