US Air Advisory Squadron inactivates, Iraqi Air Force Squadron stands up

U.S. Forces Iraq ^ | Senior Airman Mindy Bloem, USAF

[SandRat]

KIRKUK - The 521st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron officially completed its mission to advise the Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron during a ceremony held at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Jan. 11.

The ceremony signified the autonomy of the Iraqi squadron, recognized the members of the IqAF’s 1st Sqdn. for achieving foundational capabilities, and marked the inactivation of the 521st AEAS after completing its advisory mission.

For two years, U.S. advisors from the 521st and the 870th AEAS have been collaborating with these two IqAF squadrons to help them achieve the independence they have been working toward.

The role of the 521st was two-fold. The U.S. advisors trained the maintenance personnel, pilots, instructor pilots and evaluators at the IqAF's 1st Sqdn. They also advised the IqAF's 3rd Sqdn. to fly intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

During the ceremony, Staff Col. Mustafa Salhaldeen, IqAF 3rd Sqdn. commander, thanked the 521st for working with his squadron.

"I thank everyone with all my heart for their hard work and especially the work and great support from all the commanders and squadron advisors who worked from the beginning until today with our squadron," the colonel said. "I want them to know this achievement and success is theirs also because we worked as one team, one fight."

Although the 521st AEAS has inactivated and the members of 3rd Sqdn. are now self-sufficient, a few of the U.S. advisors will remain to aid the Iraqi members of 1st Sqdn.

After the ceremony, Capt. Shanea Wilson, U.S. advisor for the 521st AEAS, spoke about the major milestone.

"The Iraqi Air Force has worked very hard to become autonomous," she said. "In November, they [3rd Squadron] had the Hellfire shoot, which they were very successful at, and for the Iraqi Squadron 1, they've produced their instructor pilots and evaluators."

The Hellfire shoot, the first conducted by Iraqis here, Nov. 4, was another step toward achieving the ability to protect their nation.

"The 521st will have a small footprint here as a MITT [Military Transition Team] and will be a detachment under the 321st Air Expeditionary Advisory Group," Wilson said. "I'm sure they [1st Sqdn.] are going to take the training they received and build on it and produce pilots and instructor pilots and continue what we started here."

The captain also praised the Iraqis for all the work they put in to achieve their goals.

"I have learned so much this year in Iraq," she said. "I've learned so much about the Iraqi culture, their work ethic. Their future is bright. I'm amazed at their accomplishments. They're doing it quickly and well."

The ceremony demonstrated the positive partnership between the U.S. and Iraqi forces.

“The mission of the 521st is complete so now the Iraqi Air Force will take it from here,” Wilson said.

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!
If you would like to be added to / removed from FRWN,
please FReepmail Sandrat.

WARNING: FRWN can be an EXTREMELY HIGH-VOLUME PING LIST!!