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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...

1/13/2010 - RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq (AFNS) -- More than 240 cadets graduated from the Iraqi air force officer course basic military training course Jan. 10, here. In the two-month course, the 247 graduates at Iraqi Military Academy-Rustamiyah were educated in professionalism, teamwork, management and the leadership skills required to be an officer. "The staff and students have a strong desire to improve their country," said Lt. Col. David Keller, the 821st Expeditionary Training Squadron chief of the Iraqi air force officers program. "There is an intense national pride that is energizing to be around." This class trained alongside more than 200...

1/5/2010 - CAMP TAJI, Iraq (AFNS) -- Airmen from the 721st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron here improvised a device to recharge fire suppression bottles for the Russian-made Mi-17 Hip helicopter to save the Iraqi air force tens of thousands of dollars. Maj. William Reynolds and Master Sgt. Jayme Hakenson worked together to design and modify a flightline fire extinguisher that will allow Iraqis to fill fire suppression bottles themselves with Chladon 114B2. "Chladon is a fire retardant," said Major Reynolds, a squadron maintenance officer deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. "When released, it removes all the oxygen from the...

TEHRAN, Iran — A military aircraft taking part in an army parade crashed near Tehran on Tuesday, state television said, as the Fars news agency reported seven people killed in a plane crash in the same area. The television gave no further details of the incident. Earlier the official IRNA news agency said a plane "which was conducting manoeuvres during the parade crashed in the village of Vali Abad," near Tehran. Fars quoted the Iran Red Crescent relief chief Ahmad Esfandiari as saying that relief workers had found the bodies of seven passengers from a plane which crashed in an...

NAJAF — With the recent help of many organizations back in the United States, the Iraqi Provincial Government received three pallets of humanitarian relief supplies June 21 for distribution to the local populace here. “Helping people who are less fortunate is always a good thing whether in your home town or across the world,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Fred Harmon, deputy team leader for provincial reconstruction and project coordinator at Najaf. “Overall, these shipments send a message that bridges the cultural divide. In the more immediate impact, they simply help those who need it.” “It is important because it...

WASHINGTON, May 26, 2009 – In developments this month, the Iraqi air force graduated its first intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircrew members and dedicated three new buildings that will increase its capabilities. The first class of Iraqi Air Force Squadron 87 King Air ISR aircrew members completed their year-long training, which culminated with a graduation ceremony at New Al Muthana Air Base May 17. The Iraqi King Air program, headed up by U.S. Air Force and Navy aircrew instructors, has trained four Iraqi pilots, seven co-pilots and five mission sensor operators. “We are about at the halfway point where we...

BAGHDAD — A joint effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Air Force is improving the training facilities for Iraq’s Air Force (IqAF) cadets. The $1.96 million rehabilitation project at the Iraq Military Academy Rustamiyah (IMAR) includes five major components that will greatly enhance the learning and living environment for future IqAF officers. The academy, established by the British in 1924, serves as the sole site for training IqAF cadets. Cadets learn essential skills there, including English, before commissioning as officers ready for flight training. English is taught because it’s the mandatory international language for...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 30, 2009 – The Iraqi air force demonstrated its capability to view polling stations and other potential critical-incident locations from above Jan. 28 in preparation for tomorrow’s provincial elections. This “eye in the sky” is a sensor system similar to that of a U.S. Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, downlinked for display into the Iraqi prime minister’s national operations center. Iraqi air force officials conducted the demonstration for the Iraqi National Security Advisor Mowaffak al-Rubaie, other senior government officials and coalition military advisors to showcase the King Air 350 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft’s ability to provide real-time surveillance...