Another Week Living In Iraq

If you didn't see my last blog entry, I lived on the island until I retired from the military, at which time, I took a position in Iraq teaching the Iraqi Air Force to fly helicopters. I maintain my connection with the island by visiting eCoroando.com as often as I can where I can see all the latest activities and events that are going on around Coronado. Makes me feel connected even though I'm thousands of miles away.

The journey over here is very long and it wears you out being strapped into an aircraft for about 15 hours. Just when you land and get out, you think the worst of the trip is over only to find out that the fun hasn't stopped just yet. Once your boots hit the ground at your intermediate stop, your hurded into blacked out buses that snake thier way through traffic to a military movement camp, your temporary "Home away from Home". Affectionately known as "tent city".

Beautiful Ali Al Salem, Kuwait

Once your inprocessed, your assigned to a specific tent that lies somewhere out there in the maze of tents. Of course this being a movement center, the other 16 people you share the tent with seem to come and go at all hours of the day and night so until your totally exhausted, you don't get much rest, and if your lucky, your only there for a few days.

And like all military operations, what you bring, you carry on your back where ever you go. My 120 lbs of gear was soon feeling like 200 lbs. If your fortunate enough, arrangements are made in advance for transportation out of the resort to your final destination; as in my case I was only there for three days and then was taken by an Air Force C130 up into the interior of Iraq.

The flight school is located at the FOB (Forward Operating Base) Warrior which is actually not a bad place to have to work and live. All branches of the military are represented here, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and they all contribute to the success of the mission. FOB Warrior used to be one of Sadam's fighter bases that was heavily bombed during the inital part of the gulf war. Military engineers have done a great job in reconstructing those areas needed by the coalition forces. Protective bunkers line all the common areas so everyone has a place to go in the event of incoming rockets or mortors.

Safety Bunkers around the FOB


One of the unique things around the FOB are the oil wells that burn 24/7. During the day you can see the black smoke for miles and at night, the fires light up the horizon.

Our rotary wing and fixed wing sections are co-located on the airfield and work closely in the training of new Iraqi pilots.

The students initially receive fixed wing training and once that is completed, the top students are sent to us for advanced training in helicopters. The oldest student that I’ve met so far has been 25 years old, which leads me to believe that the Iraqi leadership truly wants to build the new Air Force from the ground up and start fresh.

All the students are active duty and from what the students have told me, incur service obligations that range from 15 to 25 years, once they complete their flight training. It has also been said that if they choose to leave the military early, that they must pay the government back for all the training that they receive, which could be very expensive I’m sure.
The students are from all over Iraq, which include the Sunni, Shiite and Kurds, but regardless of where they are from, they all come together and work as a team and as a class. I am one of the flight commanders and there is one thing that I make perfectly clear on day one, which is I won’t tolerate any dissension within the class. Luckily, the students are occupied with keeping up with the demands of the flight training, that they don’t have time to be sidetracked with those issues.
The training is very regimented and consists of academic , simulator and actual flight training that is mentally and physically demanding. All the students are required to attend an English language program and pass a comprehension test before they can attend the flight program, and even with that training, the communications can be very challenging. After 2 -4 weeks of academics (depending on which phase of training) the flight line begins; due to the complexity of the training, it all takes place outside the security of the perimeter fence here at the FOB; for primary flight training we use an old auxiliary air base, for instruments we’ve developed our own approaches throughout the countryside, and tactics is whatever areas we find useful. Unlike the military, we do not have armed escort aircraft that travel with us, which means we travel and train on our own so we never launch unless at least two aircraft go together. We have two students assigned for each Instructor Pilot so we get a full day of flying in each day; as mentioned above, the students and the instructors are not only engaged in the training at hand but must also maintain situational awareness scanning the immediate area for potential threat. Luckily in the year that I have been here, we have not had any hostile action taken directly at one of our aircraft. Although, I did have a glass instrument cover shatter in the cockpit from a rock thrown into the rotor system. Rocks, I can deal with!!!

Sometimes, the local insurgent groups leave us a symbol in the training area, just to let us know they are still there watching...

Our first class that started in January graduated a few weeks ago, they all have their wings now and will be assigned to the Air Force advance squadrons.

Hopefully, now that they have their wings, they won’t end up sitting around at the squadrons waiting to fly. Aircraft are in short supply here and flight time will be limited for them; in order for them to maintain base line proficiency they will have to continue to fly and gain experience.


On my next entry, I will talk about some of the conversations I’ve had with my students about what they have been through and their experiences, families and the culture here. It took me weeks to realize that students out of respect for teachers, will tell you they understand all the things you just explained to them even if they don’t have a clue. LOL, It became obvious to me when they couldn’t scratch the surface of what I had just covered with them….. Until next time…. Stay Safe