For the first time in over half a century, an Afghan military officer received American pilot wings.
During a ceremony at Columbus Air Force Base on Friday, Col. Roger Watkins presented Lt. Faiz Mohammed Ramaki of the Afghan National Army Air Corps with silver U.S. Air Force wings.
The 28-year-old lieutenant, the oldest of 10 children, had gone through the Air Force”s Aviation Leadership Program, which puts candidates through English-language training, flight screening, academic and ground training hours and flight hours, among other things.
“The ALP program was challenging and difficult,” Ramaki said. “Succeeding in the ALP is an accomplishment; but while this is a good day for me, it is a great day for my country.”
“Be proud of your accomplishments at Columbus,” Watkins told Ramaki. “You will go back to your country and share what you learned with other Air Corps pilots.”
Ramaki is one of scores of Afghan pilots tracing the footsteps of the retired Col. Ghulam Mustafa Tayer, who trained in America in 1958.
Sixty-one Afghan pilot candidates will spend up to 30 months in America, receiving English-language training before pilot lessons from the Air Force, the Army and the Navy.
Thirty experienced Afghan Army Air Corps pilots will spend up to 10 months in America. After their English-language training, they will receive aircraft instrument flight qualification and go back to the Kabul Air Wing for qualification training.
The pilot candidates” upcoming training is one manifestation of Afghanistan”s recent interest in adopting Western tactics, training and procedures, said CAFB Public Affairs Chief Sonic Johnson. “If you look at the stuff they fly, it”s all Soviet stuff,” he said.
But not for long. Ramaki trained in American-made Cessna aircraft, and when he returns to Afghanistan he will train in the Italian-built C-27A Spartan.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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