Pilots Had To Become Fluent In English Before Flying The
T-6
Three Afghan air force lieutenants will soon be returning to
Afghanistan with silver wings after graduating from Specialized
Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) Friday at Laughlin Air Force
Base in Texas. After competing against more than 350 Afghan pilot
candidates, these three are the first from their country to attend
and graduate SUPT at Laughlin.
"This was a dream of mine to get my wings, and this is really
exciting for me to have my dream come true," said one. "I'm proud
of myself, but I'm also proud of my instructors whose vision was to
see us get our wings. I'm proud of my country and proud of the
United States government, especially the Air Force, for providing
this opportunity for our dreams to come true."
The USAF says the three faced a tremendous journey prior to
their arrival here. As part of the selection process, the Afghans
went through physical fitness tests, aviation and communication
lessons and received flight physicals. They were then sent to the
Defense Language Institute English Learning Center at Lackland Air
Force Base, Texas, to learn the English language.
According to one of the lieutenants, SUPT candidates attended
the most advanced English classes and were required to be
completely fluent before attending pilot training. They had one
year to meet this prerequisite, and not everyone passed.
Even after making it to Laughlin, one of the Afghans described
SUPT as the hardest year of his life. "Pilot training keeps you
busy for a full 12 hours a day," he said. "It is not hard
physically, it is hard on the mind."
The trio trained in the T-6 Texan II for nearly a year,
accumulating nearly 200 hours, more than 140 flights and more than
40 simulator sessions. "I flew with almost 64 instructors while I
was here," one said. "I kept all of my mission data cards with all
of my instructor's signatures, it is history for me."
Although the lieutenants are excited to complete the rigorous
training and return home, one of the students says he will miss his
instructors, friends and the American way of life. "When you guys
are sleeping, you don't have a loaded gun at your bedside. You
don't have a gun ready in your home 24 hours a day, you don't worry
about checking your six o'clock for someone following you," he
says. "We do that back in Afghanistan because officer life is
dangerous."
The three will next be trained back home in the C-27A Spartan by
instructors from Laughlin AFB. (ANN salutes 2nd Lt. Angela Martin,
47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs.)