Originally Posted by
BDGERJMN
As for the IA side of the house Buzz, the Navy has been doing those 365 day stints for at least 2 years now. I'm sure AF has been as well in some capacity. The Navy has been pulling dudes out of shore tours and sending them to Iraq, Afghanistan, HOA etc anwhere from 3-12 months in country. Last count was on the order of 13,000 pairs of boots on the ground from the Navy(officer/enlisted alike) to support the Army. My squadron(RTU equiv) alone has 3 dudes in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan as we speak. The Navy has now said rather than pulling dudes out of flying jobs they will send IA's overseas in PCS orders. The funny thing is we attrite guys out of the FRS and they get to walk as winged aviators and get out or take VSP and good dudes who have served well in their fleet tours are being pulled for IA's. Makes no sense to me why a guy/gal with an 8 year committment can walk if he/she can't perform in the jet.
Yeah, we have a Major (former F-16 driver now a T-38 IP) from my squadron in Iraq now training the new Iraqi AF. She is flying a SAMA (Zenair) CH-2000 (looks like a C-172 to me) and a Cessna Caravan.
http://www.defendamerica.mil/article...112906sj1.html
It's a brave new world. I am not sure why the Iraqi AF students aren't being sent to the states to learn to fly. I' don't know where they are gonna find 70 bodies to send to Iraq and Afghanistan to accomplish this mission with all of the AF heavy drivers getting out via Voluntary Separation Pay and all of the fighter folk running for the exit!