First Iraqi ALP student graduates

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jacob Corbin
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Three years ago a young soon-to-be pilot began his journey to earning his Silver Wings.

Second Lt. Omar AlNuaimi, Iraqi air force, will graduate today alongside his fellow student pilots in Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 09-12 at the Kaye Auditorium.

"It feels great (to graduate)," Lieutenant AlNuaimi said. "Since the Iraqi air force was founded, until this moment, we haven't had students that have graduated from the U.S. It's been great and wonderful to be trained and get my wings."

The lieutenant said he was shown great respect and understanding during his training, and in turn, so was his country.

"This is one step forward for breaking a huge wall between our two nations," he said.

While he's happy to graduate, he said he would never have gotten this far without the support and help of others along the way.

He credits the men and women he's encountered and who have helped him in his journey from a young man raised to hate the western world (and the U.S. especially) to that of someone who would fight alongside its members and die for it.

This includes the man he considers a father figure, Lt. Col. Eddie Altizer, 43rd Flying Training Squadron and T-6 flight commander.

"He is the greatest guy I have ever known," he said. "He is like a father to me; he really represents his country in the greatest way possible."

Lieutenant AlNuaimi will be taking the new skills and techniques he's learned here in the United States and using them to help train the next generation of Iraqi airmen in Kirkuk, Iraq, and said the lessons and experience passed on to him by his instructor pilots here will be invaluable.

"I have gained good experience and I will be glad to take all this experience back to my country and teach," he said.

He also said the instructor pilots do more than just their job here, they have a second one too - that of an English teacher.

"They help bridge the gap, find similar words to help you understand," he said. He explained most aeronautical terms aren't found in English language translation dictionaries.

The lieutenant said the men and women who have helped him from day one have all taught him something valuable or made his journey possible, whether his English instructors at Lackland Air Force Base, the instructor pilots who taught him daily, crew chiefs who maintained the aircraft he flew, and his "brothers" in pilot training alongside him.

In addition, the lieutenant said the men and women, students and spouses, of his flights and classes were there for him any minute of the day, anytime he needed help. That, coupled with the warm-welcome given to him by members of the local community, are what he says made his time here easy and pleasant.

He said when he met people, and told them he was from Columbus AFB, they welcomed him greatly.

"They treat us so very well and welcome us," he said.

The USAF Aviation Leadership Program is a "scholarship" for undergraduate flying training. The "scholarship" also includes English language training for countries not exempt from English testing. English language training is provided at the Defense Language Institute, with follow on aviation training hosted by the 14th FTW at Columbus AFB.