The New Culture Friendly Air Commandos

Oct. 4, 2005

The Culture Friendly Air Commandos: Airmen from the 6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., are culturally and linguistically trained to fit right in to Niger in Africa when they deployed there recently to work with the Nigerian air force. The 6th SOS members are experts in aviation advisory operations around the world, and instruct on numerous aircraft in several languages. The commandos helped train the fledgling Nigerian air force on maintaining and flying their C-130 Hercules and a Russian-build Mi-17 multi-role helicopter. After a visit to Niger to view the mission’s progress, Gen. Robert Foglesong, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said that he wished he could have a unit like the 6th SOS “in every country, every day of the week.”

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