Air Education and Training Command sent six of its military training instructors and one officer from Lackland AFB, Tex., to Camp Taji, Iraq, six months ago to launch a basic military training program for the Iraqi Air Force and graduate its first recruits, reports Lilly Flore-Janecek. The MTIs and officer returned recently, after successfully graduating 58 of 63 Iraqis from a 22-day course. Five recruits dropped out. AETC has now replaced that first team with more MTIs and another officer, with more rotations planned. The first team, of course, has “done the dirty work for all the subsequent teams,” said Lt. Col. Thomas, commander of Lackland’s 331st Training Squadron. The first team also created a warrant officer course.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
