To Fly and Maintain, First Learn English:

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

For the Iraqi airmen of Squadron 23 at Ali Base, learning to fly and maintain the three C-130s given them by the US Air Force has entailed a crucial first step: mastering the English language. Iraq Air Force leaders decided that they would not have USAF aircraft technical orders translated into Arabic, making it essential that they learn English to be able to operate and maintain the aircraft. This triggered the Defense Language Institute to send instructors to teach English to almost 500 Iraqi airmen.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org