The first class of firefighters from the Afghan Air Force and the Afghan National Army graduated from a NATO-led fire instructor course—the first of its kind in Afghanistan—during an Oct. 31 ceremony at Kabul International Airport. The 13 students underwent a five-day course that covered methods of instruction, adapting lesson plans, record keeping, and passing a written and practical exam, according to a Nov. 5 service release. Fire advisers from NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan taught the course, states the Nov. 5 release. “Now all of you have gone from student to teacher [and] can go back to your base, train your firefighters, and sign off on core tasks and upgrade training,” said MSgt. Jeffery Hackworth, a NATC-A fire advisor, at the ceremony. “This is a huge step toward a self-sustaining Afghan air force fire service.” The course was created to design a standard to be used among all Afghanistan agencies to train firefighters, states the release.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
