New Training for Air Advisors

Members of the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., traveled to Lusaka, Zambia, recently to train and share ideas with the Zambian air force. The training was the “first of its kind” since the passage of the Fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill, which included language enabling “air advisors to build partnerships with a strategic US ally while expanding their unit’s air advising capabilities,” according to a release. Before the new NDAA language, units could only upgrade “a maximum of two” air advisors per trip, said Maj. Michael Morrow, 818th MSAS mission commander. “But due to the nature of the … mission we were able to upgrade six team members,” he said. “No single country has all the knowledge and resources needed to rapidly and efficiently mitigate every potential disaster around the world. We need to work together and learn from each other,” said Morrow. “The need to share best practices for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief principles is critical.”