NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan

Brig. Gen. Michael Boera, commanding general, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Combined Air Power Transition Force (CAPTF), took his final or "fini" flight in the Afghan Air Forces C-27 Spartan aircraft marking the end of his tour. The official change of command is a long-standing tradition to honor the outgoing commander and welcome the new commander.

The Afghan Air Force Herat Air Detachment with Combined Air Power Transition Force support provided airlift for the NATO Transition Mission-Afghanistan’s Border Management Task Force and the Customs Director of Herat, Mr. Khaliq Ullah, to border crossing stations at Islam Qala and Torah Gundeh.

The primary purpose was for task force members to train the Afghan Border Police and Afghan Customs Police on the use of Ammonium Nitrate Detection Kits. Ammonium nitrate is the primary ingredient used in Improvised Explosive Devises and has been banned in Afghanistan.

On a training flight on Aug. 14, 2010, the Afghan Air Force and Combined Air Power Transition Force advisors took an Afghan flight medic, M. Yousuf Chakari Pa, a new flight medic instructor, Abdel Malik, and a CAPTF advisor, Tech. Sgt. Lopez, to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan to participate in the Afghan Air Force Flight Medic Academy.

The Afghan flight medic will be attending a 12-day crew chief course and the new Afghan instructor will begin teaching the course, allowing Task Force Dustoff the ability to have Afghans teach Afghans.

The 738 Air Expeditionary Advisory Group Top Three Enlisted organization organized a community service project at the Kandahar Air Field Bazaar (KAF) School on Aug. 7, 2010.

This was a great opportunity for the 738th AEAG to get involved with supporting the nearby community and foster good relations with the local population. They volunteered to teach local Afghan boys, ages four to 14 years of age for three hours.

Members of the Afghan Air Force, Combined Air Power Transition Force and Task Force Center met on Aug. 5, 2010 with Deh Ali Baig village elders to discuss ways the Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition partners can assist civilian neighbors.

Afghan Air Force Col. Shoresh and other Shindand Air Base leadership met with the elders to continue a tradition of AAF and Deh Ali Baig village cooperation going back almost 50 years.

The 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group Commander, Col. Larry Bowers and Task Force Center leadership discussed the village's water needs and how the new well called a “karez” at Shindand Air Base can increase the village’s water supply and help with crop irrigation.

A karez is an underground irrigation canal running between an aquifer on the piedmont to a garden on an arid plain. They are common in Afghanistan and the karez technology is used extensively in areas with no larger rivers providing year-round water flow sufficient for irrigation.

SHINDAND, Afghanistan - Afghan Air Force Col. Shoresh and Col. Larry Bowers, 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group Commander meet with Deh Ali Baig village elders on Aug. 5, 2010 to discuss ways the Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition partners can assists their civilian neighbors.

Afghan Air Force (AAF) airmen arrived at Shindand Air Base in the Western portion of Afghanistan with AAF leadership meeting on Aug. 1, 2010 with the 207th Corps Commander to discuss a phased and gradual hand over of Shindand.

Afghan Col. Khalil is serving as the officer-in-charge to begin the ownership process. His team has one non-commissioned officer and 11 other soldiers who will begin setting up the AAF operations.