Afghan Air Force flight instructors are now teaching air mission planning courses, a major milestone for the country as its forces take on more control of their own security. According to a Nov. 25 Air Forces Central Command release, the AAF this fall began taking on instructor roles in their unit’s Air Assault Planning Certification Course, which was previously taught by advisors with the U.S. Army’s 10th Combat Aviation Bridge. “Afghans are now teaching Afghans,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brandon Deacon, commander of the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron. “Now that they have the initial capability, we can move on to ensuring they have trained instructors who can assess their ability to train themselves.” The 438th AEAS consists of advisors from USAF and the Czech Republic, who mentor Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopter pilots, states the release. The 10th CAB augments the overall 438th AEAS mission. Students undergo a three-week course that aims to increase the effectiveness of air operations, including a week each of classroom instruction, simulator training, and actual flying, states the release. The first class’s final week of the course has been delayed due to real-world missions. (AFCENT report by SSgt. Todd Pouliot)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.