Air advisors certified Afghan airmen with the Kabul Air Wing in Fly Away Security Team tactics for the first time to permit the Afghan Air Force to operate more autonomously. “This new skill set enables them to conduct both aerial and ground operations with highly trained security details while extending the AAF’s reach beyond garrison,” 439th Air Expeditionary Advising Squadron head security advisor Capt. Tony Short said in a Jan. 7 release. FAST-trained security teams were crucial in securing helicopter landing zones and defending the aircraft against attack while collecting rural ballot boxes during Afghanistan’s recent elections. In addition, “We will be able to provide ground security for downed aircraft or aircraft forced to emergency land due to technical problems,” said AAF Capt. Hazim, head of the unit’s quick response team. Advisors qualified eight AAF security airmen and plan to host two more FAST courses in the near future, according to the release.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.