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Afghanistan Pakistan Hands Airman trains future Afghan pilots
Posted 11/3/2011
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by Kathryn Gustafson
Language, Region and Culture Program Office
11/3/2011 - DENVER (AFNS) -- As an Air Force aviator, Lt. Col. Daryl Sassaman had been to Afghanistan before; however, never did he imagine he would one day be living with the Afghans, working to hone their English language capabilities, while improving his Dari proficiency.
Today, he is one of approximately 253 service personnel who are members of the Afghanistan Pakistan Hands program.
The APH program started in the fall of 2009, in response to ongoing U.S. engagements in Afghanistan. Sassaman said the idea behind APH is to maintain a consistent network of individuals who rotate in and out of Afghanistan or Pakistan approximately every year, rather than reinventing the wheel every time an Airman transfers out of a theater assignment.
Through language and culture education and training, the APH program grooms military members to serve on a rotational cycle in country. As one cohort departs the region, a new group is deployed, while another receives language and culture education and training.
"They come back a second time knowing how the culture works and are therefore able to continue building relationships," Sassaman said.
Deterring potential problems before they arise is a key feature of the APH program, said Barbara Barger, the Air Force's senior language authority.
"The APH program demonstrates our capability to develop and maintain language and culture proficiency one-by-one, with the objective of building enduring relationships to diffuse potential issues that could result in tension within the region," Barger said.
With the standup of a new pilot training program at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, Sassaman said his role as a mentor for Afghan students is an ideal opportunity to build cooperative relationships. Sassaman runs the Thunder Lab, which is a 24/7, U.S. training center for Afghan lieutenants.
The Thunder Lab staff works hand-in-hand with the Defense Language Institute-sponsored Kabul Education & Language Training Center staff to teach professionalism, aviation skills, English language and U.S. culture. The Thunder Lab provides an environment for students to utilize their English language skills, which increases their proficiency while decreasing the time it takes them to meet the required comprehension level for pilot training.
"It's a great experience in the fact that we have the opportunity to work with, train and influence the future leaders of Afghanistan's air force," he said.
The Afghan students Sassaman currently works with will be the first group to go through the new Shindand AB pilot training program this December.
"As you go into an area, understanding the language, region and culture are very important," Sassaman said. "If you have a basic understanding of the language, you can be brought into a culture much faster. Succeeding in our efforts here is dependent upon building bonds.
"Establishing and maintaining trust starts by asking someone about their personal well-being or family and being sincere about it, and it only grows from there," he said. "It's all about building trust. Without it, you can't do business."
Airmen interested in volunteering for the APH program should contact their assignment officers at the Air Force Personnel Center.
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