Laughlin pilot helps launch Iraqi air force

  • Published
  • By Joel Langton
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  The former 47th Flying Training Wing inspector general and an instructor pilot here, returned from a deployment to Iraq four months early.

Lt. Col. Chris Spigelmire, the 521st Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron commander, returned to Laughlin Air Force Base when the squadron de-activated four months ahead of schedule because their mission was complete.

In Iraq, Colonel Spigelmire's mission was to train Iraqis on how to launch Hellfire missiles from a Cessna Caravan.

When Colonel Spigelmire arrived, the nation's air force hadn't fired a missile in years, nor trained pilots. By the time he left, they had fired a missile and had stood up a brand new pilot training squadron.

"Closing the U.S. training squadron down was bittersweet," Colonel Spigelmire said. " But it was also very satisfying that we were able to do that because it meant the Iraqis were doing very well. I poured my heart and soul into this assignment and it's tough to just walk away. "

After months of training the Iraqi forces, Colonel Spigelmire's 50-person squadron equipped the air force to successfully launch the Hellfire from a Cessna Caravan; a historical day in Iraq's history that Colonel Spigelmire said he'd never forget.

"The Iraqis were very nervous beforehand," Colonel Spigelmire said. "To see the pride in their faces was something I'll never forget. When we landed, the Iraqi generals were there to greet them and they had a big celebration."

Although Colonel Spigelmire flew along as an adviser, he said the entire final event was an Iraqi-run operation.

"The Iraqis got the missile out of storage, put it on the plane, flew the mission and hit the target. It was entirely their operation," he said.

The U.S Airmen relinquished more and more of the mission as the Iraqis proved they had the know-how and infrastructure to accomplish it on their own.

"We got them from the point where they didn't know anything about the missile to the point where they were able to fire the missiles," he said.

After accomplishing the first mission, the colonel and his team of advisers transitioned to another mission, helping stand up the nation's flying training mission to develop the country's future instructor pilots.

"Our philosophy changed from one of pilot production to train the trainer," he said.

In the four-month time span they worked to produce instructors, the flying training unit went from four instructors to 29.

Colonel Spigelmire said his experience as a T-38 Talon instructor help prepare him to train members of the Iraqi air force.

"Some of my experiences at Laughlin (AFB) really helped me out," he said. "Setting up a syllabus, running the syllabus and timeline and advising the pilot training squadron was pretty much what I did here."

Colonel Spigelmire said there was a difference in training U.S. and Iraqi pilots.

"At Laughlin (AFB), our students are already accomplished in flying the T-6 (A Texan) before I begin training them in the T-38," he said. "Over there, many of the students had never driven a car."

Many of his students' lives' were in danger because of their work with the Iraqi air force.

"Many had death threats against their lives. There was one who moved his family every month or so to keep them safe, Colonel Spigelmire said.

"There is a very bright future for them," he said. "They're just as smart and just as talented as U.S. pilots and they're hungry. They want it right now and they want a better future for their families, and they're going to get it."