Special ops pilot chosen for academy airmanship award

  • Published
  • By Steven A. Simon
  • Donor Liaison Development and Alumni Programs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  A special operations instructor pilot and a 1993 U.S. Air Force Academy graduate was named the recipient for the 2007 Col. James Jabara Award for Airmanship May 11.

Maj. Mark Visconi received the award after he flew 106 combat sorties and logged 136 combat hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom while training Iraqi air force members how to conduct counter-insurgency operations while assigned to the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team.

The Jabara Award for Airmanship is awarded each year to the academy graduate whose accomplishments demonstrate superior performance in fields directly involved with aerospace vehicles.

Major Visconi, also an Arabic linguist, was involved in a wide variety of vital missions during his deployment to the Multinational Security Transition Command, Iraq. He participated in the first Iraqi Air Force psychological operations mission, the first Iraqi air force supply airdrop, and the first use of an Iraqi air force aircraft as a combat search and rescue asset. 

"This year, the award recognizes far more than the accomplishments of any individual," Major Visconi said. "It acknowledges the increasing importance of our difficult, dynamic mission to train and assist (and at times build) partner air forces around the globe." 

Working side-by-side with the Iraqis gave him a special appreciation for their service. 

"They risk their lives and the lives of their families every time they put on the uniform, yet they do," he said. "That's a hard thing for most of us to comprehend." 

"Those shared combat experiences create a unique sense of camaraderie, and as advisors we had truly become valued members of the Iraqi unit," he said. "Those relationships endure." 

The major is currently the foreign policy advisor to the U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. He is returning to the academy.

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