Training exchange strengthens ties between U.S., Argentina

  • Published
  • By Airman Eric Schloeffel
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  A delegation from the Argentinean air force completed a weeklong visit on June 9 to the 479th Flying Training Group here as part of an international exchange program.

Capt. Gustavo Pollastrelli, Capt. Juan Sabalua and 1st Lt. Roberto Montaldo, all Argentinean instructor pilots from Mendoza Air Force Base, Argentina, exchanged information about training techniques and procedures.

“The main objective is to observe how (American) instructor pilots teach their students,” Captain Sabalua said. “We’ll try to extract as much as we can to apply in Argentina.”

The visit serves as a follow-up to last year’s exchange, when Moody served as host to four Argentinean pilots. Although the two trips may appear similar at first glance, they serve separate purposes, the captain said.

“Last year’s program was entirely different. We were in the process of upgrading the (IA-63) Pampa with newer avionics, so (the visit) was more technical,” he said, referring to the Argentinean jet commonly used for training purposes. “Now we are here as instructors to teach the avionics to our students.”

To do this, the Argentinean pilots are taking a hands-on approach to learning the foreign systems, Captain Sabalua said.

“We have scheduled some flights so we can try to understand all the instructions from the ground and air,” he said. “We are also learning briefing and debriefing tools to help instruct the students.”

The Argentineans also spent time in the 479th FTG simulator.

Moody was chosen because of its extensive training mission, Captain Sabalua said.

“As instructor pilots, (the 479th FTG) mission has the closest mission to what we do in Argentina,” he said. “The 479th has a very complete structure and has all the right tools for teaching new fighter pilots.”

To share information on the Argentinean air force, the Argentineans plan to present 479th FTG pilots with a slide show featuring the country’s different structural and training techniques.

“We’ll make a (presentation) to show how we do things in Argentina, which we hope will help American fighter pilots,” Captain Sabalua said. 

In addition to the exchange of information, the visit serves as reinforcement to the strong relationship between the two countries, said Lt. Col. Steven Batts, section chief of the U.S. military group in Argentina.

“This helps strengthen ties between the U.S. military and our allies in Central and South America,” he said. “It helps solidify the bond between these two respected nations.”

Pilots from the 479th FTG also benefit from the exchange and hope to learn all they can from the Argentineans, said Maj. Cliff Harvey, 49th Flying Training Squadron assistant director of operations.

“It helps because we get an allied perspective on how they do business,” he said. “It’s also good to share experiences and ask questions about their operations, while spreading the word about how the U.S. Air Force functions to our allies.”