Air Force leaders from Manas Air Base toured a Republic of Kyrgyzstan air base March 28 following an invitation by the Ministry of Defense here.

The tour of Frunze Air Base No. 1 here marked a milestone in U.S. and Kyrgyz Air Force relations, and is a key element in the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander’s vision of enhancing cooperation between coalition partners in the war on terrorism.

“It’s absolutely essential we continue to build strong relationships with our Kyrgyz partners,” said Col. Randy Kee, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. “Their support is crucial to the Manas AB mission to support operations in the skies over Afghanistan and our ongoing role in serving as the air mobility hub for Operation Enduring Freedom.

“The groundwork laid in these exchange visits between our two militaries is helping to make long strides forward in better and closer cooperation between our two countries’ Airmen. We’re building long-lasting relationships and winning the hearts and minds of our Kyrgyz coalition partners through trust, sharing and mutual respect,” Colonel Kee said.

The cooperative sentiment was equally shared by the Kyrgyz Air Force commander.

“Initially, when this tour was planned, there were some worries, of course, since it was happening for the first time. However, any worries were gone from the first moment we met because it was very friendly,” said Kyrgyz Air Force Col. Saifutdin Azizov.

“The main thing is you showed a huge interest in our base. Seeing such genuine interest, our party was also very interested in showing everything we had; all our resources. That’s why it was very pleasant to receive you," Colonel Azizov said. "Even though several hours passed, it seemed like it was just half an hour because it was so interesting to communicate with you. I believe this will not be our last meeting. It is my wish we will meet very often in the future.”

This first visit to a Kyrgyz base left a lasting impression on one Manas commander.

“What an incredible opportunity we were afforded to bond with our Kyrgyz military counterparts,” said Lt. Col. Michael Hafer, 376th Expeditionary Operations Group commander.

“We were treated to an up-close and personal tour of the Mi-8 Hip and Mi-24 Hind Helicopters and the AN-2 Colt airplane. We closed the afternoon as their guests for lunch where we broke bread together and shared stories about life in the military," he said. "At the end of the day, our exchanged visits built more trust and cooperation than could have been developed through months of negotiations. When we parted, we parted as dear friends already looking forward to our next visit.”

Manas leaders did not let the generosity of their Kyrgyz hosts go unreciprocated. Less than two days later, they hosted their Kyrgyz counterparts in a base tour that showed what a deployed U.S. air base has to offer.

“It was an honor and a pleasure to reciprocate the hospitality shown to us by giving them (Kyrgyz officers) a tour of our base,” Colonel Hafer said. “It was easy to see by their faces and expressions that they enjoyed every second of their visit. They were duly impressed by everyone’s professionalism and attitude -- our Airmen left a lasting impression upon them.”

At the end of the tour, leaders from both bases gathered in a more informal setting to exchange stories about memorable times in service and joke about who would win the next sports day competition.