Italian pilot deploys with U.S. forces

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jasmine Reif
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  For four months an Italian air force pilot, as part of an exchange program, has been deployed to Southwest Asia with the U.S. Air Force.

Capt. Daniele Poli, 738th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron pilot, has flown C-130 Hercules on more than 240 sorties, for more than 60 missions since September 2005.

“My deployed experience was good. It has been very busy here. The (operations) tempo is very high,” said Captain Poli. “Throughout my deployment, I feel like I’ve learned a lot and I think I’ve grown as a person.”

Captain Poli’s commander feels that he has been an important part of the squadron throughout the deployment.

“Daniele is a tremendous asset to Little Rock's combat aerial delivery mission. He provides my crews valuable insight on the perspectives of coalition partners at the tactical level of operations,” said Lt. Col. Mark Czelusta, the squadron commander. “I am proud to have him on our team.”

Captain Poli is currently stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. He has been there since September 2004, after his squadron commander in Italy asked him if he’d like to participate in the exchange program.

“As far as I know, there are two Italian C 130 pilots stationed with the U.S. Air Force. The other is at Pope AFB, N.C.,” Captain Poli said.

However, the exchange program was not the first opportunity the Air Force had given him to visit the states -- he attended pilot training at Vance AFB, Okla.

“I have been in the Italian Air Force since 1992. I have always been a pilot, and there are several places our pilots can go to get trained. Some go to training in southern Italy and others go to Sheppard AFB, Texas, to attend the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program and some of us go to Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training,” Captain Poli said.

After his training he went back to Italy and flew transport planes from 1998 to 2004 and when offered the exchange program he accepted the opportunity to travel abroad for a few years and learn how another air force operates.

“My wife and I are thrilled about getting the opportunity to travel and see new places. The U.S. Air Force is a lot bigger than ours. At my base in Italy I knew pretty much everyone,” he said.

He said that the pilots in Italy are similar to the ones in the U.S.

“The types of people who become pilots are very similar in Italy. Everything in the U.S. Air Force is similar enough to make it familiar, but different enough to keep it interesting,” he said.

“It has been a great opportunity to be in the U.S. Air Force,” he said. “On a professional level, I have seen how another air force operates and learned a whole new system for doing business and learned different approaches to the same problems we have in Italy.

“I’ve always been treated like one of the guys by the U.S. pilots. I have different looking rank on my flight suit and speak with an accent, but I wasn’t treated any different than anyone else and I didn’t want to be,” he said.

“Being a foreigner might have made me stand out a little, but we all worked side by side to get the mission done everyday, and I’m very proud to have served next to the American pilots. I look forward to many new experiences with the U.S. Air Force,” Captain Poli said.