Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua Breckon | First Lt. Waad Shuhatha writes down flight information while communicating with an...... read more read more
KIRKUK, Iraq -- An Iraqi air force officer here recently became the first post-war Iraqi servicemember to earn a certification in air traffic control, continuing the transition of military training and assets to the Iraqi armed services.
First Lt. Waad Shuhatha is the first to lead the way for other Iraqis who are currently training to become air traffic controllers.
Starting in March 2006, the lieutenant began the arduous task of learning his trade in Baghdad by taking a course in English, the language required for all controllers. He then moved on to learn basic air traffic control, airfield operations, and the rules that govern the occupation. In July 2007, he was assigned here and began on-the-job training with U.S. Air Force controllers.
"He started his training here by just listening to the traffic, then eventually plugging in (a radio headset) to actually control the traffic," said Master Sgt. Rond Sampson, 506th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron senior air traffic advisor and Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission team member, deployed here from the 47th Operations Support Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. "Air traffic control is the wave of the future for these guys."
Certifying the lieutenant involved an International Civil Aviation Organization training plan, approved by the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority. The ICAO differs from the Federal Aviation Administration in that it oversees all aspects of international air navigation, while the FAA is the standard for the United States.
"Not only am I here to have him certified, but also to make sure he was able to do everything in accordance with ICAO," said Steven Ostermann, Washington Consultant Group, and ITAM team member. "I came up here and would watch him for about five to six hours a day until I determined that he was good to operate the system independently and could accomplish all the tasks without major assistance or any intervention from me, and now he's certified."
The certification ensures Shuhatha meets all standards in accordance with the ICAO and is another step to transitioning airspace control to the Iraqi air force.
Shuhatha shared his experience with other Iraqi trainees to help them understand and work through the language barriers, something he too is familiar with.
"The most challenging thing for me was the language, because we take the English word and put it in Arabic in our mind, and then from Arabic translate to English ... but now we work pretty good in English," the lieutenant said.
Despite the challenges the Iraqi officer faced, he's now ready to serve as an example for his fellow Iraqi service members.
"It's a great feeling, we feel like we are taking control from the U.S. air traffic control and Iraqi air traffic control is very proud," he said.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2009 08:08 |
| Story ID: | 38954 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 567 |
| Downloads: | 456 |
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