Photo By Spc. Raymond Quintanilla | Brig. Gen. Randal Dragon, deputy commanding general for support with the 1st Infantry...... read more read more
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TALIL, Iraq – It is a new dawn in Talil, as two brigadier generals, one from Iraq and one from the U.S., sit down and discuss the future of Ali Air Base.
Iraqi air force Brig. Gen. Abdul Hakim, commanding general of Ali Air Base, visited Brig. Gen. Randal Dragon, deputy commanding general for support of the 1st Infantry Division and United States Division-South, on a U.S. Army base in Talil, Oct. 4.
Opening discussions between Dragon and Hakim began early Monday evening lasting a mere hour as they discussed bringing in approximately 300 Iraqi airmen later this year. Solutions sprung up just as quickly as the issues surfaced.
Among the key leaders present were the commander of Squadron 70, Iraqi air force Col. Nazih Al-Amir, and the base transition team chief, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. William Stahl, a native of Minot, S.D., serving with the Iraqi Training Advisory Mission-Air Force.
Stahl works closely with Iraqi air force personnel to identify facilities Iraqis will have and any potential issues they may encounter.
“Since Sept. 15, we have been preparing these facilities to bring the Iraqis on,” Stahl said. “We’re getting those big issues out of the way, having a place for them to live, coordinating a dining facility. The things that are encountered now become smaller and less of an issue.”
“We already have some of their members here,” Stahl said. “Once the planes are established, the focus will be on flying missions as well as finishing the work we need to do.”
Nazih agreed.
“When we need something, we find the people here have the desire to support us 100 percent,” Nazih said, “to succeed in our movement here, to succeed in our Iraqi air force.”
“It’s great; we have highly motivated people from the Iraqi air force,” Stahl said. “They got here, hit the ground running, getting their facilities ready for their people and getting ready to bring the aircraft.”
“We organized a solution for the dining facility,” Nazih said. “We have plans and found an easy solution for living quarters. Yesterday was an excellent meeting.”
As the meeting came to a close, Dragon reassured Hakim as he addressed the U.S. team.
“We’ve been working with our Iraqi brothers here for seven years,” Dragon said. “We’re in a period of a transition here. We need to take it beyond where we are at today, look to the future, make sure we can accommodate all Iraqis, and their cultures.”
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2010 08:37 |
| Story ID: | 58077 |
| Location: | TALIL, IQ |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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