By Capt. Anastasia Wasem, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
(Kabul, Afghanistan)– The Afghan Air Force took one more step towards sustainability with the completion of the first annual AAF Aircrew Standardization and Evaluation Conference held in June at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan.
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(Kabul, Afghanistan) – Afghan Air Force leaders take notes during the first AAF Aircrew Standardization and Evaluation Conference held at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. The conference focused on three main objectives of standardization and evaluation; to standardize, to assess and to amend. This includes establishing an improved method to accomplish a task, to be able to properly judge and evaluate and to change for the better. Photo by U.S. Air Force Capt. Anastasia Wasem
More than 50 AAF members from across the country, along with their NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan advisors attended the conference in order to educate AAF leaders on the importance of standardization and evaluation and to discuss the current state and way ahead.
“Both NATC-A and AAF leaders agree that standardization and evaluation will play an important role in the continued growth and development of AAF capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Todd Wentzlaff, NATC-A chief of standardization and evaluation. “This is why a priority of the AAF and NATC-A combined strategy is to build a professional forced based on standardization and evaluation of aircrew members.”
The conference focused on three main objectives of standardization and evaluation; to standardize, to assess and to amend. This includes establishing an improved method to accomplish a task, to be able to properly judge and evaluate and to change for the better. According to Wentzlaff, when these objectives are applied to guidance, training and operations on a reoccurring cycle the result is a professional air force able to accomplish its mission both safely and effectively.
“Standardization and evaluation is a new concept for the Afghan Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ehsan, AAF director for training, policy and standardization. “Establishing an air force based on standardization and evaluations must be a priority. It will create effectiveness within flying units and will help us reach our future goals towards world aviation standards.”
Brig. Gen. Steve Shepro, NATC-A commander, underlined that standardization and evaluation had already increased operational impact of the AAF.
“The Afghan Air Force has dramatically improved its standards and consistency across all of its units, resulting in the highest mission effectiveness and highest safety rates on record,” said Shepro. “Just last month, the AAF executed nearly the same CASEVAC missions that it did in the entire first quarter of the year, several under enemy fire, while suffering no losses.”
The AAF also recently underwent reorganization in order to establish and identify specific standards and evaluations positions within each group, squadron and for each aircraft. These positions will be filled with trained and qualified evaluators that will continually uphold standards within each unit.
“Stan eval provides commanders a tool to assess the mission effectiveness of a unit as well as individual aircrew flying operations,” said Wentzlaff. “The way forward includes organizing, training and equipping air crew stan eval to accomplish AAF regulation responsibilities.”
