America's North Shore Journal

The future of Iraq is in good hands — the hands of Iraqi airmen who are determined to build and defend a new future for their children. A photographer from our public affairs team and I flew to Taji Air Base, Iraq, Sept. 11. We weren’t entirely sure what to expect as our UH-60 Blackhawk touched down on Taji’s short runway, but we met up with a U.S. Air Forces Central video and photo team and got straight to work. What we saw were Iraqi airmen dedicated to rebuilding their air force and their country. In less than two years, they’ve grown a helicopter force from a handful of pilots to four complete flying squadrons, including one special operations squadron. They maintain, train on and fly their own equipment — Mi-17 Hips … Read entire article »