TUCSON, Ariz., - A new destination was recently added to the mile
marker post outside the Operations Group here.
It reads: Marrakech 5,754 miles. The sign is indicative of the newest partner
nation to be trained by the Airzona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing
here - the Kingdom of Morocco.
Maj. Steve "Scratch" Haase, 162nd operation's center chief, described an
allied relationship with Morocco as an opportunity to "build interoperability
and the capacity to support military, civilian and peacekeeping operations in
northern Africa."
Set to begin instructor pilot training in March, Morocco's four initial
students are currently receiving specialized English training now. The list
of students includes Ben Guerir Air Base's operation's group commander and
three other high-ranking pilots.
Located about 36 miles north of Marrakech, the base was once operated by the
Strategic Air Command of the U.S. Air Force.
The four Moroccan students will train for a year and a half in the F-16,
Block 42 aircraft here as part of their conversion from the F-5 to the F-16.
Six additional student pilots are expected to arrive for upgrade training, as
well as a limited number of maintenance personnel in specialties ranging from
air frame to crew chiefs, according to Major Haase.
Morocco is expected to receive the first of their 24 F-16s beginning in July,
2011, at which time they may require additional mobile training teams to
instruct them on the use of equipment such as night vision goggles and joint
helmet mounted cueing systems, said Haase.