Where's the 'Beef'?

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Elaine Mayo
  • 403 WG
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Creating the first Iraqi air force base from the ground up was no easy task, but due to the efforts of Col. Richard "Beef" Haddad, vice commander, 403rd Wing here at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and the work of his coalition team, New Al Muthana Air Base, became the first stand-alone air force base in Baghdad, Iraq.

The stand-up ceremony held March 7, 2006 at NAMAB, symbolized the beginning of a new allegiance between the U.S. Air Force and Iraqi air force.

Originally called Al Muthana AB, "New" was added to the base name to honor the United States and signify the new relationship between the USAF and IAF. NAMAB's airlift mission is accomplished by three C-130E cargo aircraft that were a gift from the United States. Two of the planes came from Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn., and one from Pope AFB, N.C.

Colonel Haddad served as the Coalition Air Force Transition Team senior U.S. advisor, while in Iraq from Jan. 2006 to July 2006. He was selected by Brig. Gen. Frank Padilla, mobilization assistant to the commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and commanding general, CAFTT, Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq from Oct. 2005 to Feb. 2006.

"I was honored but daunted," said the colonel when he learned General Padilla had selected him. Not many people get tasked to start a foreign air force base.

Colonel Haddad worked with Iraqi officials, and a core team of 12 coalition members, mostly U.S. Airmen, who were already training their IAF counterparts in the structure and processes USAF uses to run a base, focusing on mission support, supply, logistics, medical, civil engineer, vehicle maintenance, security forces and communications.

"Those 12 were running with it ... I became their conduit to get things done," explained the colonel. He was able to get other bases involved, such as nearby Sather AB, that provided hundreds of U.S. Airmen to help. "Relationships helped our base out. I got along well with the Iraqis--it was like a brotherhood with leadership, a concerted team effort." He said when presented with ways to better their base, the IAF leadership appreciated the input and together they worked many challenges--cultural, command and control, training, recruiting, quality of life issues, to name some.

For example, the IAF struggled to obtain basic entitlements, such as getting paid. "The Ministry of Defense had money, but it was hard for them to get the money to flow down to the IAF," explained the colonel. "There is no direct pay. They drive to Baghdad, get a car load of money, then come back and pay them (IAF) in cash ... the process is archaic."

Also archaic was Saddam Hussein's treatment of his troops. Under his regime, the enlisted were treated as slaves, forbidden from making decisions. "They kept asking us to do things for them ... we had to impress upon them that it's their base, the start of their air force and (they) had to make decisions," explained Colonel Haddad.

Training sometimes was a challenge. "We want everything done yesterday," said the colonel, but when training the 11 IAF pilots, a few had the attitude it (training) can wait until tomorrow.

Even so, said the colonel, the Iraqi airmen are proud of their air force and want to succeed. Membership in the IAF, however, came with a huge price tag.

"They risked their lives for this air force," said Colonel Haddad. "They lived on base seven-to-ten days at a time and then went home. They came to the base wearing civilian clothes and couldn't tell anyone they were in the air force because they were afraid the insurgents would find out and kill their families." It was sometimes difficult to keep them focused because they (Iraqis) were so worried about the safety of their families.

The threat of family members being killed was so profound that when IAF airmen went home, they did all the shopping, waiting in line for up to three days to get gas for their vehicles or generators, explained the colonel. The base commander put a taxi sign on his car so no one would know he is a general.

"It will take time," said Colonel Haddad, "It's a small air force, but making progress." There are now 100 former Iraqi Army privates trained as IAF security forces for the base. A medical clinic has been established. Maintenance and operations squadrons have been set up. They now have pilot, navigator and flight engineer instructors.

Reflecting on his experience, the colonel said, "It was the highlight of my career, because with all my years in operations flying aircraft, nothing prepared me to go to a foreign country to help them start a base from the ground up. A command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours, he also has more than 230 hours of combat time in Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Desert Storm.

What stands out most, said Colonel Haddad, is what he learned first hand about the Iraqi people. From Desert Shield to recently he viewed Iraq as the enemy. Working with the Iraqi people taught him (politics and religion aside) they are no different than Americans, "wanting peace, prosperity and safety for their families."