Iraq’s Air Force Poised for Flight
Iraqi air force warrant officers perform acrobatics during a graduation ceremony in August at the Iraqi Air Force Training School in Taji, on the outskirts of Baghdad. With 283 people, the graduating class was the largest to complete basic military training in the air force. Most of the graduates will remain at the school to begin technical and English-language training. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images)
Aircraft belonging to Iraq’s air force are seen in July at Al Muthanna air base in Baghdad. (Wathiq Khuzaie / Getty Images)
A U.S. soldier stands guard near the Iraqi air force Caravan (Cessna 280) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft at Al Muthanna air base in Baghdad. Iraqi air force members demonstrated their capability in handling the aircraft and ground station. The ISR program provides support to Iraq’s army and intelligence services, Counter-Terrorism Bureau, oil and electricity ministries, and Directorate of Border Enforcement. Typical missions for the ISR aircraft include urban security, battle space reconnaissance, and power line, oil infrastructure and border surveillance. (Wathiq Khuzaie / Getty Images)
Iraqi air force chief Lt. Gen. Kamal Barzanji, from left, U.S. Brig. Gen. Brooks Bash and Abdel Karim Aziz, head of the Iraqi Air Force Training School, salute during a graduation ceremony in August at the school in Taji, on the outskirts of Baghdad. A class of 283 warrant officers graduated from basic military training. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images)
