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Members of the 435th Contingency Response Group Building Partnership Capacity cell conducted their first initial operating capability mission with Azeri military forces in Azerbaijan Sept. 2 through 8.
A traveling contact team of ten, consisting of 435th CRG Airmen and the USAF Europe Country Desk Officer, journeyed to Baku, Azerbaijan and led an exchange event for airfield management, airspace management, and base communication architecture to aid the Azeris in bolstering their military capability.
Maj. Alfredo Laboy, 435th BPC, explained that an invitation from the Azeris was facilitated by Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe through the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan.
“It’s real neat that they have an interest in how we do things and for us to get the opportunity to conduct a mil-to-mil exchange,” said Staff Sgt. Bryan Carmean, 435th BPC. “They wanted this opportunity to work with counterparts … and this is just one way to further NATO interoperability.”
In preparation for the IOC mission, 16 members of the 435th CRG completed more than 120 hours in the formal USAF Air Adviser course. Subjects covered included advising fundamentals, interagency partnerships, interpreter support, in-country activities, strategic guidance, and cross-cultural communication, among many others.
“Even the group physical training during the formal Air Advisor course was geared towards further international literacy for upcoming missions,” said Maj. Austin Burrill, 435th BPC. “We practiced soccer and studied the rules of the game to better relate to our partner nation military counterparts.”
Team members were confident with their capacity to train, advise, and assist foreign air forces at the conclusion of their training. In particular, Capt. Vanessa Zaragoza, 435th BPC, valued cultural studies.
“The greatest challenge was there were a lot of unknowns while we were preparing,” said Zaragoza, who worked as the logistics director for the team. “The cultural awareness courses helped because we learned how to share our culture and keep our minds open to other cultures to enhance communication. It’s necessary because we want to share our best practices to help them achieve their desired capacity.”
The Azerbaijan mission was a milestone event for the dedicated 435th BPC cell. The development and enhancement of a military counterpart aids the Air Force’s goal of building mutually beneficial partnerships.
“Partnerships are critical to our Air Force mission,” said Col. Mark Visconi, 435th CRG commander. “The strengthening of our relationship with the Azeri Air Force is based upon mutual respect, shared objectives, and a strong desire to learn from one another in order to benefit both nations.”
