.....U.S. security forces in Iraq currently operate jointly, which includes ground forces, aviation and aviation support forces, logistics forces, and command and control forces. While the ground force transition is moving forward at a measured pace, too little is being done to train and transition aviation and aviation support assets to keep pace with the ground transition. The continued reliance on American aviation functions in support of the Iraqi ground force transition will lead to an Iraqi ground force trained and conditioned to integrate aviation into their operational construct but completely reliant on American aviation to support that requirement.
This article identifies the strategic environment that predicates a balanced and timesensitive joint security force transition. It highlights the imperatives for synchronizing various aviation-related functions with the progress of the ground force transition. It also explores the time, training, and equipment challenges of building a relevant aviation enabler for ground forces. Finally, it provides recommendations for synchronizing the Iraqi aviation force transition in critical areas....
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