The Rotation Has Started Working

The next day in the early morning hours, an SA-61 transport helicopter took off with eight soldiers aboard to fly to the final duty station, Shindad Air Base, which is located in Herat, a province in the western region of the country.

The Mi-17 Air Advisory Team is the latest mission of the Hungarian Defence Forces, whose first rotation had started its tour of duty in Afghanistan in late August, 2011. There was one week’s time available to manage the transfer of authority between the rotations.

It was also important that the outgoing service members share their experience with the eager newcomers and to introduce them to the methodology of the Mi-17 helicopter training. On May 25, Maj. Gábor Oláh took command officially.

The members of the AAT-3 have successfully integrated into the staff of the 444th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, which comprises a Cessna, an MD-530 rotary-wing and an M-17 rotary-wing training section.

The Hungarian, US and Italian airmen serve together in the Mi-17 transport helicopter section of the squadron. The US-led Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron was formed in early 2011.

The Hungarian instructors have flown the required missions and are now ready to join the classroom instruction and hands-on training of the Afghan helicopter crews that are going to arrive in the near future.

While the members of the “aircrew" perform their training tasks aboard the aircraft, the trainers of the ground crew have the important mission of teaching the Afghan maintenance technicians the nuts and bolts of maintaining the Mi-17 helicopter on the ground. They supervise the work of the Afghan aircraft maintenance technicians and give them useful advice.

 Photo: WO1 Viktor Antal