ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Lieutenant Col. Chris Fuller, who is currently assigned to the Air Force unit Combined Air Power Transition Force, is among the best pilots in the Air Force. He transports the nation's top brass politicians and military leaders as part of Andrews' prestigious 99th Airlift Squadron.
On his current deployment to Afghanistan, he is proving that he is also an air corps architect, an adept multinational advisor and a skilled warrior.
During his year-long deployment, Colonel Fuller helped build the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps by acquiring extra aircraft and training for the crews that fly these aircraft. As if that were not enough, Colonel Fuller's shop is laying the groundwork for initial pilot training, military air traffic control and centralized command and control of the air assets - all of which, he says, were in their infancy upon his arrival back in May.
"My boss likes to say that building an air corps while they're engaged in a counterinsurgency is akin to building an airplane while you're flying," he said.
With that analogy in mind, Colonel Fuller's efforts, along with that of his team, are the keys to educating, providing and supplying Afghan troops with the skills to fight a Taliban-led insurgency.
Colonel Fuller's overall mission is to revive the Afghan air force. Colonel Fuller said training is a priority. He noted that thousands of extra military trainers are expected to arrive in Afghanistan this year. These extra trainers will double the number already working with Afghan forces.
Air power is crucial because of the mountainous Afghan terrain and the constant threat of roadside bombs. Even though the terrain is an obstacle for his pilots, Colonel Fuller sees splendor in his surroundings.
"The geography here is beautiful," he stated. "It reminds me a lot of Albuquerque or Denver. We sit at about 5,800 feet, and there are snow-capped mountains all around."
Colonel Fuller is not just impressed with his team and his new surroundings, he is also awed by the bravery of the Afghan men with whom he serves - men who risk their lives every day on the way to and from work.
"The Afghan military officers I've met are thrilled to have us here and have amazing stories to tell," Colonel Fuller said. "One helicopter pilot lives in a village that is two days bus ride from Kabul. He told me how dangerous it is for him to go home - he must cross two dangerous provinces, where the Taliban still roam. They stop the buses looking for anyone associated with the government. He said he must hide his military ID card and paperwork. He can't speak any English, otherwise someone on the bus will point him out to the Taliban, and they'll drag him out and kill him on the spot. Can you imagine? And we think we have bad days!"
This Afghan pilot is just one part of the team that Colonel Fuller is putting together in order to build the country's air corps into a modern, functional air power force that can support the Afghan army and national police.
"In particular, I am part of the 30-member staff that is supporting more than 100 air force personnel who are actually embedded in the air corps mentoring different units," he said.
Colonel Fuller notes that the air corps that he is working with has about 20 Russian-built Mi-17 helicopters and 8 An-26 and An-32 aircraft, but during the next five to 10 years, the goal is to have more than 100 aircraft in the fleet.
"This would be a challenge in any environment, but I have to remind myself that we're trying to accomplish this huge modernization effort while we're in the middle of a war," he said.