ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Editor's Note: This article is the third of a series of three installments to chronicle the efforts of SICOFAA, located at Andrews, and its anticipated humanitarian training mission. The first and second articles can be found in issues published on Sept. 12 and 19.
Members of the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces returned from their first conference in Canada to discuss planning of Cooperation I, a tentative training mission to be held in Chile in 2010.
"The four day conference was a great success and a strong start to completing our operations plan for the exercise," said Col. William A. Stark, USAF and SICOFAA's secretary general.
At the meeting, members discussed the details of the memorandum of understanding, an agreement between the nations of SICOFAA on the aspect, details, and responsibilities for the mission.
This meeting was the first of five for the year that is each individually slated to focus on a specific area of the mission, to include personnel, logistics, science and technology, operations and information.
At this meeting representatives went over the details of the personnel portion of the training mission. The members gave their input about personnel reception and processing, health concerns, legal services, safety, discipline and public affairs, said Col. Stark.
"Our schedule to continue is in two weeks in Brazil for the logistics committee and mid-November for the operations committee at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. In 2009 we will convine the information committee in Peru and the science and technology committee in Argentina. The conclusions from the meetings will be presented to our commanders, who meet summer of 2009 to discuss the results," said Col. Stark.
"Members try to be inclusive of the concerns of all countries. It all boils down to what we all can agree upon," said Col. Stark.
In addition to the specifics of the personnel portion of the tentative training mission discussed, there is a greater overall purport to the congregation of nations. Col. Steven Fash, Canadian air force president of the conference, stated at the conference that, "While the exercise is important, we have to remember that the most important aspect of our work is engagement. The opportunity to work together and learn from each other."
This incentive serves as a benefit for the member nations of SICOFAA, as well as for the countries they serve. "We see SICOFAA as a way to strengthen our intercontinental relations and exchange mutually beneficial experiences, training and capabilities between our air forces," said Col. Fash.