Combat Aviation Advisors Overview

“Then I think you ought to review the inventory in those countries we’re particular [sic] interested in and make damn sure we have professional confidence in their equipment because the only way you’re gonna get their respect and attention—is to be able to go in and do so damn much better than they do or they’ve ever seen that they will really take your advice and respect you for it.”  -Maj Gen Gilbert L. Pritchard

Combat Aviation Advisors conduct FID and what has come to be called CFID. They are trained to provide advice to foreign forces in rotary and fixed wing combat aviation, maintenance, base support, security and tactics. As the other AFSOC personnel, they are required to master numerous specialized skills. Due to the nature of the Combat Aviation Advisor mission, they must have language skills and focused cultural and political training that is dependent upon their AOR or intended deployed location.

“After the assessment is completed, advisors may be tasked to train host nation forces. Training is designed to focus host nation counterparts on mastering desired skills void of operational context. For example, training might involve improving the interoperability between a host nation air force helicopter squadron and an army commando battalion whose shared mission is to conduct infiltration operations. An appropriate number of day and night iterations are flown until aircrews and commandos demonstrate the skills required to safely fast-rope to the ground under blacked out conditions. Although aware of operational requirements for these skills, advisors make no attempt to replicate the type of buildings or light patterns associated with potential targets…”