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Egyptian air force officer aces technical training course

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – Learning the complexities of aerospace ground equipment can be a challenge for many young Airmen who get their training here.

Egyptian air force Lt. Col. Osama A. Khalil overcame those challenges when he aced the 361st Training Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment apprentice course here, which consists of 15 blocks of instruction over the course of 87 academic days.

Khalil and other students in the class learned how to maintain and repair equipment that supplies electricity, hydraulics and air pressure to aircraft when they are undergoing maintenance on the ground.

Rank / Name: Lt. Col. Osama A. Khalil

Unit: Aerospace Ground Systems

Duty title: Chief of Technical Support

Hometown: Cairo, Egypt

Time in Service: 15 years

Why you joined: I always dreamed about joining the military and attending the Egyptian Military Technical College and earning a degree in electrical engineering. Joining the Egyptian air force allowed me to fulfill both dreams.

Family: Married with two daughters

Hobbies: Tennis

Favorite aspect of job: Technical support for different systems.

Most memorable Air Force experience: Troubleshooting and repairing an inoperative circuit card on a radar/data link system.

How do you make responsible choices: I think carefully, calculate time, get information and data, brain storm, and make the decision.

Instructor comments:
“Lt. Col. Khalil’s character and level of performance in the classroom and during hands-on objectives far exceeded my already high standards that I expect from our Airmen,” said Thomas Spitzer, 361st TRS AGE apprentice course instructor. “He exuded positivity and professionalism at all times, as evidenced by his total devotion to ACE the 361st TRS’s longest apprentice course. He also challenged me on a daily basis by wanting to know more in-depth information on various support equipment systems. Additionally, he utilized his electrical engineering background to help his classmates understand the course material more thoroughly. Lt. Col. Khalil was a pleasure to instruct. The Egyptian air force is lucky to have such an exceptional leader, and more importantly, the U.S. Air Force is fortunate to have him as an ally.”