818th MSAS, Burundi Air Force continue partnership engagements

by Tech. Sgt. William Davis
818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron

8/7/2013 - BUJUMBURA, Burundi  -- The 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron accomplished the second of at least four building partnership and partner capacity engagements in Bujumbura, Burundi, July 15 to July 26, 2013.

Four MSAS Airmen assigned to the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., were deployed as part of an African deployment assistance partnership team, requested by the Burundi Air Force and Office of Security Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Burundi.

The ADAPT program is broken into four phases. Phase one is an assessment of the partner nation's current capabilities, facilities and equipment to support a cargo preparation and load planning course. Air advisors accomplished this objective in Dec. 2012.

During phase two, MSAS Advisors engage the partner nation on cargo preparation and load planning operations while advising how to tailor air mobility operations to best suit their needs.

"The Burundi Air Force did a great job during the ADAPT phase two course," said Staff Sgt. Arthur Wilborn, MSAS air advisor. "They showed great enthusiasm learning the information presented to them, and I had the privilege of watching them successfully apply that knowledge to their country's peacekeeping operations."

When the MSAS team returns for phase three, they conduct a 'train the trainer' program where top performers from the phase two return and are taught lesson planning, interpersonal skills, and advanced proficiency in the cargo preparation and load planning course material. Finally, in phase four, the partner nation teaches side-by-side with MSAS air advisors, culminating in their certification as instructors.

"It is an honor to be requested by a partner nation and to provide a successful engagement," said Capt. Louis Crooms, 818th MSAS air advisor and team leader. "It was great working alongside the Burundi Air Force through the ADAPT program and we look forward to building our close partnership to help the Burundians help themselves."

The MSAS is a tailorable, expeditionary organization established to conduct building partnerships and building partner capacity engagements at partner nation locations where air mobility operational support is non-existent or insufficient. The core capabilities that define the MSAS is command and control, air operations, aerial port and aircraft maintenance.