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Foreign Territory: 300th pilot represents country, wing through officer exchange

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary Hinson
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHARLESTON AFB --  A pilot from the 315th Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., was one of three reservists chosen for the Foreign Officer Exchange Program for 2007. 

Capt. Elizabeth Dietrich of the 300th Airlift Squadron was chosen to spend two weeks at Royal Air Force Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Great Britain, working with the 4624 Movement Squadron, a Royal Air Force Auxiliary Unit. 

The program, which sends one officer to England and two to Germany, helps U.S. Air Force Reserve officers compare "what they do to what we do," said Captain Dietrich. "The purpose of the Foreign Officer Exchange program is to allow Reserve officers a chance to meet and train with their host nation counterparts." 

While in Great Britain, the captain had a chance to tour the different squadrons, including the C-17 and VC-10 units; meet key base personnel; and interact with leaders from the local community. 

"While the mission of the 4624 Movement Squadron and the 300th Airlift Squadron is essentially the same - to move the cargo where it needs to go - it was extremely interesting and informative to get a different perspective on that mission," she said. 

When the announcement came out soliciting applications for the program, the captain said she thought, "Why not?" From there, she put together a package with a volunteer letter telling about her wide range of experiences with the military, including being active-duty enlisted, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Her "willingness to promote what we (the Air Force) do" was another key selling point in her submission package.
 
Captain Dietrich said the work getting the package together was "a little stressful" but once it was done, and she learned of her acceptance, "it was phenomenal." 

"I've never really dealt with another country as far as the military goes," said Captain Dietrich. "I hope to see how their training is different than ours yet the same." 

In a world environment where different countries' militaries are often working side-by-side, this knowledge can prove to be very useful, according to Captain Dietrich, who has often seen the British C-17s while deployed. "We all interact." 

"Seeing it not only from the cargo movers' perspective but also from an allied forces' perspective has opened my eyes to how my job not only affects my crew and unit, but also how it impacts the mission as a whole."