Iraq has no combat-ready air force, which is a fairly large obstacle in the fight against ISIS. It turns out the U.S. military’s solution has been to train Iraqi pilots in Tucson, Arizona, at America’s top U.S. flight school. The Air National Guard is training 14 Iraqis to fly F-16s, drop bombs, and react properly if shot down. “Being up there is, I mean, I can’t describe it to you. You’ve got to be up there so you can feel the rush,” said Captain Mohammad Hama. Iraq has spent $7 billion on a new air fleet, but the F-16s will remain in Tucson until the country’s security improves.
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