An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Foreign duty: pilot represents country, unit in exchange program

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mary Hinson
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  A pilot from the 315th Airlift Wing here was one of three reservists to go overseas this summer through Air Force Reserve Command's Foreign Officer Exchange Program.

Capt. Elizabeth Dietrich of the 300th Airlift Squadron spent two weeks at Royal Air Force Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Great Britain, in July. While there, she worked with the 4624 Movement Squadron, a Royal Air Force Auxiliary unit.

Each year the exchange program sends one Air Force officer to England and two to Germany.

The program helps the reservists compare "what they do to what we do," said Captain Dietrich. "The purpose of the exchange program is to allow Reserve officers a chance to meet and train with their host-nation counterparts."

While in Great Britain, the captain toured different squadrons, including C-17 and VC-10 units, met key base personnel and interacted 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," said Captain Dietrich.

When the Air Force Reserve announced the program was looking for applicants, the captain said she thought, "Why not?"

To apply she put together a package with a letter about her military experience. She was enlisted in the Regular Air Force and was in the Air National Guard before joining the Air Force Reserve.

Although she has often seen British C-17s while deployed, she said going to England was the first time she saw up close how another country trains. The experience gave her insight into working with an ally who flies the same kind of aircraft.

"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."  (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)