The U.S. Air Force Special Operations School hosted the inaugural Building Partner Aviation Capacity Course at Hurlburt Field (Florida) July 20 to 31, which included representatives from the U.S., Costa Rica and Sudan.
BPACC is a two-week, civilian and military aviation-focused course designed for up to 30 international and 10 American participants.
"This is helping me to understand the economy of aviation," said Costa Rican Police Capt. Alexander Romero Salazar. "I understand how my country was developed years ago, and it was through aviation."
Discussions focus on aviation, including civilian aviation assets and resources, as a vital component in a country's internal defense and development plan.
"The BPACC is an ambitious, major revamp based on the Civil-Military Strategies for Internal Development Course previously offered by USAFSOS," said Maj. Eric Larson, course director. "The BPACC retains some of CMSID's civil-military focus, but has evolved to put particular emphasis on the development of civilian and military aviation resources as a component of a partner nation's internal defense and development plan."
The American participants included personnel from Air Force Central Command, Coalition Irregular Warfare Center, Air and Education Training Command, Headquarters Air Force Requirements division, U.S. Special Operations Command and local students from the 19th Special Operations Squadron.
The intent is to include other Department of Defense and interagency partners with roles in aviation defense and development.
"Improving on the legacy of the CMSID Course, the BPACC seeks to be an innovative and ground-breaking approach to building the capacity of the U.S.'s global partners to address common concerns: political violence, under-governed spaces, under-development, humanitarian disasters and transnational crime networks.
"Working by, with and through our global partners to address their security and development challenges today, may prevent the need for U.S. forces to deploy to rapidly deteriorating trouble zones," Major Larson said.
The course also examines civil-military aviation development, U.S. government and security and foreign assistance programs, as well as cooperative practical exercises and field trips.
One exercise required participants to discuss how aviation could be used in the development of Tanzania. Captain Salazar said Costa Rica is 98 percent developed thanks to "little planes" that took trips everywhere to "help grow up the country" during a time when there were no roads.
"Aviation can help. Little planes will help develop the country, like my country was," Captain Salazar said.
K.D. Duncan
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