Man with MC ties trains Iraqis

On Jan. 31, Iraqis headed to the polls to vote.

In order to ensure voters’ safety, newly created Iraqi Air Force Squadron 87 took flight over numerous cities, assisting local Iraqi law enforcement and servicemen on the ground.

“Violence was minimal due to the overhead watch this squadron and other [Iraqi Air Force] squadrons provided,” U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. Scott Seeberger told The Eagle in an e-mail response. Seeberger – a Madison County native currently serving at New Al Muthana Air Base in Iraq – is the chief of the group of U.S. combat air advisors who have been training these pilots “to become a westernized performing airpower,” according to Seeberger.

The Election Day flight was the first time all five of the squadron’s aircrafts and aircrews flew together since this portion of the Iraqi Air Force was first created in September 2008, said Seeberger, a Madison County High School Class of 1983 graduate.

“We have trained the officers and enlisted to a mission capable readiness in record time. The men of Squadron 87 recognized this achievement on [Jan. 31] and you could see the pride and patriotism in their eyes while flying these missions,” he said.

Seeberger – whose parents John and Pat Seeberger still live in Madison – was called into action last August. He left home just a few days after he moved from Colorado to Warrenton with his wife, Lisa, and their four children, Meghan, Sarah, Rachel and Ryan.

“My wife, Lisa, has been very supportive with my mobilization and I certainly couldn’t have done this without her. She has been by my side from day one with positive words of encouragement and I am a very lucky guy to be married to her,” he said.

During his time in Iraq, Seeberger says he has learned a lot about Iraqi culture from the local men he works with.

“We have been invited to extravagant Iraqi meals where we all eat with our hands and fingers and share stories about our families and past,” he told The Eagle. “Make no doubt about it, the Iraqi people are very kind hearted and we are building strong relations with them given our mission here. I hope the friendships we build continue for the remainder of our lives.”

The lack of an organized business and government structure – leaving the country without things like a banking and mail system and limited electricity during the day and a lack of clean water – causes Iraqis’ problems on a daily basis and it has also served as a challenge for Seeberger and his team.
“For example, when one of our [Iraqi Air Force] pilots cannot print necessary flight information because of the lack of paper, ink, electricity – we hit some roadblocks in our training,” he said.

However, Seeberger has seen the Iraqi Air Force “step up to the plate” despite these challenges.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the men we work with. Given the challenges these men experience outside the walls of this base, it is amazing they have the positive attitude and motivation to keep coming back for more training,” he said.

Since the squadron’s initial group flight in January, they have flown many other missions, including one recently in support of the Iraqi Navy off the southern coast.

“This achievement is significant in that nearly all of Iraq’s oil flows from two oil terminals located off the coast. These two terminals are a tremendous strategic asset of Iraq and their [Air Force] has now been called to form an overhead watch protection,” he said.

Even though it’s been awhile since Seeberger lived in Madison County, he still holds the place close to his heart. He brought five U.S. flags to Iraq with him to send to various organizations, including his pilots union, the Navy Reserve Command, Naval Air Training Wing, the United Airlines Airbus fleet (where he used to work) and Madison County High School.

Seeberger later sent the flag to MCHS representatives who then presented it during a recent sports event, he told Air Line Pilot magazine.
“I heard later that the high school flag was presented during halftime at a basketball state semi-final playoff game,” Seeberger told the magazine. “That was special.”