Farewell to NATC-A’s Commander

Today we said farewell to Brig. Gen. Dave Allvin, who has led the training and equipping mission for the Afghan Air Force as the first Commander of NATO Air Training Command – Afghanistan over this past year. Dave is transitioning to his new assignment as the Vice Wing Commander for Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Dave had such an incredible impact on our command and the professionalization efforts for the Afghan Air Force that I wanted to share some of the words from the change of command speech I gave that attempted to capture what an amazing legacy Dave left behind:

“Dave Allvin is a visionary leader. While in command, Dave had the vision to chart the future growth for the Afghan Air Force. Over the past year, the Afghan Air Force has grown to over 4,200-strong with 53 airframes. Over the next year, the Afghan Air Force will continue to grow by doubling the size of the C-27 fleet, increasing the Mi-17 fleet by half, and introducing fixed-wing and rotary trainers.

And as equally impressive, under Dave’s leadership we have dramatically improved the level of international participation in the NATC-A mission by increasing the number of countries who are now contributing trainers and air mentor teams from 6 to 16 nations.

Additionally, Dave was a champion for greater gender integration within the Afghan Air Force and helped enable the first four female Afghan pilot candidates to complete English language training at Thunder Lab and is closely monitoring their progress at their subsequent training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas,  and eventually at Fort Rucker, Ala., for their helicopter instruction courses.

Each of these initiatives and accomplishments could not have happened without Dave Allvin’s visionary leadership of building a professional and capable Afghan Air Force.

And because of Dave’s passion and understanding of history, the Afghan Air Force will be enduring.

I remember the first time Dave described the bone yard of old Afghan airframes that are stacked all around Shindand airbase. At this location, the remains of a once powerful, Soviet – built Afghan Air Force lie in ruins serving as a stark reminder of an air force that was neither self sustaining nor enduring. Having seen this tragic scene with my own eyes, I quickly recognized the wisdom of Dave’s observations and warnings of never repeating history.

Because of his efforts to develop an indigenous training base, Dave led the Afghan Air Force to develop its own flight training center in Shindand. When it opens later this year, Afghanistan will have a world class training center in order to train its own pilots – and some day perhaps also train pilots from other nations as well.

This visionary effort helps ensure the Afghan Air Force is a self-sustaining and enduring institution of national pride for all Afghans.

Dave also has tremendous courage and it was this courage that allowed him to make some extremely tough decisions.

When it was clear to him that the Kabul Mi-17 fleet was not safe, he made the hard call and grounded the Wing. Through his leadership, Dave made sure our Afghan partners understood the importance of safety, maintenance, and professionalism.

While a temporary loss to air capability, the rehabilitation program Dave established reset the Afghan Air Force and improved its operational capability that we see today.

His vision to see the long term benefits of this action coupled with his courage to face this challenge head on, made him an incredible senior advisor and advocate for not only NATC-A, but also for the Afghans themselves.

His courage and recommendations served as an opportunity to help the Afghan Air Force address the challenges of today by building a capable and sustainable phased maintenance and training program that meets the demands of today and tomorrow.

In addition to Dave’s tremendous vision and unwavering courage, Dave is also inspirational.

The days and weeks after we lost nine of our trainers were difficult, but Dave never stopped leading and the mission continued while we grieved the tragic loss of those we now know as “The NATC-A Nine”. During this devastating period of time, Dave Allvin was the steady hand supporting the entire NATC-A Team. He was the calming voice comforting grieving families and widows, and he was the listening ear addressing his trainers’ and leaders’ concerns no matter when or where he was approached.

Dave, for your vision, courage, and inspiration, we are all better off today. When you return home to your wife Gina, daughters Francesca and Reagan, and son Grant, tell them that you made a difference. You made a difference in the lives of the airmen of NATC-A. You made a difference for the Afghan Air Force. And you made a difference for all of Afghanistan. “

Tags: afghan air force, dave allvin, nato air training command afghanistan, NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, tim ray, wcbiv, william caldwell

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