Col. Avery gives, receives presentation at AFSAC

  • Published
  • By Daryl Mayer
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  When he arrived at the Air Force Security Assistance Center to deliver a presentation September 23, Col. Larry Avery had no idea he would be on the receiving end too.

Now the deputy director of the Security Assistance Office for the Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq, Colonel Avery was scheduled to make a visit to Wright-Patterson to escort a contingent of senior Iraqi military officers to a training course at the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management. Considering his ties to the organization as former commander of the 555th International Group, the colonel offered to give a briefing on the progress being made in Iraq especially in terms of security assistance. AFSAC readily agreed to host the briefing.

Yet when Colonel Avery got there, he realized something was amiss.

"My first clue was being in the conference room five minutes before starting time and no one was here," Colonel Avery said. "Then when my wife and son showed up, I knew something was going on."

While being directed to the rear of the building where AFSAC holds its "staircalls," he saw the executive officer was concealing a box for a decoration."

He didn't know until the citation was being read that he had been awarded the Legion of Merit for his time at AFSAC.

Colonel Avery initially arrived at AFSAC in June 2005 while the center was in the midst of its transition to the numbered group and squadron construct. He led those efforts and became the inaugural commander of the 555th International Group in November 2005. Under his leadership, the group was recognized in 2006 with an Air Force Outstanding Unit award in its first full year of existence.

In December 2007, the colonel departed AFSAC for his current assignment.

"Working now with a fledgling government having to make huge decisions regarding security assistance is a challenge," Colonel Avery said. "I think it's important folks here understand the impact of their work and focus their efforts. It is also good for them to have an understanding why some things that seem abnormal are being done the way they are."

His first hand view confirms much of what the media is reporting. Violence is down and staying down even when U.S. forces are withdrawn and replaced with Iraqis. He credits the work done here with playing a key role.

"A lot of the systems developed and acquired at Wright-Patterson are being used in Iraq on a daily basis and to good effect," the colonel said.

He cited a number of successes including the upcoming graduation of flight school students trained on the Cessna C-172s, the C-208s currently performing surveillance missions over key infrastructure and the recent signing of a $1 billion Letter of Offer and Acceptance to provide six C-130J transports to the Iraqi Air Force. He also added that AFMC/A7 has been deeply involved in supporting several crucial FMS construction cases.

"AFSAC and the Air Force in general have a great reputation for delivering high quality, thorough paperwork and being the implementation agency of choice," he said.

And apparently, they can sometimes pull off a pretty good surprise.