The Renaissance Of The Post-Saddam Iraqi Air Force

The French word “renaissance,” which in term derives from the Italian word “rinascita,” which means “rebirth.” Besides its primary usage in specific reference to that period of Western European history that marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity,it also means, in a more general sense, “a renewal of life, vigor, interest, etc.” Accordingly, I mentioned in a couple of previous articles for Simple Flying, I proudly played a small yet significant part in the renaissance of the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF; /Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah) as a private military contractor (PMC; or “damn dirty stinking mercenary” or “privateer” as I jokingly tell my friends and family) at Balad Airbase from 2015 to 2019) at Balad Airbase from 2015 to 2018, providing training & mentoring to the IqAF personnel at that base to help them certified to host the American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon (or “Viper” if you prefer) and thus finally modernize their force in the post-Saddam Hussein era.