With the closure of the NATO Training Mission in Iraq, the commitment of T.A.F. of Al Bateen, focused on the Afghan Operational Theatre, comes to an end. The NTM-I was established in Iraq on 14 August 2004, following the interim government's request to provide specific training, equipment assistance, and technical assistance to the security forces (ISF - Iraqi Security Forces) to help the country develop an effective, sustainable, and democratically led security sector.
Since then, NATO has supported Iraqi security forces by providing training, advice, and mentoring activities. The first military transport to Iraq from Al Bateen base took off on September 13, 2003, and since that day there have been 1,213 flight missions dedicated to the Iraqi Operational Theatre, 2,740 flight hours, 38,129 passengers, and 9,950,281 pounds as the total weight of air-transported materials. It thus concludes a period in which the Al Bateen Air Task Force has been heavily involved on two fronts, the Iraqi and the Afghan, to ensure the “hinge role” between the homeland and operational theatres. With the commitment in Iraq concluded, from today the Al Bateen Air Task Force will continue to ensure, without interruption, the link between strategic movements from Italy and tactical movements towards Afghanistan, also guaranteeing a medical evacuation capability on standby for the evacuation of sick and wounded (STRATEVAC).
