International Officer Spotlight - Lt. Col. Mohamed Ahmed Saleh Published Jan. 15, 2013 Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Lt. Col. Mohamed Ahmed Saleh Squadron commander of the detached F-16 squadron in the Egyptian Air Force Currently attending Air Command and Staff College Give a brief description of your military career. I joined the Egyptian Air Academy in 1989 and graduated as a second lieutenant in 1993. I have flown the L-29/Alpha Jet/F-16 with 3,000 total flight hours, and have more than 2,300 in the F-16. I am an instructor pilot in the F-16, and received my master's degree from Command and Staff College in Egypt in 2008. I attended the flight safety course at Kirtland AFB in 2005. I also attended the Electronic War Warfare course at Randolph AFB in 2010 and Air War Center in United Arab Emirates. How did you get selected to attend school at Air University? It is a multi-step process. First, I applied for the slot in the Egyptian Air Force with others and received the highest scores in several exams in language, leadership, military history, politics, economy and fitness test. Then I interviewed with the chief of the training department in Air Force, and finally, here I am. What has been your proudest moment while serving in the military? We as officers wait our whole careers to be in command and finally get to apply the lessons and knowledge we have gained over the years. We look forward to finally getting the opportunity to correct the problems we faced as young officers. So, no doubt, my time as a squadron commander was full of a lot of productive moments, where I could see my impact and the growth and development of the entire organization as we made a difference and contributed to the overall success of the Egyptian Air Force. How does your home differ from Maxwell-Gunter area? I think both bases have the educational nature as they are considered educational institutional bases. On the other hand, my home base has fighter squadrons, which reflect on the activity of daily work. However, the facilities on both bases are wonderful and easy to access. What things do you miss about your country? Family and friends and definitely my F-16. If you could import one cultural difference, what would it be and why? From a military culture aspect, in our Command and Staff College we arrange many visits to combat units from different services to see how they work, which helps in understanding the role of each service. From a historical culture aspect, if I could, I would bring the history of 7,000 years of civilization to let people here know more and more about Egypt. If you could take home one cultural difference, what would it be and why? The involvement of military in community service, even during the educational phase, as I saw on the community service day, in the Air Command and Staff College is something I really like. The military earns appreciation and respect from civilian society, and it is not surprising to me when polls represent how the society trusts the military more than others. I believe the role of the military in peacetime in serving the country is just as important as in wartime. How will you use the education you have received from Air Command and Staff College once you return home? We believe in the Egyptian Air Force the importance of education is in how to apply what you learn to maximize the benefit and transferring the experience you have from what you learn. So, when I get back, I will update our material in our Command and Staff College, comparing with what I studied here and apply some of the new methodology in training our units Favorite book(s): Actually during this academic year, I read a lot of good books, especially in national security and warfare. On the personal level, I've enjoyed reading "The Secrets" more than once. I think it gives a good motivation for success. Favorite movie: "We Were Soldiers" has a lot of good meaning. Favorite food: I miss the Egyptian food, but here the steak is my favorite. Favorite TV show: "60 Minutes" on CBS Favorite entertainer: Omar Kayrat is my favorite Egyptian musician