The United States Air Force released a statement Tuesday evening explaining that two Afghan pilots-in-training had disappeared from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.
Two male Afghan air force students did not report for duty yesterday at their regular maintenance training at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Georgia. Both are assigned to the 81st Fighter Squadron. They have been at Moody since February 2015 and were screened prior to their arrival in the United States more than a year ago. The students have trained alongside American counterparts for the entirety of 2015 and do not pose any apparent threat. There is a well-coordinated process among federal agencies to locate the individuals as quickly as possible and return them accordingly to the proper authorities to manage their present situation.
According to WISTV, Moody AFB was designated as a site to train Afghan “A-29 Super Tucano” pilots back in August 2014. The program was projected to prepare 30 Afghan pilots and 90 mechanics over the next four years.
This is not the first time Afghan military personnel have gone missing in the United States, notes AL.com. In 2014, three Afghan national army officers disappeared while training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.