TAJI AIR BASE — The vaguely comforting scent of oil and mechanical parts drifted through the air as an Mi-17 Hip helicopter sat in the shade of a hangar here, Sept. 11. Its rear door lay open, and panels along its tail boom were lifted away and stowed as Iraqi Airmen crawled through the vehicle's innards.

Two Airmen straddled the tail, about a meter from the tail blade, while a third had shimmied inside the tail boom, inspecting the inside. On a nearby table sat an Mi-17 technical order -- a step-by-step repair and maintenance manual that is just one example of the processes and procedures Iraqi Airmen have picked up from their American counterparts.

One of those counterparts is Tech. Sgt. Lee Everhart, an Mi-17 air adviser with the 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron here. The 770th AEAS is part of the Coalition Air Forces Transition Team, one of the military transition teams charged with assisting Iraqis in rebuilding their government and armed forces.

Everhart, a native of Charlotte, N.C., joined the Air Force 16 years ago to see the world and get an education. He volunteered for his deployment to the 770th AEAS.

"Where else do you get to work on stuff like this?" he asked, gesturing toward a helipad where about a dozen Mi-17s were parked.

The Mi-17 in the hangar had made a hard landing during a recent training mission, and its tail skid struck and dragged across the ground. Iraqi Airmen brought the aircraft into the second-line maintenance shop, which -- like a U.S. Air Force phase dock -- typically performs time-required maintenance on helicopters. In this case, the Airmen inspected several parts in the tail assembly for possible damage.

"They'd been using this Hip for cannibalization," he said, referring to logistical challenges the squadrons have had to overcome. "They had just gotten it back to flying status two flights ago."

Everhart said the American and Iraqi Airmen have made significant progress toward building a fully operational Iraqi Air Force and a self-reliant Iraq. That goal has drawn Iraqi Airmen of all ages and backgrounds into the new Air Force. Iraqi Air Force Maj. Yussef Naji, an electrical technician, is a 34-year veteran.

"I feel my country needs me now," Naji said. "The new country needs my help to build a new democracy."

And they've learned more than their jobs: they've also learned about the American spirit.

"I've learned a lot from the American guys," Hashm-Abbas said. "We've learned about training, and we've learned about a new culture. We have a good relationship with the Americans."

"It's unbelievable how far they've come in just the five months we've been here," Everhart said.