A military officer from Afghanistan has completed pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base as part of a program to help the Middle Eastern country improve its air capabilities.

Col. Roger Watkins presented Lt. Faiz Mohammed Ramaki of the Afghan National Army Air Corps with silver U.S. Air Force wings last week.

Ramaki is one of about 61 Afghan pilot candidates who will spend up to 30 months in America, receiving English-language training before pilot lessons from the Air Force, the Army and the Navy.

He's thought to be the first Afghan to earn American pilot wings since Col. Ghulam Mustafa Tayer, who trained in the United States in 1958.