The series of meetings, held under the Pacific Air Forces’ Airman-to Airman Talks program, was organized with the Vietnam government by officials at the 13th Air Force here.

“Our interest in these talks is to build relationships that will help us down the road,” said Lieutenant General Chip Utterback, commander of the US 13th Air Force, who leads the American delegation.

The US airmen briefed their Vietnamese counterparts who, in turn, are to give the visitors a tour of local air force facilities, the release said.

“What’s really interesting about this visit has been that despite whatever history there is between our nations, we’ve been able to communicate with each other as airmen wearing the uniform of our respective nations,” said Major Nate Flint, who gave a briefing on pilot training, said in the embassy’s press release.

There have been a number of US naval visits and other military diplomacy between the two countries since the US resumed full diplomatic ties in 1995.

Source: AFP, TN