Master Sgt. Jack Wilbanks of Bothell is currently assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group at the Kabul International Airport in Kabul Afghanistan, serving on a one-year deployment as an Afghan communication squadron adviser. In this capacity, Wilbanks is part of the Combined Air Power Transition Force (CAPTF) advisory team responsible for training more than 400 Afghanistan National Army Air Corps personnel how to properly maintain and operate their fleet of Russian-made Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters, An-32 cargo planes and Italian-made C-27 airlift aircraft.

When asked about his current mission, he stated, “I enjoy interacting with our Afghan counterparts every day. Being a part of CAPTF to mentor the Afghan National Army Air Corps has been the highlight of my career.”

He is married to Pinar Wilbanks of O’Fallon, Ill., and they have a 17-year-old son, Raoul, and a 10-year-old daughter, Alara. He is the son of Jack and Lolita Wilbanks of Bothell.