Craig airport becoming center for aviation, military training under Resicum

Craig Field Airport is becoming a center for aviation training and military tactical training for U.S. and now international armed forces.

Resicum International took over operations at Craig Field Airport in spring 2023 and has been renovating buildings at the former Air Force base to house trainees coming to Selma from militaries near and far.

Last week, Resicum held a training exercise for paratroopers from London, England, who were learning to jump out of Black Hawk helicopters in one of the first sessions held in Selma for an international unit.

Dallas County should get ready to see more training sessions with military personnel from U.S. allies and NATO-friendly countries as they gear up to get more international contracts, said Director of Operations Efthemios Vassilopanagos, better known as “V,” who oversees the maintenance facility, flight training, the avionics program and tactical training. He is also in charge of safety at the field.

V said Resicum has renovated many of the buildings at Craig Field, including the terminal and hangers. The first two floors of the former Alabama State Trooper building have been renovated to house trainees. One building has been renovated as a lounge for military trainees.

U.S. military personnel from all over the U.S. will use the facility for part of their training. And some of the tactics they teach are so secret that he could not talk about them, said V said, who is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army, 22 years of which were as a Green Beret, the Army’s Special Forces branch.

The paratroopers’ training day on Oct. 16 was somewhat windy. V explained that part of the training for paratroopers is calculating the effects of the winds aloft and on the ground to determine their release point so they can make their landing point.

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Other options at Craig for military training is a large shooting range that incorporates a series of obstacles to help trainees learn split-second problem solving.

A group from a security business is using Craig Field for training to stay on top of their game, according to V. Resicum is planning to offer tactical training to law enforcement organizations, since law enforcement and the military use many of the same tactics.

V said the flight training, maintenance and avionics programs are open to the public. Anyone interested in getting their private pilot’s license can train at Craig Field. V said they can take someone with no aviation experience through ground school, after which they can train on five available aircraft. Three certified flight instructor pilots are on staff.

Craig Field Airport is also becoming a hub for collegiate aviation training. V said Resicum has partnered with Marion Military Institute to train cadets to fly. He added that Resicum has also taken over the operations at Vaiden Field Airport in Perry County, which is used by MMI.

Finishing touches are being put on the agreement with Wallace Community College Selma, which is “just kicking off their aviation program,” V said. WCCS is partnering to teach avionics, pilot training and maintenance.

Anyone interested in flight training at Craig Field Airport can call V at (910) 850-7069. For information about Resicum, go to www.resicuminternational.com.