The first class of new Iraqi air force pilots has graduated from the U.S. training course in northern Iraq in what U.S. officials say is a small but crucial step in rebuilding the nation’s force.

The men are the first new pilots to join the force. Those who have joined since its reestablishment in 2003 have been veterans of the old Iraqi air force, officials said.

The graduates spent a year in training with the Iraqi Flying Training Wing and the U.S. Air Force’s 52nd Expeditionary Flight Training Squadron.

The ceremony, held earlier this week in Kirkuk, also included the dedication of a new flight training facility.