Guard Paring up for Peace and Deployment

[unhappycamper]

Guard Paring up for Peace and Deployment
November 04, 2008
Army News Service|by Sgt. Lee Elder

HOHENFELS, Germany - The pairing of state National Guards with former Warsaw Pact nations to train Afghanistan National Army soldiers has been "a huge success" during its early stages, officials report.

The first group - a task force of Latvian soldiers supplemented by members of the Michigan Army National Guard - debuted during the just-concluded Operational Mentor and Liaison Team exercise. They will deploy together to Afghanistan next month.

"The partnering of these nations is really establishing this holistic approach to the global war on terror," said Maj. Frank Buchheit, director of training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. "There are so many countries who want to contribute, but don't necessarily have the means to contribute entirely.

"Now, with this state partnership program, they have the ability to contribute." Buchheit said another group will be here next month. Soldiers from Hungary and the Ohio National Guard make up the second group. More could follow.

For more than a decade, states militias have been partnered with former Warsaw Pact nations and breakaway Soviet republics. The partners have trained together both overseas and in the U.S.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-news/guard-paring-up-for-peace-and-deployment.html?col=1186032369115