{"id":19013,"date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=19013"},"modified":"2023-07-17T06:48:30","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T06:48:30","slug":"our-real-superpower-as-a-nation-is-our-allies-and-partners-the-department-of-defense-national-guard-state-partnership-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=19013","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Our Real Superpower as a Nation is our Allies and Partners\u2019 The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program …"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n U.S. Army Master Sgt. Joe Carson, from the 3-116th Combined Arms Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Idaho National Guard, observes training with Master Sgt. Aghzaf Abdelkrim, Moroccan Armed Forces, June 7, 2023, in Tan Tan, Morocco. Eighteen nations and approximately 8,000 personnel will participate in African Lion 2023, U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual combined, joint exercise that will take place in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia from May 13-June 18, 2023.
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\n The SFC Jeffery Lauren, 231st MP Battalion instructs NATO partners on vehicle recovery at Saber Guardian in Slobozia, Romania, on May 30, 2023, during Saber Guardian. Saber Guardian 23, a component of DEFENDER 23, is an exercise co-led by Romanian Land Forces and the U.S. Army at various locations in Romania to improve the integration of multinational combat forces by engaging in different events such as vehicle road marches, medical training exercises, and river crossings. DEFENDER 23 is a U.S. Army Europe and Africa led exercise focused on the strategic deployment of continental United States-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stocks, and interoperability with Allies and partners. Taking place from 22 April to 23 June, DEFENDER 23 demonstrates USAREUR-AF\u2019s ability to aggregate U.S.-based combat power quickly in Eastern Europe, increase lethality of the NATO Alliance through long-distance fires, build unit readiness in a complex joint, multi-national environment, and leverage host nation capabilities to increase USAREUR-AF\u2019s operational reach. DEFENDER 23 includes more than 7,000 U.S. and 17,000 multi-national service members from more than 20 nations who will participate including, but not limited to: Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.
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\n Oregon Army National Guardsmen of 3-116 Cavalry unit, Charlie Company along with Bangladesh Army counterparts carry a local role player on a litter during cordon and search operations training as part of Exercise Tiger Lightning 2023 at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) center near Dhaka, Bangladesh March 9, 2023. This specific field training aids in preparing Bangladesh military members for future peacekeeping missions to Africa. Tiger Lightning 2023, a bilateral exercise sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and hosted by the Bangladesh Armed Forces, works each year to strengthen Bangladesh peacekeeping readiness, promote interoperability and reinforce the partnership between the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the Oregon National Guard.
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\n U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Criswell, Lt. Col. Brett Seiling, Brig. Gen. Trulan Eyre, Royal Jordanian Air Force Maj. Gen. Malek Habashneh commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen H. Michael Edwards The Adjutant General of Colorado, RJAF Lt. Col. Tareq Nasr Ahmad Rawashdeh, U.S Air Force Brig. Gen. Carlton Everhart II, Col. Pete Byrne and Col. Floyd Dunstan pose for a photo at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., June 21, 2012. Leadership from the RJAF visited their state partner, the Colorado Air National Guard today. The partnership was established in 2004 and is currently celebrating its 8th anniversary this year. RJAF and COANG leadership met to discuss future opportunities focused on the F-16 Fighting Falcons operations, safety and maintenance.
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\n Maj. Gen. Tim Orr, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, attends the Kosovo Independence Day Parade in Pristina, Kosovo, on Feb. 18. The Iowa National Guard and Kosovo Security Force have enjoyed a strong and dynamic partnership founded on mutual respect and admiration with a common interest in facilitating stability within Eastern Europe since 2011.
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This is part two of the five part series “State Partnership Program turns 30.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On the eve of its 30th anniversary, the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program has matured into thriving security cooperation relationships with 100 nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe utility of the SPP is something you can\u2019t put a price on,\u201d says Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau. \u201cThe Department of Defense, and the State Department, and \u2013 particularly \u2013 the geographic combatant commanders see the value it provides.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SPP pairs the National Guard of every state, territory, and the District of Columbia with nations around the world. Current and former senior leaders say it is equally beneficial to both partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe value to the state is, No. 1, it gives our Guardsmen the experience of operating in a unique environment,\u201d Hokanson says. \u201cIt gets them out there to give them a better picture of the globe and some of the issues other nations face. And, for our military leaders, it\u2019s one-on-one training and learning from our partners, because each partner has unique capabilities and specialties, as we do.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy sharing what we\u2019re good at, we both become better.\u201d<\/p>\n

This May, Army Staff Sgt. Josh Lynch was one of the Maryland National Guardsmen who traveled to SPP partner Estonia for Spring Storm, the Estonian Defence Force\u2019s largest annual military exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first time going out of the country,\u201d Lynch says. \u201cWhen we get to work with other NATO forces, we get an idea of how to work with each other, how we operate. We are more alike than I initially thought, and it has been an awesome experience working out here.\u201d<\/p>\n

SEA Tony Whitehead, the 6th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the CNGB, says the State Partnership Program provides enlisted Airmen and Soldiers the unique opportunity to broaden their understanding of the world while simultaneously increasing their readiness.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy working with foreign counterparts and exchanging valuable experience and knowledge,\u201d Whitehead says, \u201cparticipants can significantly enhance the capabilities of our military while fostering long-term connections that extend beyond just the days and weeks of training together and span over decades and entire careers. Those long-term relationships are the bread and butter of the program.”<\/p>\n

The SPP also supports America\u2019s National Defense Strategy, which highlights the significance of allies and partners in maintaining national security, emphasizing the importance of strengthening alliances and building partnerships to address shared challenges and promote global stability.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur real superpower as a nation is our allies and partners,\u201d says retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, 28th Chief of the National Guard Bureau. \u201cThat\u2019s what differentiates us. That\u2019s our asymmetric advantage. In the global security environment, our superpower is our relationships with so many partners who trust us, who know us, who understand us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alliances and partnerships help nations deter adversaries, enhance military capabilities, foster cooperation and grow together: 11 European nations ascended to both NATO and European Union membership after their SPP partnerships were formed.<\/p>\n

Some aspects of the SPP can be measured: At a cost to the U.S. of about $42 million per year, the SPP averages about 1,000 engagements, exchanges and training exercises worldwide annually.<\/p>\n

These events can be complex, like African Lion: U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual combined, joint exercise, which brings thousands of multinational service members and hundreds of Guardsmen to the continent to work together with African partners. Focus areas include field training; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response; and humanitarian and civilian assistance events.<\/p>\n

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer Nielsen, senior enlisted advisor, Utah National Guard, took part in African Lion 2021 with the state\u2019s SPP partner, Morocco.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ability to work with our Moroccan partners to provide humanitarian assistance is one of the most rewarding parts of African Lion and the relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco,\u201d Nielsen says. \u201cSeeing Moroccan and U.S. forces together, particularly Utah National Guard, makes us very proud, and it is humbling to see that we can have that much effect on the local populace.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Partnership Program events can also be small: a handful of Guard participants exchanging best practices with foreign counterparts in medical response, small-arms proficiency, professional development or other specialties.<\/p>\n

A small group of West Virginia Guardsmen conducted a virtual information exchange on best vaccine practices during the COVID-19 pandemic early last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis engagement shows the true benefit of the SPP, allowing life-saving knowledge and experiences to flow through open dialogue between Peru and West Virginia,\u201d says Army Command Sgt. Maj. Dusty Jones, the state\u2019s senior enlisted leader. \u201cOur years of existing partnership have established levels of trust and respect that are invaluable in the middle of a crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Army Maj. Gen. William Zana, the Guard Bureau\u2019s director of Strategic Plans and Policy and International Affairs, says approximately 1% of the United States\u2019 security cooperation budget across the Defense Department and State Department is allocated to the SPP. That figure, Zana estimates, funds 20% to 30% of all engagements across all geographic combatant commands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe State Partnership Program is truly a multiplier in enabling the geographic combatant commands and the services\u2019 efforts,\u201d Zana says.<\/p>\n

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Abernethy, command senior enlisted leader for U.S. European Command, explains how one geographic combatant command benefits from the SPP on the enlisted side of the house:<\/p>\n

\u201cAll our noncommissioned officer corps across Europe are advancing at different paces,\u201d Abernethy says. \u201cThey have different capabilities already existing inside their formations. So, we must critically analyze where they are, understand the starting point, and develop a plan to advance them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is where the National Guard plays a key role since they already have those relationships. Now we can hone in on that, so we are all shooting towards the same target.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost all South American nations, plus several Central American countries and Caribbean islands are active participants in the SPP.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe National Guard\u2019s State Partnership Program with SOUTHCOM dates from 1996 and is of tremendous value to both the command and our allies in the Western Hemisphere,\u201d says Army Gen. Laura Richardson, commander, U.S. Southern Command. \u201cThe relationships and capabilities that are forged through ongoing military-to-military engagements with our partner nations help ensure critical interoperability with partner nation military forces and respect for democratic values throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p>\n

But how do you measure trust?<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you put a dollar value on that?\u201d Lengyel asks. \u201cHow do you put a value on relationships? You know that someday \u2013 not today, but someday \u2013 we may call on you. And you know we only get that service because they know you and trust you and have a relationship with you. It\u2019s hard to assign a monetary value to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SPP builds trust for an incredibly small amount of money relative to the Defense Department\u2019s budget or the federal budget \u2013 huge value, high-leverage dollar return, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville, 12th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau, says third-party validation is needed to objectively assess the impact of the SPP. \u201cYou have to be very careful in assessing the effectiveness of your own program,\u201d Sasseville cautions.<\/p>\n

But the success of security cooperation agreements in times of crisis is a good indicator of the SPP\u2019s effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne validation of success is how well we meet challenges as a team,\u201d Sasseville says. \u201cThat\u2019s the real test: When you\u2019re challenged, when you\u2019re helping each other out, are you successful?\u201d<\/p>\n

The 30-year partnership between the California National Guard and Ukraine is right in the middle of such a test.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation in Ukraine validates the partnership that California and Ukraine had before this recent invasion,\u201d Sasseville says.<\/p>\n

While much of the world guessed Ukraine would fall maybe 72 hours after the brutal, unprovoked Russian invasion, California Guardsmen who had trained shoulder-to-shoulder with their Ukrainian counterparts and were intimately familiar with their strengths and abilities begged to differ. Some of the early calls out of Ukraine in February 2022 weren\u2019t to Washington, D.C., but to California Guardsmen in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

The SPP is a Defense Department program managed by the National Guard Bureau in lockstep with the State Department and the combatant commanders. The National Guard in the states, territories, and District of Columbia executes the program.<\/p>\n

Personal relationships and trust built over years are the keys to the SPP\u2019s success, says retired Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, 25th Chief of the National Guard Bureau.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust is built by the states,\u201d Blum says. \u201cThe state partners do that. The Bureau doesn\u2019t do that. We arrange the marriage; the states make it work \u2013 and the states do an extraordinary job. And the young men and women in the Guard who engage with our partner nations say more about America than any of our diplomats could ever do.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur partners see these young men and women who bring America to them. They bring the fabric of this nation, our values.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Congress gave the Guard Bureau chief a fourth star and added the CNGB position to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2012.<\/p>\n

Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, the 26th CNGB, was the first highest-ranking National Guard general to sit with the Joint Chiefs, and the SPP was one of the assets he brought to the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cNavy Adm. Mike Mullen, who was chairman, and Army Gen. Marty Dempsey, who followed him, were very receptive to me commenting on the value of the SPP because, in their active-duty world, while they had military-to-military relationships, they didn\u2019t have the sustaining values that the National Guard brings to our partner countries, the friendships like the Guard\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it turned out, the Guard\u2019s elevation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff benefitted the State Partnership Program in equal measure to the value the SPP added to America\u2019s highest-ranking military advisory body.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because now the CNGB meets with combatant commanders, U.S. ambassadors and the leaders of partner nations both as the Bureau\u2019s chief and as one of the principal military advisors to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council.<\/p>\n

Hokanson, the current CNGB, reflects on recent visits to Serbia, partnered with the Ohio National Guard, and Albania, partnered with the New Jersey National Guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met with the presidents, the prime ministers, the chiefs of defense, and the ministers of defense,\u201d Hokanson says. \u201cThey all wanted to talk to me about the importance of the SPP, and how much they value the relationships. When you have the senior leadership of countries wanting to discuss the SPP, and the challenges they face in their region, it\u2019s an invaluable level of access.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hokanson also found doors wide open during recent visits in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, when senior military leaders welcomed him in South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines to enhance existing partnerships and explore ways the Guard can provide additional support to U.S. Forces Korea in developing the Republic of Korea Reserves if desired.<\/p>\n

Army Gen. Frank Grass, 27th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, says he saw similar benefits on the U.S. side of the State Partnership Program equation.<\/p>\n

Grass says he felt better able to brief the service chiefs on their SPP asset and found visits with geographic combatant commanders and their staffs even more productive than before the elevation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou understand more what the combatant commanders are trying to accomplish in their area of responsibility,\u201d he says. \u201cYou know the strategy of both the Defense Department and the State Department. And then you, as chief, can better carry their message in your annual Congressional testimony, and to the governors, through the adjutants general. It synchronizes the whole effort of the United States even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the end, though, today\u2019s SPP boils down to the partner states who build the relationships \u2013 and the interactions of individual Soldiers and Airmen with their foreign counterparts through training exchanges and exercises.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my time in Croatia, I\u2019ve developed many friendships with our foreign counterparts,\u201c says Army Sgt. Nathan Buck, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter technical inspector with the Minnesota National Guard. \u201cWe\u2019ve created an everlasting line of communication so that at any time, they can reach out for help if needed. Hopefully, in the future, we continue to work together and continue to help develop their training and maintenance programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Army Maj. Gen. Greg Knight is adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, which has three partnerships, with Austria, North Macedonia and Senegal.<\/p>\n

Training abroad with their Senegalese counterparts earlier this year, his Soldiers and Airmen happened to be present for a mass casualty incident \u2013 a bus rollover and three-car wreck.<\/p>\n

\u201cFortuitously, our folks were there,\u201d he recalls, \u201cbandaging people up. They actually helped out with an amputation due to a crush injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Army Spc. Pitor Sowulieski, a Vermont Guard combat medic, took part in the training exchange.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never know where we\u2019ll need to go next, so being able to work with our partner nations and understand the difficulties and barriers, is really important,\u201d Sowulieski says. \u201cHaving these experiences really helps to not only prepare us for future situations but to give us the skills to work around things like language barriers and find ways to work together and learn from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the same SPP engagement, at a medical training exchange, a Vermont Guard member working with Senegalese providers revived an infant at birth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing because there\u2019s that moment of fear when that baby comes out and isn\u2019t breathing and isn\u2019t crying and they\u2019re just kind of limp,\u201d says Army Staff Sgt. Christina Fontaine, the Vermont Guard medical specialist. \u201cAnd then when you hear that first cry, there\u2019s just this sudden wash of relief that goes through your body, and everyone in the room was just smiling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat Senegalese mother will always remember that it was a member of the Vermont National Guard that saved her child,\u201d Knight says. \u201cHow do you capture that? That\u2019s what I\u2019m talking about by that smallest thing: a one-on-one engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do all the strategic stuff, and we can have key leader engagements and continue our efforts on that level, but where we really make the money with the SPP are those individual experiences and individual relationships that we\u2019ve built over years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. H. Michael Edwards and his wife, Laury, nurtured the Colorado Guard\u2019s new relationship with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Colorado\u2019s longer-standing partnership with Slovenia, when he became the state\u2019s adjutant general in 2007.<\/p>\n

The couple felt official engagements were extremely structured and sensed an opportunity to enhance trust by opening their own home to their partner countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted our partners to relax and really get to know people,\u201d Maj. Gen. Edwards says. \u201cWe decided we would treat them like family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy opening up our home,\u201d Laury Edwards says, \u201cwe were able to bring in a lot more of our senior Colorado Guardsmen and their spouses to get to know the senior leaders from Jordan and Slovenia.\u201d<\/p>\n

These exchanges deepened understanding on both sides.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trust between you is you become like best friends,\u201d Maj. Gen. Edwards says. \u201cIn fact, in Jordan, we refer to each other as brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Libya devolved into revolution and civil war in 2011, Jordan volunteered its F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter aircraft to assist in reestablishing stability.<\/p>\n

Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz \u2013 Edwards\u2019 U.S. Air Force Academy classmate \u2013 was chief of staff of the Air Force at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a phone call in my office,\u201d Edwards recalls. \u201cAnd he says, \u2018Hey, Mike, can you send liaisons to support the Jordanians? Because they want Colorado Guardsmen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edwards dispatched Colorado National Guard maintenance and operations specialists to support the Jordanian mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat the Jordanians were willing to come out of the Middle East and support a NATO operation, and that subsequently they also volunteered to become a part of the rapid deployment force that is on call for any NATO-type event, I connect with being able to build such a close relationship with Colorado, which led to closer relationships with the United States and our NATO allies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also stemming from the Edwards\u2019 choice to invite their partners into their home was Jordan\u2019s invitation to Laury Edwards to visit to share the successes of the Colorado Guard\u2019s family support program as the Kingdom stood up its own, similar initiative.<\/p>\n

Every one of America\u2019s 54 National Guards has enough similar stories of building enduring partnerships one person and one action at a time to fill a book.<\/p>\n

The Iowa National Guard\u2019s security cooperation agreement with Kosovo offers just one example of how far today\u2019s SPP has evolved from the initial, exploratory military-to-military outreach in the Baltic States in 1993 that started the program.<\/p>\n

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Orr, now the CNGB\u2019s intergovernmental affairs advisor, was Iowa\u2019s adjutant general when, in 2011, the state partnered with Kosovo, a nation rebuilding in the wake of conflict in the Balkans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a former educator, I knew that the military can only do so much,\u201d Orr says. \u201cI took a larger approach of \u2018the whole of Kosovo, the whole of Iowa\u2019 with the intent to bring together all sectors of our state and the country of Kosovo to help both of us be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the blessing of the geographic combatant commander, Orr and his leadership team nurtured statewide engagement with Iowa\u2019s new partner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were, in 2011, to ask most Iowans \u2013 other than a Guardsman or woman or active-duty service member who served in Kosovo \u2013 where the country was, they had no idea,\u201d Orr says. \u201cNow, in 2023, most everyone in Iowa has heard of and knows where Kosovo is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the military-to-military cooperation \u2013 including co-deployments to combat zones, one of the early goals for the partnership \u2013 businesses have sprung up, exchange students have completed degrees, Iowa professors have spent summers conducting research in Kosovo, and the state\u2019s governor has made multiple visits partly aimed at boosting trade. All among numerous examples of civilian cooperation between the two: whole of society possibilities unlocked by the SPP.<\/p>\n

Kosovo and Iowa\u2019s relationship has blossomed further to include sister state designation, with sister cities continually springing up. And when Kosovo opened its first foreign consulate, it picked downtown Des Moines as the location, while most foreign consulates are in more populous metropolitan centers and diplomatic hubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not one-way relationships,\u201d says Sasseville, the NGB vice-chief. \u201cThey are really exchanges, whether you\u2019re talking about military tactics or domestic response to natural or manmade disasters, whether you\u2019re talking about understanding the environments each partner operates in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a two-way street. Everyone is treated with respect, on an equal basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sasseville, who previously served as the senior U.S. defense official and defense attach\u00e9 in Turkey, says, \u201cThe world is small and getting smaller, and the more you understand about it, the more effective you are on the world stage. We work with our partners to integrate the environments that we all want to enjoy for economic prosperity, freedom, and security.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we can\u2019t get there without these partnerships and relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Craig Schwed and Army Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Pena, National Guard Bureau; Army Spc. Joshua Whitaker, Maryland National Guard; Army Staff Sgt. Sydney Mariette, Minnesota National Guard; Air Force Tech. Sgt. Colton Elliott, Utah National Guard; Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Alvarez, Vermont National Guard; Air Force Maj. Holli Nelson, West Virginia National Guard; and WCAX CBS 3 Vermont contributed.<\/p>\n

State Partnership Program turns 30<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Five-Part Series By Master Sgt. Jim Greenhill and Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely, National Guard Bureau<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Why Don\u2019t we do a Little Partnership Thing?\u2019 The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program is Born<\/a><\/p>\n

‘Our Real Superpower as a Nation is our Allies and Partners’ The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program Today<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018A Mosaic of Opportunities\u2019 The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program Looks to the Future<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018It truly is a Team Sport\u2019 How the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program Works<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018The Most Important People in the Army are the Sergeants\u2019 The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program: A Crucial Arrow in Ukraine\u2019s Quiver<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 U.S. Army Master Sgt. Joe Carson, from the 3-116th Combined Arms Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Idaho National Guard, observes training with Master Sgt. Aghzaf Abdelkrim, Moroccan Armed Forces, June 7, 2023, in Tan Tan, Morocco. Eighteen nations and approximately 8,000 personnel will participate in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19015,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19013"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19023,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19013\/revisions\/19023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}