Chief: North Carolina, Botswana partnership one of the best

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Steve Wilkins
North Carolina National Guard

Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, center, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Army Maj. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., the adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard, right, spoke to Lt. Gen. T.H.C. Masire, left, commander of the Botswana Defense Force, and other members of a delegation from Botswana attending a weeklong State Partnership Program workshop in Chapel Hill, N.C., this week. (Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Steve Wilkins, North Carolina National Guard)
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (8/21/09) – The North Carolina National Guard and the African nation of Botswana have the potential to be one of the finest pairings in the National Guard’s 61-nation, 16-year State Partnership Program.

“We are now partnered with 61 nations around the world, and this relationship will be one of our finest,” Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told Lt. Gen. T.H.C. Masire, commander of the Botswana Defense Force, and other members of a delegation from Botswana attending a weeklong workshop here.

“I have waited a long time for this moment,” Masire said. North Carolina paired with the Republic of Botswana in 2008, one of the National Guard’s seven African partnerships. The state also has been paired with Moldova since 1995.

“The North Carolina program is one of the best State Partnership Programs because the BDF is so receptive,” U.S. Ambassador Stephen Nolan said in June, “There is a history of contact and a willingness to engage with U.S. forces, and we need to capitalize on that.”

The SPP links National Guards from individual states, territories and the District of Columbia with foreign military partners for training, fostering long-term relations between the U.S. and foreign nations.

The SPP involves a collaborative effort between the National Guard, Department of Defense, Department of State, Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commands.

“It takes a real partnership to create a partnership,” McKinley said. “Along with [Gen. William E. Ward, commander, U.S. Africa Command, and] members of the State Department, this partnership came into being. … All of us are deeply proud … that this was brought to fruition, and we look forward to the growth and development of this great partnership.”

The North Carolina/Botswana partnership already is an active one.

A North Carolina National Guard officer, Capt. Alberto Ceffalo, represented U.S. Army Africa aboard the USS Nashville during a training and goodwill mission to several West African nations earlier this year.

In May, representatives from the BDF’s air arm joined North Carolina Guardmembers from the Charlotte-based 145th Airlift Wing for annual training exercises at Tucson, Ariz., on the Modular Aerial Fire Fighting System (MAFFS). The system is used to fight wildfires, and Botswana plans to adopt a similar firefighting program.

National Guard Bureau and North Carolina National Guard leaders joined representatives from state and local government and academic institutions for the weeklong Botswana SPP Education Conference here.

About 9.2 million people live in North Carolina’s 48,710 square miles on the eastern seaboard, making it the nation’s 10th most-populated state. It has a diverse economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, hi-tech industry and financial services.

About 1.9 million people live in Botswana’s landlocked 2,494 square miles north of South Africa, making it the world’s 147th most-populated country. Its economy is based on subsistence farming, cattle raising, diamond mining, tourism and financial services.

In the face of a greatly increased operational tempo following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the North Carolina National Guard has excelled, Congressman David Price, who represents North Carolina, said in May.

The North Carolina National Guard has deployed worldwide, responded to emergencies within its own state, gone to the aid of other states and still worked through the SPP with Moldova, formerly a Soviet state, and Botswana, Price said in May, calling Botswana “one of Africa’s most promising democracies.”

Nolan echoed that assessment. “Botswana is a shining example of an African nation coming into independence and leading the way in the right way,” the ambassador said. “As African countries expand and become more integrated, Botswana is a country that gets it right and is poised to be a leader for other nations.”

Since its 1966 independence from Britain, Botswana has transformed itself from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income country that has had one of the world’s highest economic growth rates, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Speaking during a February visit by Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, the former director of the Army National Guard, and Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, the chief of the Army Reserve, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, said, “The Army Reserve and National Guard offer very important capabilities – from civil affairs and engineers to medics and military police. They draw from the best people in their respective fields, who often do the same job in their civilian lives. Their amazing talents and skills are absolutely essential to our success … in Africa.”

-- Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill, U.S. Army Africa and Seventeenth Air Force contributed.

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