COLCHESTER, Vt. - Vermont National Guard members will participate in a two-week medical training exercise in Thies, Senegal, through the State Partnership Program.
The Vermont National Guard members, mainly assigned to the Garrison Support Command Medical Detachment out of Colchester, will be supported by Soldiers from Charlie Medical, 186th Brigade Support Battalion out of Winooski, and Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing’s Medical Group. They will collaborate with Senegalese civilian and military medical professionals, helping patients and sharing best practices.
“This training exercise provides us the opportunity to not only enhance our own medical skills but also to share expertise with Senegalese medical professionals,” said Lt. Col. James Burrows, the Vermont National Guard officer in charge for the exercise. “These are incredible opportunities for our Soldiers and Airmen to experience a totally new environment, work with international counterparts, and practice our skills in a real-world environment.”
This is the sixth iteration of the medical training exercise in Senegal since 2018.
The Vermont National Guard has a long history of supporting international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions through the State Partnership Program. This training exercise is just one example of the many ways in which it helps to build strong partnerships with countries around the world.
The Vermont National Guard has partnered with Senegal for 15 years through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. Vermont also shares a partnership with North Macedonia since 1993 and the Republic of Austria since 2022.
The SPP program has been successfully building relations for 30 years and now includes 88 partnerships with 100 nations around the globe.