KRIVOLAK, Macedonia - Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans traveled more than 4,400 miles to share their Global War on Terror training methodologies with a Macedonian military police battalion.
Under the U.S. European Command State Partnership Program, Soldiers from the Vermont National Guard shared their experience with the Army of the Republic of Macedonia during Operation Rising Phalanx, which took place in Krivolak, Macedonia, Sept. 9-22, 2006.
The program, which originated in 1993, links a National Guard State with a partner nation in support of EUCOM’s Theater Security Cooperation objectives. There are currently 24 partnerships within the EUCOM area of responsibility.
“The State Partnership Program is a very dynamic, effective tool for Atlantic-European integration” for aspirant NATO countries like Macedonia, said Army Lt. Col. Michael Hurst, EUCOM Macedonia desk officer. The Macedonia visit provided a “very good engagement that we’ll carry out for years to come.”
Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie, The Adjutant General of Vermont, agrees. “The things that we are going to practice will remain in our life forever,” he said. “This is cooperation on a global level because the terrorist threat is present all over the world. Our two armies are determined to cooperate in the joint war on terrorism … and we will succeed.”
During opening ceremonies, Major General Atanas Jovcevski, commander of the Macedonian Army’s joint operational command, said, “I expect the Soldiers for the Vermont National Guard will unselfishly convey their experiences to the soldiers from the (Macedonian Army) and that in the near future we and the U.S. Army can establish joint mobile training teams in order to transfer the gained experience to the countries of the Partnership for Peace Program.”
The goal of the 10-month small unit exchange was for instructors from the Vermont National Guard to train Macedonian Army military police platoons to take part in international peacekeeping missions.
“We are moving towards future NATO membership and hope to join Vermont Guardsmen in operations in support of the Global War on Terror,” said Maj. Robert Tasevki, the Macedonia military police battalion deputy commander.
The last day of the mission encapsulated the two weeks of training. After the Macedonian convoy moved tactically through a checkpoint, successfully overcame an ambush and a live-fire modified gunfight, the soldiers received graduation certificates from the Macedonian Chief of the Joint Staff and Army Col. Guy T. Williams, commander of the 1-124th Regional Training Institute.
In his closing ceremony speech, Williams said the event was “the high water mark” for the Army of the Republic of Macedonia and Vermont National Guard’s Joint Contact Team and State Partnership Programs.
(Army Lt. Col. Dan Pipes, commander, 1-124 Infantry Training Battalion, contributed to this article.)