10 September 2010

Generals McKinley and Wayt greet Serbian CHOD Lt. General Miloje Miletic.

FoNet photo

Over thirty U.S. military personnel from the National Guard visited Serbia from 10-17 September 2010 to conduct senior-level meetings and a variety of military activities associated with the State Partnership Program between the Serbia Armed Forces and the Ohio National Guard.  Leading the delegation was General Craig McKinley, Chief of the National Guard Bureau and one of the United States military’s most senior ranking officers.  Gen. McKinley’s visit is a clear demonstration of the importance the United States places on the Serbia-Ohio state partnership, which is widely recognized as one of the most successful such partnerships.

Gen. McKinley was accompanied by Major General Gregory Wayt, the Adjutant General of Ohio.  While in Serbia, the U.S. generals met with Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac and Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Miloje Miletic to discuss bilateral cooperation activities.  They also attended the September 11, 2010 graduation ceremony marking the promotion of the new Serbian Armed Forces officers.  Concurrent with the senior-level talks were a variety of other military activities as wide-ranging as a workshop on military aircraft and crew management to a seminar on joint civilian-military responses to disasters and other crises.

Since 2006, the U.S. and Serbian militaries have collaborated to realize over 150 bilateral engagements.  Approximately half of these were conducted through the State Partnership with the Ohio National Guard, making it the primary program for defense cooperation between the United States and Serbia.  The most notable partnership events include military personnel exchange visits, senior staff exercises on disaster response, and joint efforts to refurbish schools throughout Serbia.