State Partnership Program Archive

  • SANDSTON, Va. — Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard participated in missions to Tajikistan from Nov. 3-16, 2012, where they conducted an exchange in infantry tactics and medical support procedures with the Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion in preparation for future United Nations missions. Lt. Col. Michael Renforth of the 192nd Medical Group led the Medical Exchange, while 1st Lt. David Worley of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team led the Infantry Tactical Exchange. The teams consisted of Soldiers and Airmen from Joint Force Headquarters; 192nd Medical Group; Virginia Army National Guard Medical Command; Intel and Sustainment Company, 29th Infantry Division; Companies B and C, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team; and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion,...

    Virginia National Guard works with Tajikistan’s Peacekeeping Operations Battalion on infantry and medical tactics

    Posted on November 30, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — Soldiers and Airmen of the Virginia National Guard participated in missions to Tajikistan from Nov. 3-16, 2012, where they conducted an exchange in infantry tactics and medical support procedures with the Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion in preparation for future United Nations missions. Lt. Col. Michael Renforth of the 192nd Medical Group led the Medical Exchange, while 1st Lt. David Worley of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team led the Infantry Tactical Exchange. The teams consisted of Soldiers and Airmen from Joint Force Headquarters; 192nd Medical Group; Virginia Army National Guard Medical Command; Intel and Sustainment Company, 29th Infantry Division; Companies B and C, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team; and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion,...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard completed a three-week mission to Tajikistan Sept. 12, 2012, where they helped prepare the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion for a future United Nations mission. Led by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Edgar Marquis of Headquarters Company, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the team consisted of communications professionals from Company C, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, and the Signal Company, 29th Infantry Division. The Virginia Guard team also worked with the Tajik platoon that participated in the STEPPE EAGLE 2012 in Kazakhstan, a military exercise aimed at the interoperability of international forces. While Tajikistan has sent observers in the past, this is the first time that Tajikistan has sent an actual unit to participate...

    Virginia Guard communication professionals work with Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion

    Posted on September 30, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard completed a three-week mission to Tajikistan Sept. 12, 2012, where they helped prepare the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion for a future United Nations mission. Led by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Edgar Marquis of Headquarters Company, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the team consisted of communications professionals from Company C, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, and the Signal Company, 29th Infantry Division. The Virginia Guard team also worked with the Tajik platoon that participated in the STEPPE EAGLE 2012 in Kazakhstan, a military exercise aimed at the interoperability of international forces. While Tajikistan has sent observers in the past, this is the first time that Tajikistan has sent an actual unit to participate...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. – Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard completed an engagement with the Tajik Army on small-unit tactics and Improvised Explosive Device avoidance on Sept. 12, 2012. Capt. Jack Nothstine, from the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, led the team, along with 2nd Lt. Alexander Nance, 237th Engineer Company, and Sgt. Kevin Hundley, Headquarters Support Company, 276th Engineer Battalion. Tajikistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is located in Central Asia, directly north of Afghanistan. The Virginia Guard began the partnership with Tajikistan in 2004, only a few years after the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. Since then Virginia and Tajikistan have cooperated on dozens of mutually beneficial events. Tajik military leaders have become...

    Virginia Guard team works with Tajikistan on Security Cooperation

    Posted on September 30, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. – Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard completed an engagement with the Tajik Army on small-unit tactics and Improvised Explosive Device avoidance on Sept. 12, 2012. Capt. Jack Nothstine, from the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, led the team, along with 2nd Lt. Alexander Nance, 237th Engineer Company, and Sgt. Kevin Hundley, Headquarters Support Company, 276th Engineer Battalion. Tajikistan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is located in Central Asia, directly north of Afghanistan. The Virginia Guard began the partnership with Tajikistan in 2004, only a few years after the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. Since then Virginia and Tajikistan have cooperated on dozens of mutually beneficial events. Tajik military leaders have become...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — On Aug. 29, 2012 a five-man team from the Virginia Army and Air National Guard, led by Maj. Bill McCarty, completed an 11-day exchange with the Tajik Army. The exchange topics included mission analysis, junior leader development, land navigation, and related issues. The military exchange focused on the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion, stationed at Shamsi Base, Dushanbe. This unit’s platoon was sent to the international STEPPE EAGLE exercise in Kazakhstan as Tajikistan’s first military unit to operate outside of national borders. The battalion expects to participate in a United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in 2013 and by working with the Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, the battalion gained experience in operating within a multi-national environment. The Virginians were...

    Virginia Army, Air National Guard troops work with the Tajik Army on fieldcraft

    Posted on September 20, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — On Aug. 29, 2012 a five-man team from the Virginia Army and Air National Guard, led by Maj. Bill McCarty, completed an 11-day exchange with the Tajik Army. The exchange topics included mission analysis, junior leader development, land navigation, and related issues. The military exchange focused on the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion, stationed at Shamsi Base, Dushanbe. This unit’s platoon was sent to the international STEPPE EAGLE exercise in Kazakhstan as Tajikistan’s first military unit to operate outside of national borders. The battalion expects to participate in a United Nations’ peacekeeping mission in 2013 and by working with the Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, the battalion gained experience in operating within a multi-national environment. The Virginians were...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — A seven-man team from the Virginia National Guard ended its three-week State Partnership Program exchange in Tajikistan by spending July 7- 13 with the Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion at Shamsi Military Base in the capital city of Dushanbe. The last half of the exchange began with a day-long seminar on Counter IED measures delivered by 1st Lt. Art Taryan from the West Point-based 237th Engineer Company. Taryan used his deployment experience in 2009 to lead the seminar as well as set up an IED lane on the base’s training grounds.   On July 4th, the team delivered a presentation on the American holiday as a way to help the Tajiks get a better understanding of American culture and values that...

    Virginia Guard troops lead exchange with Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion

    Posted on July 23, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — A seven-man team from the Virginia National Guard ended its three-week State Partnership Program exchange in Tajikistan by spending July 7- 13 with the Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion at Shamsi Military Base in the capital city of Dushanbe. The last half of the exchange began with a day-long seminar on Counter IED measures delivered by 1st Lt. Art Taryan from the West Point-based 237th Engineer Company. Taryan used his deployment experience in 2009 to lead the seminar as well as set up an IED lane on the base’s training grounds.   On July 4th, the team delivered a presentation on the American holiday as a way to help the Tajiks get a better understanding of American culture and values that...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — Members of the Virginia Army National Guard traveled to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, for a three-week mission in support of the State Partnership Program between Virginia and Tajikistan. While there, the seven-man team traveled to Shamsi Military Base in Dushanbe June 28- July 6 and worked with with the Tajikistan Army Peacekeeping Battalion’s junior leaders on basic Soldiering tasks. The team used their areas of expertise, ranging from combat arms to combat service support, to provide the Tajik Soldiers a broad perspective for conducting operations. The exchange began with a meeting with the deputy battalion commander to provide a snapshot of the team’s capabilities and establish areas of focus. The commander selected 16 warrant officers, which are comparable to...

    Tajikistan SPP information exchange focuses on basic Soldiering skills

    Posted on July 23, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — Members of the Virginia Army National Guard traveled to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, for a three-week mission in support of the State Partnership Program between Virginia and Tajikistan. While there, the seven-man team traveled to Shamsi Military Base in Dushanbe June 28- July 6 and worked with with the Tajikistan Army Peacekeeping Battalion’s junior leaders on basic Soldiering tasks. The team used their areas of expertise, ranging from combat arms to combat service support, to provide the Tajik Soldiers a broad perspective for conducting operations. The exchange began with a meeting with the deputy battalion commander to provide a snapshot of the team’s capabilities and establish areas of focus. The commander selected 16 warrant officers, which are comparable to...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — From March 6- 15, five Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers participated in a medical information exchange with members of the Tajik Ministry of Defense in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.    Col. Frank Y. Yang and Master Sgt. Dawn Valois of the Virginia Air National Guard and Maj. Rhonda Wynder, 2nd Lt. Nicole Murphy and Sgt. 1st Class Ellen Billmyer of the Virginia Army National Guard met with 17 Tajik officers, warrant officers and civilian personnel to follow-up on a medical exchange which took place in August 2011 in Dushanbe.  The Virginia National Guard personnel provided indepth briefings, held discussions on medical issues, and planned for future information exchanges.  A wide range of topics were covered during the exchange, including...

    Virginia Guard Air, Army troops travel to Tajikistan for medical information exchange

    Posted on May 8, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — From March 6- 15, five Virginia National Guard Airmen and Soldiers participated in a medical information exchange with members of the Tajik Ministry of Defense in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.    Col. Frank Y. Yang and Master Sgt. Dawn Valois of the Virginia Air National Guard and Maj. Rhonda Wynder, 2nd Lt. Nicole Murphy and Sgt. 1st Class Ellen Billmyer of the Virginia Army National Guard met with 17 Tajik officers, warrant officers and civilian personnel to follow-up on a medical exchange which took place in August 2011 in Dushanbe.  The Virginia National Guard personnel provided indepth briefings, held discussions on medical issues, and planned for future information exchanges.  A wide range of topics were covered during the exchange, including...

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  • SANDSTON, Va. — A group of Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers traveled to Tajikistan Nov. 10- 17 to conduct a four-day engineer workshop with members of the Tajikistani military. One officer and three noncommissioned officers made the trek to Dushanbe in an effort to work with Tajikistani military engineers on issues commonly faced assisting the local civil authorities in a natural disaster, according to 1st Lt. Artur Taryan of the 180th Engineer Company. “We accomplished this by conducting a total of 13 workshop topics that were structured toward the audience and required interaction,” he said. “The workshop was concluded with a practical exercise that utilized all the skills taught.” In addition to Taryan, the Virginia Guard Soldiers who participated in...

    Virginia Guard Engineers work with Tajikistani troops

    Posted on January 10, 2012 | No Comments
    SANDSTON, Va. — A group of Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers traveled to Tajikistan Nov. 10- 17 to conduct a four-day engineer workshop with members of the Tajikistani military. One officer and three noncommissioned officers made the trek to Dushanbe in an effort to work with Tajikistani military engineers on issues commonly faced assisting the local civil authorities in a natural disaster, according to 1st Lt. Artur Taryan of the 180th Engineer Company. “We accomplished this by conducting a total of 13 workshop topics that were structured toward the audience and required interaction,” he said. “The workshop was concluded with a practical exercise that utilized all the skills taught.” In addition to Taryan, the Virginia Guard Soldiers who participated in...

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