05.12.2009.
The Commander of the Ohio National Guard General Wayt announced that one of the Guard’s infantry regiments would come to Serbia next year in September in order to undergo a joint training with their colleagues from SAF. General Wayt said to Beta News Agency that the next step in the State Partnership Program between NG Ohio and SAF would be exchanging of units for the purpose of their common training.
``Why is that important? Those soldiers and officers are going to advance in their service, and would be enabled to lead SAF and NG Ohio in the future. Along with their advancement, our partnership will become stronger. They will share their training experiences and they will learn from each other. The ties established in that way will also strengthen our relations``, said Wayt to Beta at the end of the Serbian MoD delegation visit to Washington D.C. and Ohio.
Recalling the cooperation of SAF and NG Ohio to date, he said that he was ``more than satisfied`` with what had been done, and reminded that they a total of 85 shared activities and programs had been conducted since 2006.
“We are still improving our partnership and learning from each other constantly. That is the most important thing because we are all professional soldiers or airmen. By sharing our experiences, we learn and gain benefit from our cooperation``, said Wayt.
He stressed that this cooperation is a model for all other 62 State Partnerships, which US National Guards have with other countries.
General Wayt added that the partnership with Serbia was a special one, not only because of the established friendship and closeness, but also due to type of activities which SAF and NG Ohio have been carried out together.
Wayt announced that SAF CHOD LtG Miloje Miletiç would visit Ohio in February, while Wayt himself would come to Belgrade in September to attend the promotion ceremony of a new generation of Serbian officers.
Major General Gregory Wayt started his military career in 1975, after finishing Air Defence Military School in Ohio. He was the commander in battery, battalion, regiment, brigade and Joint General Staff. He has been the commander in chief of the NG Ohio since 2004.
NG Ohio has about 16.000 soldiers and officers in land forces, aviation, reserve and coast guard. About 1.200 of them are currently deployed out of borders, mostly in counterterrorism operations. Annually, about 2.000 officers from Ohio land forces and 500 airmen are deployed for those purposes. NG Ohio has lost 11 soldiers and officers so far in battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Besides the State Partnership with Serbia, NG Ohio has established State Partnerships with the Hungarian Armed Forces as well.
