Photo By Master Sgt. Megan Floyd | U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Corley, an electronics mechanic, demonstrates equipment...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Republic of Colombia's War College recently visited Columbia, South Carolina, as part of the South Carolina National Guard’s State Partnership Program, Sept. 6-11, 2015.
The 24 students, all majors in the Colombian Army, Navy and Air Force, were among the first to be sent to the U.S. from the college in connection with the SPP, which has been successfully building relationships with partner nation forces since 1993. South Carolina's partnership with Colombia began in 2012.
“We constantly engage to make sure that we see what they [Colombian military] do better so that we can learn from them and vice-versa,” said U.S. Army Capt. Jose Ruiz, liaison officer for the S.C. Army National Guard.
During the first day of the visit, the students received disaster relief information and command and control briefings at the S.C. National Guard Joint Operations Center (JOC), which acts as the central nervous system for response coordination with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.
Later, they learned about field vehicle maintenance from the Field Maintenance Shop 12 (FMS 12) located in Darlington. The students were also introduced to heavy and track vehicle maintenance at the Unit Training and Equipment Site (UTES) at the McCrady Training Center. Strict accountability and maintenance procedures on vehicles and small weapons were emphasized at the Combined Support and Maintenance Shop (CSMS) at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover.
“In this visit, we had the chance to get to know the National Guard, but also to immerse in the culture and interact with the military people here,” said Colombian Air Force Maj. Gen. Ramses Reuda, the Chief of Education for the Colombian Air Force. “This allows us to open more doors and to expand the range of the partnership program.”
Other highlights for the students included the S.C. State Museum, the State House, and touring the University of South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the Gamecocks' football program.
“The fact that the Colombian War College students chose South Carolina as part of their international tour, demonstrates the commitment of the Colombians to our state partnership program,” said Lt. Col. Dave King, State Partnership Program Director, South Carolina National Guard. “Our Soldiers and Airmen enjoyed showcasing to the students not only the role of the National Guard, but also how we are proud to call South Carolina ‘home' and welcome them here.”
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2015 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 176080 |
| Location: | COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, S.C. National Guard welcomes Colombian War College students, by MSgt Megan Floyd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
