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By Staff Sgt. Katrina Timmons
Alabama National Guard
MONTGOMERY, Ala - For 13 years the Alabama National Guard has participated in the State Partnership Program with the Romanian Armed Forces. The program was formed in an effort to partner State National Guards from the U.S. with developing countries across the world.
Participating states and their international partners participate in a broad range of strategic security cooperation activities which include military transformation and homeland defense, security, disaster response, crisis management, medical, and interagency cooperation.
The Alabama National Guard recently visited Romania. The delegation from Alabama included Ala. State Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Abner C. Blalock, subject matter experts from various organizations such as the Department of Public Health, Tourism, Civilian and Military Doctors, Dentists, and Ophthalmologists who worked with their Romanian counterparts.
Military doctors participated in a humanitarian assistance event in which they completed over 500 immunizations, 250 dental screenings, and 385 eye screenings. They also gave away 2,000 toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, and 2,000 bars of antibacterial soap.
Six members of the Alabama National Guard delegation conducted social services discussions with county council representatives about orphanages, foster care programs, assisted living for elderly, and teaching skills to mentally and physically disabled adults.
The group also visited the Cristian Orphanage (a newly adopted orphanage by the Alabama National Guard) and delivered donated items. MG Blalock and several ALNG staff officers also met with the Romanian Inspectorate of Emergency Situations to discuss incident response and recovery operations and procedures.
Members of the delegation met with the General Schools Inspector in Tulcea where they discussed developing curriculum, training teachers and classroom administrators. They also identified methods whereby a distance learning program could be instituted to assist in the educational development of elementary school aged children (1st – 8th grade) throughout the villages in the Delta.
According to Cpt. Robert J. Griggs, the bilateral affairs officer at the United States embassy in Bucharest, both the local and national media have reported nothing but positive comments about the Alabama delegation's visit. One newspaper article was titled "The Americans Have Arrived." This is in reference to the end of World War II and Romania's belief that American troops were taking control of Romania. Instead, Romania fell behind Russia's "Iron Curtain."
"During the past thirteen months, I can't tell you how many times someone has approached me to say, "We are so happy to see you. We've been waiting on you for fifty years," explained Griggs.
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2008 11:59 |
| Story ID: | 21812 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 276 |
| Downloads: | 226 |
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