Photo By Alexander Rector | German armed forces Capt. Vlad Alexandru Pleian, a communications officer assigned to...... read more read more
New York Air National Guard Airmen from the 174th Attack Wing hosted a foreign military officer for two weeks in Syracuse, NY as part of the Department of Defense’s Military Reserve Exchange Program, June 1-15.
German armed forces Capt. Vlad Alexandru Pleian, a communications officer assigned to the German Military’s Cyber and Information Domain Service, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, participated in the exchange where he was paired with Master Sgt. Ian Montgomery, a flight chief assigned to the 152nd Air Communications Squadron, 152nd Air Operations Group, 174th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard.
The military reserve exchange program, or MREP, is a Department of Defense initiative that pairs reserve component officers and enlisted members with service members from allied nations based on job similarities. During the program, the U.S. servicemember hosts their counterpart for two weeks at their home unit and then serves their 14 days of annual training overseas in their host country with their counterpart.
During the two-week exchange, Pleian met with New York Air National Guard senior leaders, attended a joint air component coordination element course, and learned about the mission and capabilities of the New York Air National Guard.
“It’s been a great honor being here these two weeks,” Pleian said. “They have been the highlight of my career.”
Pleian, who previously visited the United Stated with the German military in 2013, found out about the exchange program during a call with his human resources officer and knew it was an opportunity he wanted to apply for. “There was only a week left to apply, and I went for it,” Pleian said.
This year is the 40th anniversary of Germany’s participation in the program and saw 21 German officers selected for the exchange.
“For me, it’s about making and building these relationships between both entities, the U.S. armed forces and the German armed forces,” Pleian said. “We can both learn from each other, and this is a great way to integrate.”
While hosting Pleian for the two-week exchange, Montgomery also expanded his knowledge of New York Air National Guard operations. “This exchange allowed me to learn way more about the New York Air National Guard than I did before,” Montgomery said. “It really provided a lot of insight for me about the different units here around base and how their missions interact and overlap with the 152nd.”
Montgomery, like Pleian, was unaware of the MREP program but immediately knew he wanted to apply when he discovered it in a base-wide email from wing leadership. “I read the email, and it sounded super exciting, so I filled out the paperwork and signed up,” Montgomery said. “I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.”
Though Pleian’s visit has concluded, the exchange will continue later this year when Montgomery visits Pleian in Germany. “I’m really excited to go to Germany and see what the German military has to offer,” Montgomery said. “I think it will be exciting and rewarding.”
The 174th Attack Wing is headquartered at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, NY, and is one of 5 wings that make up the New York Air National Guard. The wing's primary mission is to operate the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2025 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 543755 |
| Location: | SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 174th Attack Wing Airmen Hosts German Officer During Military Reserve Exchange Program Visit, by Lt. Col. James Hockey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
