Serbia, Ohio National Guard mark years of partnership

Serbia, Ohio National Guard mark years of partnership

Military-to-military co-operation is the most developed segment of the partnership between the Serbian Army and the Ohio National Guard.

A member of the Ohio National Guard stands between Serbian Army soldiers during a joint drill near the Serbian town of Nis. [AFP]

As part of the US State Partnership Programme, the Serbian Defence Ministry has been working with the Ohio National Guard to improve co-operation in various fields -- from military training, education and projects, to joint efforts in assisting Serbia civilians.

"Military-to-military co-operation has been developing constantly over the years. The programme with Serbia is one of the most successful in the more than 60 partnerships established around the globe," Major Jovan Krivokapic, a spokesman at the Serbian Ministry of Defence, told SETimes.

"The co-operation has been significantly intensified through the joint project to develop the South Base centre for training for multinational operations. Co-operation has also been boosted through joint training and exercises, sharing experiences in creating non-commissioned officer corps, military help to civilians in natural disasters and other emergencies and the development of capacities for participation in multinational operations," Krivokapic said.

Also among the co-operation efforts are military-civilian projects. Through a joint humanitarian assistance project, members of the Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Army renovate facilities of social significance, including schools, under the patronage of US European Command. Several schools and kindergartens have been renovated in central Serbia, and others in the municipality of Bujanovac, in south...