BUDAPEST, Hungary (9-21-15) — Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman made his first official visit to Hungary as Ohio adjutant general since he assumed the post earlier this year.
The visit was part of the State Partnership Program (SPP), which pairs National Guard states with countries throughout the world. The Ohio National Guard partners with the defense forces from both Hungary and Serbia.
“This was a fantastic opportunity to visit our Hungarian partners,” Bartman said. “Over the years, this partnership has cultivated valuable training opportunities for the Hungarian Defence Forces and Ohio National Guard forces, alike.”
During his visit, Bartman conducted meetings with the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, Hungarian Minister of Defence, and Chief of Defence and Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces.
“As always, our experiences during this visit with our state partners were a continuation of our 22-year friendship with the Hungarian Defence Forces,” said Capt. Nathan Smith, director of the Ohio National Guard State Partnership Program. “These engagements support the United States' overall strategic objectives for the European continent.”
Through the SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals by leveraging relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency activities that also include governmental, economic and social aspects of the culture. The SPP consists of 70 unique security partnerships involving more than 76 nations around the world.
“Going forward, the Ohio National Guard and Hungarian Defence Forces will be participating side-by-side in numerous exercises throughout the next year,” Smith said. “While these are not all necessarily SPP events, these engagements are the byproduct of our relationship. In addition to these exercises, we will be involved in national disaster response engagements, engineering and air operations.”
These future exercises will add to the hundreds of joint engagements conducted between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard since they became partners in 1993.
“The Ohio National Guard takes great pride in the relationship with the Hungarian Defence Forces,” Bartman said. “It has truly transformed into a long lasting friendship, a friendship we look forward to continuing well into the future.”
EDITOR’S NOTE:
This is part of a series of features that highlight Ohio’s participation in the National Guard State Partnership Program. |
