The Chief of Staff of the ARM, Lieutenant General Metodija Velichkovski, within the official visit of the US Armed Forces, yesterday (30 September) at the Pentagon in Washington, met with the head of the US National Guard Bureau, General Frank Grass.
At the meeting, General Velichkovski assessed the partnership program, implemented by the ARM together with the National Guard of Vermont for 20 years taking place in other areas of the country, as an exceptionally successful for the ARM. Expressing gratitude for the support, the Chief of General Staff reminded that this all-inclusive and dynamic program for the past 20 years covered more than 6 thousand ARM members, who have participated in over eight hundred different activities, seminars, exercises and other forms of training. On this occasion, General Velichkovski reiterated the commitment to the further strengthening of the cooperation of the ARM with the Vermont National Guard, by organizing training and exercise activities, as well as involvement in the trilateral partnership with Senegal. He once again emphasized the joint deployment of the ARM and the Vermont National Guard members in the “Phoenix” task forces in ISAF in 2010, as a result of the excellent collaboration and the high trust acquired between the two armies.
General Grass expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the Vermont National Guard and the ARM, which for the past two decades has given high results and which especially helped the ARM to achieve the NATO standards. He emphasized the commitment to further strengthening of the cooperation program and finding new forms for its development.
The meeting in Pentagon was also attended by the commander of the Vermont National Guard, Major General Steven Cray.
