1 00:00:00,899 --> 00:00:02,955 So the state Partnership program was 2 00:00:02,955 --> 00:00:05,360 developed in 1993 . It was a response 3 00:00:05,369 --> 00:00:08,850 to the Cold War when us sr 4 00:00:08,859 --> 00:00:11,026 fell , they were worried about all the 5 00:00:11,026 --> 00:00:13,479 Baltic States around the US . Sr and 6 00:00:13,489 --> 00:00:15,378 they want to develop some type of 7 00:00:15,378 --> 00:00:18,370 mechanism to keep relations and to also 8 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:20,309 move forward with security cooper 9 00:00:20,319 --> 00:00:22,375 operation , North Dakota . We became 10 00:00:22,375 --> 00:00:24,799 partners with Ghana in 2004 . So this 11 00:00:24,809 --> 00:00:26,976 is our 20th anniversary . We do suffer 12 00:00:26,976 --> 00:00:28,698 from some of the same types of 13 00:00:28,698 --> 00:00:30,476 disasters . There is a historic 14 00:00:30,476 --> 00:00:32,587 flooding that happens in Ghana and we 15 00:00:32,587 --> 00:00:34,930 also have flooding that in the state . 16 00:00:35,069 --> 00:00:37,125 So disaster preparedness is probably 17 00:00:37,125 --> 00:00:39,610 one of our most significant portfolios 18 00:00:39,619 --> 00:00:41,563 that we do manage within the state 19 00:00:41,563 --> 00:00:43,508 Partnership program . We were very 20 00:00:43,508 --> 00:00:45,230 lucky to get Ghana . What this 21 00:00:45,230 --> 00:00:47,509 partnership gives soldiers and airmen 22 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,520 is . It gives them an experience to 23 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:51,687 work with different cultures and using 24 00:00:51,687 --> 00:00:53,853 some of their knowledge they've gained 25 00:00:53,853 --> 00:00:56,076 through the North Dakota National Guard 26 00:00:56,076 --> 00:00:58,076 and share that with our partners in 27 00:00:58,076 --> 00:00:59,964 Ghana . Very smart sergeant major 28 00:00:59,964 --> 00:01:02,131 sergeant major Grinsteiner once said , 29 00:01:02,131 --> 00:01:01,680 teaching is twice learning when you 30 00:01:01,689 --> 00:01:03,745 have to teach something , you really 31 00:01:03,745 --> 00:01:06,078 need to understand what you're teaching . 32 00:01:06,078 --> 00:01:07,689 I'd say some of the greatest 33 00:01:07,689 --> 00:01:09,800 accomplishments we've had with SPP is 34 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:09,330 helping our partners through some 35 00:01:09,339 --> 00:01:11,750 difficult situations . Namely when the 36 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,849 president said we want you to do 37 00:01:13,860 --> 00:01:17,110 earthquake exercise and also work on a 38 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,176 plan that's focused on earthquakes . 39 00:01:19,176 --> 00:01:21,231 The first earthquake exercise we did 40 00:01:21,231 --> 00:01:23,599 was 2018 and in between the 2018 and 41 00:01:23,610 --> 00:01:26,150 the 2022 exercise , the Republic of 42 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,489 Ghana helped build a country specific 43 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:30,611 plan on earthquakes . I would like to 44 00:01:30,611 --> 00:01:32,444 think that through our efforts , 45 00:01:32,444 --> 00:01:34,278 working with ND Mo and our first 46 00:01:34,278 --> 00:01:36,333 responders , we helped contribute to 47 00:01:36,333 --> 00:01:38,500 the building of that document . And in 48 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:40,556 2022 our partners again were able to 49 00:01:40,556 --> 00:01:44,125 demonstrate to their citizens how good 50 00:01:44,136 --> 00:01:46,358 they are at responding to emergencies . 51 00:01:46,358 --> 00:01:48,525 And I think that's what it's all about 52 00:01:48,525 --> 00:01:50,636 working together with our partners to 53 00:01:50,636 --> 00:01:52,692 put them out front and helping along 54 00:01:52,692 --> 00:01:54,803 with some of the processes . A second 55 00:01:54,803 --> 00:01:57,025 accomplishment that we're very proud of 56 00:01:57,025 --> 00:01:58,803 is our non commissioned officer 57 00:01:58,803 --> 00:02:00,692 engagements . We've had very good 58 00:02:00,692 --> 00:02:02,692 success working with their force of 59 00:02:02,692 --> 00:02:04,692 certain majors throughout the years 60 00:02:04,692 --> 00:02:06,765 about empowerment and about sending 61 00:02:06,776 --> 00:02:08,832 over our North Dakota National Guard 62 00:02:08,832 --> 00:02:10,943 NCOS to conduct engagements that it's 63 00:02:10,943 --> 00:02:13,921 on purpose . It's showing how much 64 00:02:14,091 --> 00:02:16,352 responsibility we give to our NCOS and 65 00:02:16,361 --> 00:02:18,528 what we expect of them . And it's very 66 00:02:18,528 --> 00:02:20,639 powerful and it's no pressure . We're 67 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,750 not here to make them into the United 68 00:02:22,750 --> 00:02:24,583 States . We're just showing them 69 00:02:24,583 --> 00:02:26,750 different examples of leadership . And 70 00:02:26,750 --> 00:02:26,552 I think that's very important and all 71 00:02:26,561 --> 00:02:28,617 of our engagements are actually paid 72 00:02:28,617 --> 00:02:30,728 for by the caba and command . This is 73 00:02:30,728 --> 00:02:32,950 just a wonderful opportunity to be able 74 00:02:32,950 --> 00:02:34,950 to use some of our knowledge and to 75 00:02:34,950 --> 00:02:36,728 understand new cultures and new 76 00:02:36,728 --> 00:02:38,839 processes and procedures . I have not 77 00:02:38,839 --> 00:02:40,770 once had a North Dakota National 78 00:02:40,779 --> 00:02:42,612 Guardsmen come back and say that 79 00:02:42,612 --> 00:02:44,723 engagement wasn't worth my time going 80 00:02:44,723 --> 00:02:46,612 over , you know , when we go over 81 00:02:46,612 --> 00:02:48,612 someplace . Uh This means something 82 00:02:48,612 --> 00:02:50,779 when they see this , but also it means 83 00:02:50,779 --> 00:02:52,723 a lot when they see this too , the 84 00:02:52,723 --> 00:02:55,001 North Dakota National Guard Patch , uh , 85 00:02:55,001 --> 00:02:57,279 we've been stopped many times and they , 86 00:02:57,279 --> 00:02:57,210 and they say they see that patch and 87 00:02:57,220 --> 00:02:59,869 they go in North Dakota . So that's one 88 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:00,940 of the things I'm most proud of .