An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Kentucky celebrates two year state partnership with Djibouti

July 13, 2017 | By stephendmartin
Story by Maj. Stephen Martin, Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs [caption id="attachment_28380" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Adams III and State Command Sgt. Maj. David Munden visit with Col. Mohamed Ali Obsieh, the Director General de l'Academie Militare InterArmees for the Djiboutian Military in support of the State Partnership Program between the Kentucky National Guard and the nation of Djibouti at Arta-Amia, Djibouti June 24, 2017. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Stephen Martin) DJIBOUTI CITY, DJIBOUTI – Kentucky National Guard senior leadership travelled overseas in June to help celebrate Djibouti’s 40th independence day anniversary and to recognize two years of partnership between the organizations. To view all photos from this trip, Please visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/kyngpao/albums OR scroll to the bottom for the links to each engagement. Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Adams III, Kentucky National Guard’s Land Component commander, and State Command Sgt. Major David Munden visited Djibouti June 23-28 to participate in several military to military engagements and help honor the country during the annual independence day parade. “I was honored to join senior leaders from across the world in helping celebrate Djibouti’s independence on this great day,” said Adams. “This celebration is incredibly significant and we’re fortunate to have the opportunity for our military to partner with Djibouti’s government.” The Kentucky National Guard partnered with the Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD) in June of 2015 and the mutually-beneficial relationship has provided opportunities for both nations to share best practices in the areas of counter narcotics operations, border and port security, health, academia, cooperative training and exercises. Adams and Munden met with both Col. Mohamed Ali Obsieh, the Director General de l'Academie Militare InterArmees for the Djiboutian Military and Col. Zakaria of the Gendarmerie Police Force as part of the military engagements between the two forces. In discussing the partnership with Adams, Col. Obsieh remarked, “We do things different, yet together. Our culture, our weather and our people are different, but yet we will move forward together and grow stronger in this partnership.” [caption id="attachment_28382" align="alignleft" width="300"] Brig. Gen. Ben Adams and State Command Sgt. Major Dave Munden visit with Col. Zakaria at the Gendarmerie Training Facility in support of the State Partnership Program between the Kentucky National Guard and the nation of Djibouti June 24, 2017. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the Djiboutian Armed Forces, in charge of public safety, with police duties among the civilian population. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Stephen Martin) Kentucky leadership discussed ways to assist in the development of the Djiboutian training academy as well as ways to partner with the Gendarmerie police force in urban combat environments among other opportunities throughout the country. The Gendarmerie also provided a demonstration of their unique riot capabilities as they closed out the annual observance of Ramadan. The members of the Kentucky delegation then helped break the fast with the leadership of the Gendarmerie. The State partnership program provide opportunities to access a broad range of resources and expertise for both countries participating. It also exposes Kentucky Guardsmen to different skills and mindsets that challenge traditional methods and spur innovation. “This long term relationship is a great opportunity to work together and identify challenges that we both need to find solutions to,” said Adams. “We can share talent and personnel to pass on our knowledge and grow collectively.” Djibouti is a key regional partner with the U.S., and is engaged in humanitarian and counter-terrorism operations throughout East Africa. The FAD has a growing relationship with both the Kentucky Army and Air National Guard as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program. Click HERE to view photos from the Djiboutian Gendarmerie Training Facility visit Click HERE to view photos from the Djiboutian Military Academy visit Click HERE to view photos from the Djiboutian Independence Day Parade Click HERE to read CJTF-HOA's story on the Djiboutian Independence Day Parade

News Search

Narrow Search