FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRESS RELEASE
JACKSON, Miss. – The Adjutant General of Mississippi and the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan celebrated the 10th Anniversary of joining forces in the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program during at a reception at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Washington, DC, December 12, 2022. Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles and other senior leaders from the Mississippi Army and Air National Guard were in attendance to celebrate this achievement.
“We greatly cherish our partnership with Mississippi that for the past years has grown and expanded as never before,” said Vladimir Norov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. “It started with a mutual desire to enhance military to military partnership.”
The NGB State Partnership Program is a Department of Defense security cooperation program that establishes a military relationship between a State’s National Guard and a partner country’s military forces. This program is successful through complementary purposes of promoting mutual understanding, building enduring relationships, interoperability, and maintaining readiness with partner country’s military forces and designated U.S. National Guard forces.
“This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the State Partnership Program between Uzbekistan and Mississippi. In the past 10 years, we have conducted 200 partnership engagements together through key leader meetings, military-to-military exchanges, exercises, celebrations, military ceremonies, and virtual events,” said Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, the adjutant general of Mississippi. “I am grateful for our steadfast partnership with Uzbekistan and the Mississippi National Guard looks forward to continuing our partnership and building relationships for many more decades to come.”
Mississippi and Uzbekistan have celebrated several significant milestones during the partnership. In 2018, Mississippi hosted Senators from Uzbekistan to discuss opportunities with partnerships in trade and industries. In 2019, representatives from Mississippi, including the Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, and the Adjutant General, met with leaders of the Republic of Uzbekistan to discuss further opportunities for partnership in trade, education, and economic development during a trade delegation meeting in Uzbekistan.
In April 2021, Uzbekistan Soldiers participated alongside Mississippi National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group for their first joint airborne operation. Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, Director of the Air National Guard, observed the jump.
The partnership has included various subject matter expert exchanges, key leader engagements, bilateral conferences, as well as multiple partnerships between universities in Mississippi and Uzbekistan. The leaders and troops of Uzbekistan significantly contributed, observed, and participated in joint exercises including Southern Strike, Patriot South, Ardent Sentry, Regional Cooperation exercises, Best Warrior Competitions, disaster response training, and soldier development training.
Ongoing efforts between Mississippi and Uzbekistan bring significant accomplishments and recognition to our state and our partnership country. This year, Gen. Hokanson, celebrated the significant achievements of Uzbekistan and Mississippi during their combined efforts in the State Partnership Program.
“In 2022, the Mississippi National Guard’s State Partnership Program reached new levels of success and recognition by receiving ‘Partnership of the Year First Runner-Up’ by Gen. Daniel Hokanson,” said Lt. Col. Amanda Villeret, director of the Mississippi State Partnership Program. “Mississippi [also] celebrated our 10-year anniversary with Uzbekistan. We look forward to expanding our foreign partners’ participation in Mississippi-hosted exercises in 2023.”
The Mississippi National Guard Soldiers and Airmen continue to serve with honor and integrity in diverse missions throughout our state and nation. We are Always Ready, Always There.
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