ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD, MAJOR GENERAL TOD M.
BUNTING, VISITS ARMENIA TO DISCUSS BEGINNING OF STATE PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
ArmenPress
May 25 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 25, ARMENPRESS: Major General Tod M. Bunting, Adjutant
General of the Kansas National Guard, is visiting Armenia from
the 25th to the 29th of May, 2004, to discuss the beginning of
the State Partnership Program (SPP) between Kansas and Armenia,
reported the US Embassy public affairs office. This is Major General
Bunting’s first visit to Armenia. He and his delegation will meet
with Armenian government officials from the ministry of defense,
emergency management administration and the ministry of health to
discuss areas of cooperation, including peacekeeping operations,
health/medical activities, and disaster preparedness and emergency
management as well. The State Partnership Program is initiated with
the National Guard of a given state, with coordination provided by
the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy, and may include
military-to-military, military-to-civilian, and civilian-to-civilian
programs of cooperation.
The National Guard consists of men and women who, though working at
regular civilian jobs in their home state, dedicate a part of their
time to military service. Every state and territory has its own Guard
as provided by the Constitution of the United States. The Guard in
each state is made up of Army National Guard and Air National Guard
units. Guard units may serve to combat natural disasters, to support
regular Army or Air Force units, and, when called upon, to bear arms
against their nation’s enemies. The Guard of a given state is under
the control of the governor during peacetime, yet is available to
the President during national emergencies.
The State Partnership Program links National Guard states and
territories with partner countries for the purpose of fostering
mutual interests and establishing long-term relationships across
all levels of society. The SPP between Kansas and Armenia began
with initial discussions in March 2003. The Kansas-Armenia SPP
was officially inaugurated during the fall of 2003. The Armenian
military has asked Kansas for assistance in the two major areas of
Peacekeeping Operations and Health/Medical. Other areas of concern
and possible cooperation are Emergency Management and Planning, and
Disaster Response. Further programs in different areas are expected
to follow in time as the relationship develops and widens.