Senior defense officials visit Missouri Guard’s State Partnership Program

Brig. Gen. Stephen Cotter, assistant adjutant general, and Capt. Jacqueline Finch, Commander for the Office of Defense Cooperation-Panama, look at a caltrop during a non-lethal weapons briefing. The caltrop can be placed on a roadway to destroy tires and track and incapacitate vehicles. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Sarah E. Lupescu, Missouri National Guard Public Affairs Office).

By Sgt. Sarah E. Lupescu
ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Two senior defense officials from the U.S. Embassy in Panama visited the Missouri National Guard's State Partnership Program recently.

Col. Greg Barrack, the U.S. senior defense official to the Republic of Panama and Navy Capt. Jacqueline Finch, Commander for the Office of Defense Cooperation-Panama, spent two days in Missouri.

"The purpose of the visit was to provide these two key individuals with an overview of the capabilities and assets that the Missouri National Guard can bring to the State Partnership Program and to the Republic of Panama," said Lt. Col. Rebecca Segovia, the Missouri State Partnership director.

"The focus of this trip was on aviation capabilities, due to the rough terrain and many remote locations in Panama that require helicopter assets to conduct counterdrug operations, search and rescue, and aid for disaster relief efforts," added Segovia.

The visit kicked off with a meeting with Missouri National Guard leadership with an overview of the Guard's capabilities from Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard. Barrack and Finch also received presentations on Missouri's non-lethal weapons school and counterdrug program.

Master Sgt. James Brown, the chief instructor for the 140th Regiment Regional Training Institute at Fort Leonard Wood, discussed Guard's the non-lethal weapons course. The course trains Soldiers in tasks necessary to instruct the tactical employment of non-lethal weapons and capabilities.

Following Brown's brief, Lt. Col. Brian Tully and Capt. Benjamin Bruening gave a presentation on the state's counterdrug program. The counterdrug team's mission is to assist local agencies with drug interdiction and demand reduction missions.

"We currently support 13 law enforcement agencies and 30 community based organizations throughout the state," said Bruening.

During the visit, Barrack and Finch also received tours of the 139th Airlift Wing facility in St. Joseph, the 1107th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group facility in Springfield, and the 7th Civil Support Team facility in Jefferson City.

In Springfield, Col. William Thomas, commander of the 1107th Aviation Group, showed Finch and Barrack the capabilities of the aircraft maintenance facility, including complete re-wires, blade refurbishment, and detailed work on communications equipment on UH-60 Black Hawks, among other aircraft.

Rewiring of Black Hawks, in particular, was initially learned through work on AH-1 Cobra and UH-1 Iroquois or Huey helicopters, then "graduate-level" mechanics at the TASMG took that knowledge a step further and modified it for use on UH-60s.

"It's groundbreaking, as that task didn't exist in the Army before the early '90s," said Thomas. "It's a very difficult job."

The work on rotary-wing blades is a cost saver as well, said Thomas, as new blades go for nearly $200,000 while the Missouri Guard facility averages a cost of $2,000 for blade repair.

"The capability the Missouri Guard has is really huge, it covers a wide spectrum," said Barrack. "What a high quality, high output organization you represent."

The State Partnership Program is a tenant of Department of Defense security cooperation and links National Guard states and territories with partner countries for the purpose of fostering mutual interests, establishing habitual long-term relationships and providing international security and stability. Currently there are 63 countries partnered with National Guard states.

"Missouri has been partnered with the Republic of Panama since 1996," Segovia said. "Exchanges between Missouri and Panama are diverse and range from emergency preparedness and disaster response to medical hazardous material, leadership, systems development, and counterdrug themes."

Members of the Missouri National Guard and Missouri's State Partnership Program met with Col. Gregory Barrack and Navy Capt. Jacqueline Finch from the U.S. Embassy in Panama. The visit was to provide them with an overview of the capabilities and assets that the Missouri National Guard can bring to the State Partnership Program and to the Republic of Panama. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Sarah E. Lupescu, Missouri National Guard Public Affairs Office).

Lt. Col. Raymond White, the 7th Civil Support Team commander, briefs Col. Gregory Barrack and Navy Capt. Jacqueline Finch from the U.S. Embassy in Panama about the mission and capabilities of his unit. The visit was to provide them with an overview of the capabilities and assets that the Missouri National Guard can bring to the State Partnership Program and to the Republic of Panama. (Submitted photo).