Monrovia – A high-ranking United States Army officer, Major General Paul Rogers said the partnership between the Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) is mutually benefiting both armies.
Major General Rogers is the Adjutant General of the Michigan Army and Air National Guard and Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, which includes the Michigan Veteran Agency. He commands and directs more than 150 units that comprise the Michigan National Guard (approximately 10,500 soldiers and Airmen) and oversees the employment of more than 700 State and 300 Federal employees serving throughout Michigan at armories and veterans service facilities.
The Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) partnership was stablished in 2009. The partnership, let by Major General Rogers, improves the AFL’s capabilities by regularly exchanging best practices and providing opportunities to participate in multinational exercise via Michigan National Guard-sponsorship.
The partnership, officials said, is part of the State Partnership Program which builds mutually beneficial relationships between U.S. states’ National Guard and armed forces or equivalent of partner country. The Program is administered by the National Guard, guided by the Department of State’s foreign policy goals, and executed by the state adjutants general in support of combatant commander and U.S. Chief of Mission security cooperation objectives and Department of Defense Policy goals.
Addressing a press roundtable alongside U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy on his first trip to Liberia, General Rogers said every year in August, scores of AFL soldiers travel to Michigan and participate in a large training exercise, bringing their expertise to Michigan and helping the soldiers learn from them. The partnership, he said reached all-time high last year when the AFL soldiers trained with U.S. Special Forces as part of preparation to send them (U.S. Special Forces) to Africa. As the result of the training, he said 43 Liberian soldiers are currently in the U.S undergoing training.
He said: “We also brought the U.S. Army Special Forces. These are the best of the best soldiers in the army. We brought them in because they trained with us in the summer in Michigan, and we brought them together with Liberian officers. And together, they trained over two week’s period.”
Explaining further, he said: “It was such a huge success; such a benefit for the two Special Forces groups from the United States. And the Special Forces asked Liberia to send soldiers to the United States and we have 43 Liberian soldiers right now training in Texas and Arizona. And they are there training to help prepare our Special Forces to come to Africa to be more successful.”
For more the 25 years, it has established partnership with 89 countries around the world. Owing to the partnership, General Rogers revealed that Latvia, another partner country in Europe has expressed willingness to learn from Liberia’s military.
He lauded the Government through the AFL for the construction of the 14 Military Hospital. He said Military personnel from the U.S. have been rendering services at the hospital, and revealed plans are underway for more military officers from the U.S. to come to Liberian and work there.
Meanwhile, as part of his visit, General Rogers is expected to meet with the High Command of the AFL including the Chief of Staff, General Prince C. Johnson III. His visit comes as Liberia launched a nationwide recruitment exercise to increase the strength of the military. General Rogers welcome the move and said the Michigan National Guard and the U.S. will work with the military to promote trust, transparency and women’s inclusion in the Liberian Army.