Colorado, Jordan lead the way as Guard builds worldwide partners

  • Published
  • By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
  • National Guard Bureau
AMAN, Jordan (AFNS) --  The roar of jets and flash of live fire in the desert east of this thriving capital city are the loudest and brightest signs of a flourishing National Guard State Partnership Program.

"I have been very favorably impressed with how the military-to-military relationships between Colorado and Jordan have evolved over the years," said Gen. Craig McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau. "It's a very mature relationship. It's a very strong relationship built on trust and mutual interests, and I can't thank the Jordanian armed forces enough for their hospitality, courtesies and willingness to share their ideas on the security issues facing this region."

Accompanied by the adjutants general of Colorado and South Carolina and other National Guard leaders, General McKinley is conducting a multi-day visit to this country of six million at the heart of the Middle East, bordered by Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the West Bank.

"Jordan (leaders) play a pivotal role as peacemakers, as a stable influence, as honest brokers, who are friends of the United States of America ... and who understand this region as well as anybody," General McKinley said. "If we're ever going to have a peaceful Central Command region, Jordan will be the lynchpin in bringing the parties together to resolve their differences."

A command pilot whose more than 4,000 flight hours include time at the controls of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, General McKinley derived personal as well as professional pleasure from attending the Falcon Air Meet at Mwaffaq Salti Air Base, near the small town of Azraq, about 62 miles east of Amman.

The 17-day Falcon Air Meet is an annual exercise between the United States, Belgium, the Royal Jordanian Air Force and other regional countries whose air forces fly the F-16.  The South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing represented the United States in the event, while the Colorado Air National Guard's 140th Wing provided judges.

Sitting with His Royal Highness Prince Feisal Ibn Al-Hussein, with whom he has held several meetings during his visit, General McKinley watched live bombing, close-air-support with special forces troops and formation flying.

"As an Airman watching (fighter pilots from) three separate countries deliver munitions on a time-critical target and be graded on their ability to drop iron -- not precision iron, by the way, these were manually guided munitions -- that brought back a lot of great memories, and it proves that at each generation we achieve a higher degree of proficiency and professionalism," General McKinley said. 

The general was stuck by the abilities, conduct and professionalism of the pilots. 

"It thrills me to see these types of events," he said. "I don't think any Soldier or Airman could ever witness a friendly competition and not enjoy seeing the caliber of the performance by (aircrews from) all the countries that participate."

General McKinley has met with National Guard troops serving overseas during this trip. 

"Every time I see our Soldiers and Airmen in the field, supporting either overseas contingency operations or an event like the Falcon Air Meet ... I continue to be exceptionally pleased with what they bring to the table," he said. "How proud I am to see them interact with our allies, our coalition partners. How thoroughly well-trained and led they are by their adjutants general and commanders in their states."

The State Partnership Program started in 1993, following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. State partnerships foster military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian cooperation. There are currently 62 SPP partners.

General McKinley's visit is in part a learning mission to determine how the National Guard Bureau can help the nation's 54 adjutants general make the SPP even better, he said.

"They are a marvelous tool for building partnership capacity," General McKinley said. "We live in a very multi-polar world in which all countries' values, feelings and cultures should be understood, and it is probably the best program ... for the money in helping the foreign nations who participate ... to gain an understanding of how our military works, the fundamentals of our leadership and our noncommissioned officer corps, which is vital. It builds on our State Department and Department of Defense guidelines for theater-security cooperation through the combatant commanders."

General McKinley said the SPP is a two-way street that provides opportunities for Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen and strengthens the National Guard.

Among potential areas for growth in Jordan's SPP with Colorado is a Jordanian proposal for an exchange involving chaplains and imams, to improve mutual understanding of religious diversity.

"That was a very intriguing proposal," General McKinley said, adding that he plans to discuss it with National Guard chaplains when he returns to the United States.