Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Liberian general visits Michigan under State Partnership Program By Senior Airman Ryan Zeski
                Michigan National Guard
 CAMP GRAYLING JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Mich. - A visit to Northern Michigan by Brig. Gen. Daniel D. Ziankhan, Jr., the senior military officer of the African nation of Liberia, has helped to strengthen and deepen the ongoing partnership between the Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia. Ziankahn spent three days in Michigan in early August, touring the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center with Michigan’s top general, Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais, and other senior leaders of the Michigan National Guard. Since 2009, Michigan and Liberia have been partners under the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The August visit to Camp Grayling by Ziankahn was the first time a chief of staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia has been to Michigan. “Partnerships and relationships grow over time,” said Vadnais, the adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Brig. Gen. Ziankahn’s visit to Camp Grayling represents the partnership between Michigan and Liberia moving to a new level.” Ziankahn was joined on the trip to Michigan by the ALF’s command sergeant major, Cooper Manqueh, and an aide. Traveling with Vadnais, the Liberian contingent toured a number of the training ranges at CGMJT, the largest National Guard training facility in the nation. Of particular interest on the visit was a counter-improvised explosive device training facility that exists at Camp Grayling. As the two generals toured the facility, they discussed ideas and plans for building a similar facility in Liberia to allow for the training of Liberian soldiers. “The partnership is beneficial to us in many ways,” Ziankahn said, standing in a mock village at Camp Grayling where American soldiers learn how to deal with IED threats. “For several years, we have had mentor relationships. As an example, I had a mentor as a partner when I was a brigade commander and was able to talk about ideas and challenges with him.” “Now, we are looking at ways to expand and grow our partnership by working together in other ways, such as sharing ideas about a training center,” Ziankahn said. Another major stop during the Camp Grayling visit was a trip to the Post Exchange, the small convenience store on the camp which is operated by the Army-Air Force Exchange Service. Manqueh, the ALF command sergeant major, said Liberian leaders are exploring developing a similar concept of an organized market on the Edward Binyah Kesselly Barracks camp in Liberia, popularly known as EBK, which serves as the primary military training center in the country. Participating in the visit to Camp Grayling were the current and next commanders of Operation Onward Liberty, Col. Steve Potter and Col. Shawn Harris, both officers in the Michigan Army National Guard. OOL is a combined initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Defense designed to bolster relations between the U.S. and Liberia. As part of OOL, more than a dozen Michigan National Guard Soldiers spend about a year deployed to Liberia where they are assigned to work directly with Liberian soldiers in their same career fields: medics with medics, military police with military police, etc. Following the visit, Potter and Harris discussed the possibility of Michigan Army National Guard engineers working with ALF engineers to build the training center. “To have this level of advance coordination with the existing commander and the 2016 commander of OOL is unprecedented,” said Potter. “For Brig. Gen. Ziankahn to get eyes on the facilities here moves the planning process ahead significantly.” Liberia is one of two nations that Michigan is aligned with under the National Guard State Partnership Program. The partnership with Liberia began in 2009. Michigan is also joined with the Baltic nation of Latvia under the SPP. In fact, the state recently marked its 21st year of partnership with Latvia. Exchanges between the state and Latvian military personnel often take place – in both directions. Latvian soldiers served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and frequently train alongside Michigan military personnel at both Camp Grayling and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. Latvia also serves as the host of an annual exercise in which Michigan Guard personnel participate. Ziankahn’s visit to Camp Grayling fell in between two of the largest training exercises of year held at the sprawling military complex. Northern Strike 15, which ran July 13 – Aug. 1, is the camp’s largest combined live-fire exercise, featuring Michigan National Guard troops joined by other states’ National Guard units, an active Army unit, and military members from coalition countries, Latvia, Poland, Australia and Canada. The second-largest exercise, which kicked off the day after Ziankahn left, is the eXportable Combat Training Capability (XCTC) exercise, which includes active duty and National Guard Soldiers from around the country. In all, some 24,000 military personnel will have participated in training at CGJMTC during the summer months of 2015.
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Join Multinational Exercise
 By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas,
  National Guard Expands Pilot Child Care Program
 By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely,
  California Air Guard Rescues Man at Sea on Cruise Ship
 By Senior Airman Serena Smith,
  More
 National Guard Expands Pilot Child Care Program5/14/2024California Air Guard Rescues Man at Sea on Cruise Ship5/13/2024Oklahoma National Guard Helps with Sulphur Tornado Relief5/13/2024 View more Guard News »
 Georgia Army Guard Joins DEFENDER 24 Exercise in Sweden5/8/2024
Exercise Gobi Wolf 2024 Begins in Heart of Mongolian Steppe5/8/2024
Vermont Army Guard Soldiers Attend Brazilian Mountain School5/3/2024 View more Overseas Operations News »
 Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Join Multinational Exercise5/14/2024

Guard Bureau Chief Promotes Partnerships at Defense Services Asia Exhibition5/12/2024

Kentucky National Guard Partner Ecuador Receives C-130H5/6/2024 View more State Partnership Program News »
 Back-to-school tools for military families8/11/2015DoD sends blended military retirement proposal to Congress6/16/2015First employment symposium held for National Guard spouses5/11/2015 View more Family Programs News »
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil