III 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 495 

Honoring the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the State of 

Nebraska and the Czech Republic under the State Partnership Program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 12, 2023 

Mr. RICKETTS (for himself and Mrs. FISCHER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the 30th anniversary of the partnership between 

the State of Nebraska and the Czech Republic under 

the State Partnership Program. 

Whereas Nebraska has the highest percentage of citizens with 

Czech ancestry of any State in the United States; 

Whereas the State Partnership Program was created in 1993 

to link a State’s National Guard with a partner nation’s 

military, security forces, and disaster response organizations in a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship; 

Whereas, in July 1993, the partnership between the State of 

Nebraska and the Czech Republic under the State Partnership Program was established; 

Whereas the State Partnership Program has fostered military-to-military cooperation and enhanced interoperability 


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•SRES 495 IS 

between units of the Nebraska National Guard and the 

Armed Forces of the Czech Republic; 

Whereas that cooperation has included joint training exercises, exchanges of personnel, and sharing of military expertise and practices; 

Whereas, since 1993, the Nebraska National Guard has executed more than 300 engagements with the Armed 

Forces of the Czech Republic and has engaged with more 

than 2,500 members of those forces; 

Whereas the State Partnership Program has been mutually 

beneficial for the Nebraska National Guard and the 

Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, strengthening diplomatic, military, and cultural ties and contributing to regional and international security and cooperation; 

Whereas the State Partnership Program has better prepared 

the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercises, integration in 

NATO air mobility operations, cyber defense, and combined exercises with other State Partnership Program 

partners; 

Whereas the Czech Republic has been a trusted and valuable 

member of the NATO alliance since the Czech Republic 

joined the alliance in 1999; 

Whereas the Czech Republic has contributed to various 

NATO-led missions, including in Afghanistan, where 

11,500 Czech soldiers were deployed and 14 were killed 

in action fighting the Taliban; 

Whereas the Czech Republic has provided significant military 

and humanitarian support to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in response to Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; and 


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•SRES 495 IS 

Whereas the Czech Republic has been recognized with awards 

for joint military operations carried out in cooperation 

with the United States, NATO achievements, and acts of 

heroism and service: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the cooperation and beneficial re3 lationship between the Czech Republic and the State 

4 of Nebraska and the steadfast partnership between 

5 the Czech Republic and the United States over the 

6 past 30 years; 

7 (2) expresses appreciation for the commitment 

8 of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic to the 

9 Nebraska National Guard in advancing peace, sta10 bility, and mutual understanding; 

11 (3) expresses continued support for the State 

12 Partnership Program between the State of Nebraska 

13 and the Czech Republic; 

14 (4) commends the Czech Republic for commit15 ting to meet the NATO target of spending at least 

16 two percent of its Gross Domestic Product on de17 fense in 2024; and 

18 (5) commends the Czech Republic for increas19 ing its cooperation with Taiwan, including collabora20 tion that may enhance Taiwan’s defense posture. 

Æ 


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