The New York Army National Guard will deploy 45 personnel to participate in a two-week Shared Accord exercise with the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in South Africa as part of the State Partnership Program.
Shared Accord is a biannual training event held to enhance operational skills and partnership between the United States and African countries.
The drill, led by US Southern European Task Force – Africa, will include soldiers from the US Army and Army Reserves Army.
This year’s exercise will include field training and medical readiness exercises. Participants will be stationed at dental, health care, and veterinary sites in Empangeni, Mtubatuba, and Richards Bay, uMhlathuze.
“The New York Army National Guard, the Reserves and the US Army are extremely excited to reinvigorate our partnership now that the COVID pandemic has subsided,“ deputy director of Shared Accord New York Army National Guard Col. Christopher Cronin said.
“Even more rewarding is the special opportunity during this iteration of Shared Accord to partner with the SANDF to provide vital health education and treatment,” Cronin added.
The State Partnership Program is a product of the 1991 US European Command decision, which initially focused on the Joint Contact Team Program for Baltic Region forces. The program has 85 partnerships and 92 participating countries today.
The 2022 Shared Accord was supposed to be carried out in 2020 but was canceled due to the pandemic.