NY National Guard Delegation Takes Part in Annual U.S.- South African Defense Meeting

PRETORIA , SOUTH AFRICA

Story by Lt. Col Al Phillips

New York National Guard

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA— American and South African defense officials, including a New York National Guard team headed by New York Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Michel Natali, spent two days exploring joint training and exchange opportunities during the annual Defense Committee Meeting held in Pretoria South Africa.

The New York National Guard has had a training relationship with the South African National Defence Force as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program since 2003.

The annual Defense Committee Meeting, called the DEFCOM for short, is held each year to discuss bilateral security cooperation and relationship goals. It’s also an opportunity for New York National Guard and South African military representatives to discuss potential training and exchange opportunities in the coming year.

The annual meeting rotates between the U.S. and South Africa each year.

The committee includes representatives from the South African military, the South African Embassy to the United States, the U.S. Department of Defense, United States Africa Command, and the U.S. Embassy in South Africa.

The meeting was co-chaired by Michelle Lenihan, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs and Dr. Thobekile Gmede, the chief of defense policy for the South African Defence Ministry.

The delegates are assigned to one of four working groups: Policy and Strategy, Operations, Human Resources, and Acquisition and Technology.

The emphasis during the discussions was on enhancing South Africa’s capability for peace support and humanitarian contingency operations.

“I’m pleased with the current progress between our exchanges this past year and I see great potential within the State Partnership Program for New York to help South African civil authorities and emergency management officials develop their capabilities,” Natali said.

So far the South African National Defence Force and the New York National Guard have held military police, natural disaster and fire fighter exchanges aimed to strengthen partner networks and enhance partner capabilities.

Nineteen firefighters from New York Air National Guard air wings were in Western Cape Province during the defense committee meeting to conduct a bilateral training exercise with South African National Parks firefighting personnel.

The New York National Guard also invited the South African National Defence Force to send military personnel to attend two military schools run by the New York Army National Guard’s 106th Regional Training Institute in the spring of 2020.

The South Africans were invited to send personnel to the Future Leaders Course, which develops junior non-commissioned officers, Natali said.

They were also invited to send trainers to the Tactical Athletes Course, which focuses on helping Soldiers develop their physical fitness.