Maine’s Developing State Partnership Program
Story and Photos by Sgt. Angela Parady
The United States Army
National Guard history can
be traced to Dec. 13 1636
when the Massachusetts
General Court declared
that all able-bodied men
between the ages of 16 and
60 were required to join
the militia. Thousands of
miles and centuries later on
June 3 2006 Montenegro
declared independence
from Serbia, making it the
world’s youngest country at
the time.
Six months later, on Dec.
7, the oldest military
institution in America, the
National Guard, became
formally associated with the
youngest country. Military
leadership from Maine and
Montenegro met on Dec.
10 to review their progress
over the last six years and
discuss the future of their
partnership.
Since 2006, Montenegro
has made significant
improvements to
their overall military
doctrine, officer and non
commissioned officer
development programs,
training plans and
equipment. They have
improved their emergency
management programs,
and bettered their posture
towards becoming a NATO
member, and gaining entry
to the European Union.
capabilities and significantly
improvethe overall
preparedness of the state
to respond in natural
emergencies.
which resembles Maine in
landscape, in December
2012.
Campbell said it is
continue to develop their
relationship. Together they
review training and how
they are improving the
Montenegrins posture for
membership, Campbell has
some additional objectives
he is planning to meet in
the next year to provide
invaluable training to Maine
Guardsmen and Airmen.
In order to establish
partnerships with both
the United States and the
European Union, one of the
first steps the government
of Montenegro took after
gaining independence
was to take part in the
National Guard State
Partnership Program. The
program aligns states with
nations around the world
to assist those nations in
both civilian and military
matters. Maine submitted
their application and paired
with Montenegro in 2006
to help advise the newly
formed country as it began
to develop its institutions.
“The great thing about this
program is it is a two-way
street,” he said. “They train
in Maine, and we can train
here. One of my goals is
to be able to have soldiers
and airmen from Maine
National Guard work with
foreign military, in an area
that is outside the norm.
Have them doing things like
working with interpreters,
with a military that has
different traditions than
ours, because in my eyes,
that is the new normal. We
no longer fight wars as a
single, separate country,
and I don’t see that
changing.”
During the last six years,
the state partners have
accomplished a great
deal. Montenegrin Army
Lt. Col. Ilija Dakovic said
that through different
joint activities, the State
Partnership Program
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