[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 19, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                INDIANA'S ROLE IN PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 19, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, last year President Clinton unveiled the 
Partnership for Peace Program [PFP] to build security ties between NATO 
and the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe.
  An integral component of the Partnership for Peace Program is the 
National Guard State Partnership Program. The State Partnership Program 
links selected U.S. National Guard units with the Defense Ministries of 
PFP participating countries in an effort to provide military support to 
civil authorities in response to civil emergencies.
  The National Guard State Partnership Program also serves to cement 
people-to-people relationships between the citizen soldiers of the 
United States and the military establishments of the emerging 
democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. In so doing, the State 
Partnership Program exposes PFP participants to grass roots America. 
This experience further strengthens the cause of democracy building 
among members of the former Warsaw Pact.
  To date, fourteen countries in Central and Eastern Europe have 
entered the National Guard State Partnership Program. One of the most 
successful programs to date is the Indiana-Slovakia State Partnership.
  In this regard, I would like to bring to my colleague's attention 3 
brief documents: a short description of the National Guard State 
Partnership Program; a summary of the Indiana-Slovakia State 
Partnership program; and a list of partnership states.

  Subject: Supporting Emerging Democracies--The Role of the National 
                           Guard and Reserves

       1. As part of the U.S. military outreach to the nations of 
     Central and Eastern Europe, and with Interagency Working 
     Group approval, National Guardsmen, Army Reservists and other 
     Reserve Component personnel are serving throughout the region 
     to advise and assist nations in their transition to citizen-
     based, military organizations. The effort emphasizes the 
     proper role of the military in a democracy, military 
     subordination to civilian control and military support to 
     civil authorities. The U.S. Reserve Components are seen as 
     compelling role models for a capable yet cost-effective 
     military structure.
       2. Through resident Liaison Teams and short-term Traveling 
     Contact Teams, the program provides non-lethal assistance and 
     advice focused on building democratic military institutions 
     with peacetime utility in support of civilian authorities. 
     Training in warfighting skills is specifically prohibited. 
     Assistance in such areas as disaster response, civil 
     emergencies and humanitarian assistance is stressed.
       3. As proven during the Gulf War, ``when you bring the 
     Guard and Reserve, you bring America.'' The Reserve 
     Components consist of more than a million Americans serving 
     in over 4,000 locations across the United States. It is part 
     of the fabric of hometown USA. Involving National Guard and 
     Reserve personnel, their families, communities and civilian 
     institutions in bolstering democratic institutions in 
     emerging democracies is one way of providing quality 
     expertise at a reasonable cost while directly involving the 
     American people in the effort.
       4. Under the ``National Guard State Partnership Program,'' 
     formal ``State Partnerships'' are now being developed between 
     the National Guards of selected States and the Ministries of 
     Defense in many of these nations. The purpose is to encourage 
     long term institutional and people-to-people linkages and to 
     cement sustained relationships that can extend well beyond 
     military matters. Through such innovations, the National 
     Guard in each State, supported by Army Reserve, Air Force 
     Reserve and other U.S. Reserve Component personnel, can be 
     the key link in providing a ``Bridge to America'' to 
     encourage consensus support of this vital national security 
     program. Such activities ``Add Value to America and America's 
     Role in the World'' by providing a role model of a community-
     based national defense force while helping everyday Americans 
     contribute directly to building free and democratic 
     socieities.


                   indiana-slovakia state partnership

       The ``National Guard State Partnership Program'' currently 
     hosts state partnerships with fourteen (14) countries 
     throughout central and eastern Europe. The purpose of these 
     partnerships is to help the militaries of these countries 
     transition to democratic institutions, working under civilian 
     authority. Of these, the Indiana-Slovakia partnership is a 
     rising star. Following the approval for the Interagency 
     Working Group (IWG), and the approval of the U.S. Ambassador, 
     the National Guard of Indiana initiated its first contact 
     with Slovakia. The first event was the arrival of a traveling 
     contact team (TCT) in Bratislava, a group designed to present 
     the ``Partnership Program'' to the Slovak government, 
     formalize the relationship, and initiate this critical step 
     to democracy. As recently as mid-May, an Indiana National 
     Guard Colonel was assigned to lead a Military Liaison Team, a 
     planning cell, working with the Slovak Ministry of Defense, 
     to determine the civil-military needs insuring their 
     transition to a democratic society. The recent developments 
     associated with this particular partnership mark the 
     beginning of what has proven to be a rapidly developing 
     process of cooperation between the state and its partner 
     nations. Developments and events planned for the coming 
     months will involve the civilian and military leaders of 
     Slovakia and build an enduring relationship with grass roots 
     America, the citizens and citizen-soldiers of Indiana.


                           partnership states

       Alabama--Romania.
       Arizona--Kazakhstan.
       California--Ukraine.
       Colorado--Slovenia.
       Illinois--Poland.
       Indiana--Slovakia.
       Maryland--Estonia.
       Michigan--Latvia.
       Ohio--Hungary.
       Pennsylvania--Lithuania.
       South Carolina--Albania.
       Tennessee--Bulgaria.
       Texas--Czech Republic.
       Utah--Belarus.

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