Photo By Staff Sgt. Laura Virtue | U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment,...... read more read more
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SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – A joint team from the Maryland National Guard (MDNG) facilitated a public affairs workshop for Armed Force of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) service members, March 27-31, 2023, at the Army Hall in downtown Sarajevo.
The workshop was conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy Sarajevo’s Office of Defense Cooperation and National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program between Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year.
“The public affairs training this week has proven to be an incredibly valuable experience for our public affairs specialists in both Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said U.S. Army Maj. Erica Mitchell, commander of the 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD), Maryland Army National Guard. “The AFBiH members who attended the training are well-rounded communicators who showed fantastic interest, participation, and potential in improving their skill sets, and the experience helped our team of MDNG public affairs professionals grow as instructors. We are proud to be a part of the 20-year legacy of partnership between our countries.”
The training presented an opportunity to exchange experiences and military public affairs tactics through classroom and hands-on instruction. The training was designed to help familiarize AFBiH with public affairs best practices and improve capabilities for their units and AFBiH as a whole.
“This public affairs exchange promotes military cooperation and afforded opportunity to AFBiH members to build relationships with their public affairs colleagues in the Maryland National Guard,” said AFBiH Capt. Smail Mulić, Media Information Center public affairs officer. “It provided a broad approach and experience to deepening the reach of an effective public affairs program.”
Public affairs subject matter experts from the 29th MPAD and the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, demonstrated various techniques on photo, video, writing, and social media to 15 AFBiH service members who attended the training. The MDNG instructors provided their AFBiH counterparts with nine camera kits from the 29th MPAD to use during the training and mentored the class as they performed each lesson.
AFBiH will use the techniques learned throughout the training to be able to produce communications products to better inform the public about the missions of the AFBiH and partner operations.
“The training helped me a lot because I know how to use my camera in a better way and how to find my own creativity for taking photos and videos — especially in our job, where we need to catch the best moments,” said AFBiH 1st Lt. Tea Papić, an infantry officer who attended the workshop.
The MDNG and AFBiH have held a partnership since 2003 through the SPP. The SPP partners states and countries around the globe together to develop military-to-military and interagency operations through training exercises and bilateral engagements that strengthen partnership and enhance cooperation between both countries. Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina traditionally conduct about 25 events annually.
“The SPP between Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina has provided opportunities and challenges for Soldiers and Airmen that they cannot traditionally experience while serving strictly within their units in the U.S.,” said U.S. Army Maj. Harrison Bittenbender, MDNG SPP director. “For 20 years, the partnership has been a two-way street as the growth and improvements gained from these interactions impact members from both Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina have expanded their relationship beyond traditional SPP exchanges to include combined leadership training opportunities and academic professional development, such as the public affairs workshop. Previous engagements have utilized MDNG subject matter experts for trainings in the areas of medical, cyber, aviation, maintenance and logistics, personnel, intelligence operations and military police. By providing these types of trainings, MDNG and BiH troops are able to exchange their military knowledge and share experiences from diverse backgrounds, allowing for continuous improvement in functional capabilities and further strengthening their bond.
“These engagements provide our members with an opportunity to lead their peers, while also demonstrating comprehension of their military occupation as subject matter experts,” said Bittenbender. “The interactions throughout these opportunities create memories and foster relationships that will stay with them long after they have taken off their uniform for the last time.“
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| Date Taken: | 04.01.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2023 12:58 |
| Story ID: | 441779 |
| Location: | SARAJEVO, BA |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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