Photo By Airman 1st Class Sarah Hoover | Airmen and Soldiers of the Maryland National Guard and members of the Armed Forces of...... read more read more
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – The Maryland National Guard and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) conducted a joint logistics exchange as part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, April 1–8, 2025.
More than 40 Maryland Airmen and Soldiers shared best practices with AFBiH soldiers related to vehicle maintenance, convoy operations, traffic management and sustainable logistics during the military-to-military exchange, which directly supports preparations for AFBiH’s participation in Immediate Response–DEFENDER 25.
During the upcoming international exercise starting at the end of May, approximately 400 members of the AFBiH Light Infantry Battlegroup will conduct a 400-kilometer convoy into Croatia with military vehicles and equipment before training for two weeks with Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers from the 115th Military Police Battalion.
"I could not be more excited to be over here with our team supporting this State Partnership Program event with Bosnia and Herzegovina – a partnership we've had for more than 20 years,” said Maryland Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Drew Dougherty, assistant adjutant general – Air. “It has been a great opportunity for our group of Airmen and Soldiers to participate in this mutually beneficial exchange, one that will help set up AFBiH for success during their upcoming U.S. European Command exercise with us next month."
Classroom and hands-on knowledge sharing included procurement, transport, distribution, and the maintenance of military assets. The joint team, which is the largest SPP event ever conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also discussed Joint Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (JRSOI), documentation procedures, cargo preparation, and pallet building with their logistics counterparts.
“We’ve been in contact with our AFBiH partners for about two years now," said Maryland Air National Guard Master Sgt. Ricky Tague, the material management superintendent for the 175th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "We're here to help them prepare for Immediate Response 25 and ensure cargo is properly identified and loaded for convoy operations."
The event was a key milestone in demonstrating the logistical readiness of the AFBiH.
“Their maintainers know their vehicles inside and out. I was impressed by how well they understood the systems and could explain their processes,” said Maryland Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Michael Dietrich, a platoon sergeant with the 1729th Support Maintenance Company and Field Maintenance Shop supervisor. “I’m here to observe and assist—whether it’s troubleshooting transmission issues or streamlining a maintenance process, I work alongside them to find solutions.”
The vehicle maintenance team, composed of Airmen and Soldiers who visited four different locations, assessed AFBiH humvees for convoy operations and shared information from their experiences.
“Working with members of the Air Guard has been absolutely fantastic,” said Maryland Army National Guard Capt. Anton Schultz, commander for H Company, 128th Brigade Support Battalion. “The Airmen that have been on my team helping us with the vehicles have been awesome. They jump right in, they give us a great hand, and they're very knowledgeable.”
Maryland National Guard members split into three teams and traveled to different locations across the country each day to meet their counterparts. The teams conducted operations at AFBiH locations in Livno, Doboj, Dubrave, Banja Luka, Zenica, Butila, Rajlovac, and Visoko.
“I focused on showing them safe and efficient ways to pack and load equipment—everything from pallet building to forklift handling,” said Maryland Air National Guard Staff Sgt. DaVaughn Brown, a warehouse customer service representative with the 175th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “It’s about making sure everyone moves as one team. They catch on quickly, they’re motivated to learn, and they execute well.”
A Distinguished Visitors Day was held at the AFBiH’s 1st Infantry Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade barracks in Zenica. The event showcased joint logistics operations and training activities between AFBiH personnel and Maryland National Guard Soldiers and Airmen.
Brig. Gen. Dougherty led the Maryland delegation, joined by Maryland Army National Guard Col. Louis Waters, deputy chief of staff for logistics (G-4); Col. Paul Mercier, Maryland Air National Guard chief of staff; and Command Chief Master Sgt. Shane Price, the Maryland Air National Guard’s state command chief.
“All the coordination to pull off an event like this shows the dedication not only to unit readiness but to helping develop the readiness of our partners,” said Price. “Really, it is a testament to their desire to see the success of the State Partnership Program within their career fields.”
Senior leaders from AFBiH including Brig. Gen. Fahir Žilić, commander of the 5th Brigade, Col. Boris Perišić, chief of the Logistics Directorate, and Maj. Samir Husanović, commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion, 5th Brigade, also observed the demonstration featuring AFBiH soldiers from the 7th Muslim Brigade.
“Alongside members of the Maryland National Guard, we are conducting joint training in the domain of tactics, techniques, and procedures for preventive and corrective maintenance of multi-purpose high-mobility tactical vehicles under our responsibility and convoy operations,” said AFBiH 1st Lt. Mirza Kovač, assigned to the officer training detachment of the 1st Infantry Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade. “The primary objective of this activity is to enhance the operational readiness of our vehicles and increase interoperability with our partner country and military.”
In parallel with the logistics training, four Maryland National Guard public affairs specialists also conducted media relations and crisis communication exchanges with members of the AFBiH Media Information Center to enhance capabilities, particularly in high-pressure situations like large-scale exercises and real-world events.
The AFBiH Media Information Center continues its cooperation with Maryland, which launched in 2019 during the Silver Arrow exercise in Tuzla. Since then, Department of Defense subject matter experts in public affairs have supported efforts to grow the AFBiH’s media and communications infrastructure through regular engagements.
“I have been coming here to work with the AFBiH since 2015, and I am so impressed with the professionalism of the Media Information Center team and their products,” said Maryland Air National Guard Maj. Benjamin Hughes, Maryland National Guard State Public Affairs Officer. “They quickly produce high-quality photos, videos, and press releases, which is essential as they will directly cover the AFBiH’s first multinational military exercise outside of their country.”
Timely and accurate public information by the Media Information Center is crucial for maintaining stability and regional security, according to Hughes. It reinforces international confidence in the AFBiH’s evolving capabilities through transparency.
The partnership engagement concluded with a convoy operation, during which the AFBiH and Maryland National Guard members practiced multi-vehicle operations from Zenica to Visoko with maintenance injects including engine repairs and changing a tire on the side of the road.
“I'm extremely proud of our 22-year partnership,” said Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Eric Barton, a bilateral affairs officer with the Office of Defense Cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We've had hundreds of events and exchanges but this event is by far the largest that we've undertaken. This has really shown the capabilities of our partners and the Maryland National Guard supporting our initiative to strengthen ties and partnership in the region.”
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2025 04:42 |
| Story ID: | 494790 |
| Location: | SARAJEVO, BA |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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