President Milanović: Cooperation between the Minnesota National Guard and the Croatian Army has become especially important following our acquisition of Bradleys and Black Hawks
“The military cooperation between the Minnesota National Guard and the Croatian Army is very important. It was important 29 years ago, it was important 12 years ago when I first considered the possibility of coming here as Prime Minister, and it remains important today because of the connection, camaraderie, and shared spirit of effort and purpose. We have recently acquired equipment that we did not previously have, such as Bradley vehicles and Black Hawk helicopters. Their maintenance and supply chains are crucial for us. This visit to the military base and the demonstration of the Minnesota National Guard’s capabilities serves precisely that purpose,” said the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović during a tour of Minnesota National Guard units at Camp Ripley, the largest military camp in Minnesota.
Reflecting on the experience of cooperation between the Minnesota National Guard and the Croatian Army, President Milanović said: “What I know as Commander in Chief is that our people are proud of this cooperation. Here, they gain knowledge, organization, and experience, especially younger soldiers. The older generation of Croatian soldiers are the only soldiers in Europe with real combat experience from 30 years ago. Our Chief of the General Staff and his senior associates are all people with dangerous and demanding war experience.”
Accompanied by the Commander of the Minnesota National Guard, Major General Shawn P. Manke, President Milanović toured Camp Ripley, where he was introduced to weapons systems, simulators, and maintenance facilities for Black Hawk helicopters as well as Bradley and Abrams armoured vehicles.
The Minnesota National Guard is part of the reserve forces of the US National Guard in Minnesota and consists of 13,000 personnel from the US Army and Air Force. The Republic of Croatia has actively cooperated with the Minnesota National Guard for 29 years through the State Partnership Program, which has significantly contributed to the development and modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces.
The procurement of the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the modernization of the Croatian Armed Forces through the acquisition of Black Hawk multi-purpose helicopters create opportunities for further development of long-term, close cooperation between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Minnesota National Guard, as the US side operates all of these combat systems.
The Camp Ripley Regional Training Center is located near Little Falls, Minnesota, on an area of 53,000 acres. Ripley serves as the primary training center for Minnesota National Guard units and, with numerous ranges and state-of-the-art facilities, provides the resources, services, and facilities necessary for essential military training. President Milanović concluded his working visit to the United States with a tour of Minnesota National Guard units and Camp Ripley.
President Milanović was accompanied by Orsat Miljenić, Head of the Office of the President; Pjer Šimunović, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the United States; Bartol Šimunić, Head of the Cabinet of the President; Neven Pelicarić, Adviser to the President for Foreign and European Policy; Ivica Olujić, Adviser to the President for Defense; and Lieutenant Commander Ivan Rivarolli, Assistant Defense Attaché to the United States.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan