National Guard cooperates with Joint Multinational Training Group of US Armed Forces in Ukraine

Recently, representatives of the Joint Multinational Training Group of the US Armed Forces (JMTG-U) and the Group of Doctrine and Education Advisers of the Office of Defense Cooperation of the US Embassy in Ukraine visited the International Interdepartmental Multidisciplinary Training Center of NGU in the village of Staroe, Kyiv region. The Journalist reported with reference to the press center of the NGU.

The National Guard Command was represented by Colonel Volodymyr Hrabchak, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Personal Staff Department, with a group of officers from the NGU Main Directorate.

The visit by the representatives of the United States was carried out in order to get acquainted with the International Center, its capabilities, as well as to discuss possible areas of cooperation between NGU and the training group of the US Armed Forces in Ukraine, the development of collective training of NGU units and the development of the Center’s ability to conduct multinational international exercises.

During the meeting, US colleagues were introduced to the functions and tasks of the National Guard, its role and place in the security and defense sector of the country, and also informed about the state and prospects of the Center’s development and its ability to train units.

“What we saw on the territory of the Center – from the buildings of the Center to the different approaches to the training of the National Guard units – is really amazing. We received very important information about the infrastructure of the Center and its capabilities for organizing and conducting activities for the preparation of units. In my opinion, the National Guard should occupy one of the leading positions in close cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to achieve compatibility with the power structures and departments of the country’s security and defense sector. This Center can and should be the venue for multinational international exercises. In this, our views fully coincide with the aspirations of the command of the National Guard and the Center,” said at the end of the meeting the representative of the Joint Multinational Training Group – Lt. Col. Darren Horton.

According to Colonel Volodymyr Hrabchak, head of the international cooperation department of the NGU, the dialogue with American colleagues was productive and constructive:

“We and our American partners have a common vision to expand the possibilities of involving more units of the security and defense sector of Ukraine in international exercises to work out the issues of interagency cooperation and achieve compatibility with the structures of NATO member countries, which will help build up capabilities for comprehensive counteraction to modern challenges and threats, both during the conduct of hostilities and during the conduct of stabilization actions of a law enforcement nature. The approval of the Center as an additional location for conducting international exercises will diversify the scenario and conditions for their conduct, as well as bring them as close as possible to the real conditions of modern hybrid warfare.”