PRESS PRESS
June 7, 2007

Adazi, Latvia. -- Twenty-two soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard are in Latvia to participate in Operation Summer Shield IV. The training exercise runs from June 4 - 14 in Adazi, about 30 kilometers from the capital city of Riga.

As part of the State Partnership Program, members of the Michigan National Guard and the Latvian National Defense Force have trained together in Latvia, Europe, and the U.S., since 1994. In 1999, Michigan hosted the first multi-national training exercise under the State Partnership Program. The exercise, Baltic Challenge, included Guard members from Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, together with their partner states: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The emphasis this year is on the Forward Support Company, an essential element for the soldier on the battlefield. "Our team is excited to get Operation Summer Shield started, because we know we will learn as much as we will teach," stated Lt. Col. Pablo Estrada, the commander of U.S. Forces participating in Operation Summer Shield IV.

In times of war, the forward support company coordinates all of the logistics, medical, maintenance, and fire support. The training begins in the classroom, and then moves to a practical application phase where the Latvian soldiers demonstrate the acquired skills in a real world, real-time environment. Last year's training conducted by the Michigan National Guard prepared the Latvian Land Force prior to their deployment to Iraq.

"The challenges are as great as the rewards," said Command Sgt. Maj. Jody Arrington, the command sergeant major of U.S. Forces, Operation Summer Shield IV. "We reach beyond the language and cultural differences, and focus on what makes us the same as soldiers."