“Networking and exchanging ideas with other countries is particularly important to me. The partnership enables us to expand the military training opportunities and gain insights into experience from various missions. We also see opportunities to strengthen the militia,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner .
All in all, entering into this partnership represents an essential piece of the puzzle with regard to the intention of expanding the strategic partnership with the USA set out in the current Austrian government program. Participation in the “State Partnership Program” opens up undreamt-of possibilities for Austria to expand capabilities or to close capability gaps. In general, areas of cooperation should be defined from which both Austria and the USA can benefit.
The Vermont National Guard consists of 4,000 soldiers
The Vermont National Guard consists of approximately 4,000 soldiers. The National Guard, known as the “Green Mountain Boys”, has the primary task of supporting national defense as well as civil authorities. Due to these characteristics, the National Guard is in principle comparable to the militia of the Austrian Armed Forces and is a suitable partner for an exchange of experiences.
International partnerships
Modern armed forces as important guarantors of peace and security are increasingly dependent on international cooperation in order to perform their tasks in the best possible way – as is the case with the Austrian Armed Forces, said Tanner. The military cooperation would take place on the one hand in association with like-minded states, on the other hand within the framework of international organizations.
