U.S.: Drills with Armenia build upon decades of successful cooperation

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Embassy in Armenia has welcomed to Yerevan Major General Gregory Anderson, Commanding General, 10th Mountain Division, and Brigadier General Patrick Ellis, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Major General Anderson and Brigadier General Ellis will join Ambassador Kvien to observe the Eagle Partner exercise at the Zar Training Area.

Eagle Partner is a peacekeeping training exercise held in Armenia Sept. 11-20. Approximately 85 U.S. Soldiers train alongside approximately 175 Armenian soldiers, the Embassy said in a statement on Friday, September 15. “The Eagle Partner exercise is a testament to our longstanding partnership with Armenia and builds upon decades of successful peacekeeping and security cooperation, underpinned by Armenia’s enduring relationship with the Kansas national Guard under the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program,” said Ambassador Kvien.

“Our ties with Armenia are multifaceted and cooperative. The U.S. has consistently extended military assistance to Armenia, especially in bolstering the nation’s capabilities in crucial areas such as nonproliferation and peacekeeping,” said Major General Anderson.

The exercise is also planned to prepare the Armenian 12th Peacekeeping Brigade for a NATO Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) evaluation under the NATO Partnership for Peace program later this year.