I Hate Cancer. What about you?

Be the FIRST person to donate EXACTLY one dollar! 

(I’m a little disappointed that no one has done it yet- you’ll feel like a better person if you do!)

The series of tubes makes photo poaching so easy (shh! don’t tell!)

 So I’m actually going to talk about a subject that, for me, induces glazed eyes and quality moments of spacing out: my job. Kind of.

Did you know that there are a handful of National Guard Units in our country that are paired up with African countries? Yes? Well then good for you and your fancy pub quiz knowledge…why don’t you just skip this entry! For the rest of you, read on…

I mentioned that Joni, my soon to be ex-caretaker, is an officer in the Vermont National Guard. I remember being a little surprised when I first got here and heard that the U.S. military had someone posted here from the Vermont National Guard. Like Maple Syrup and Ethan Allen Vermont? National Guard? Doesn’t the National Guard just deploy to war zones these days?

Apparently not.

Hang on…..I’m starting to lose my concentration….

Check out my nails today! It’s a work day and they’re sparkly red (OPI “Dear Santa”). Thank you General Olmsted!

Okay, I’m refocused!

So according to Wikipedia, which is never wrong, the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) was started in 1993 (after the fall of the iron curtain) and pairs our states with partner countries all over the globe to support security cooperation objectives. The partnerships usually entail a host of engagement activities ranging from bilateral familiarization, training exercises opportunities, fellowship-style internships, and civic leader visits and medical events. All activities are coordinated through the Theater Combatant Commander and the US Ambassadors’ country teams and other agencies, to ensure that National Guard support is tailored to meet both US and country objectives. 

Pretty neat, don’t you think? Here’s a list of the countries in Africa that are currently paired up with various National Guard Units:

New York – South Africa
Utah – Morocco
North Dakota – Ghana
Wyoming – Tunisia
California – Nigeria (fruits and nuts in both these places, a good match-up I think)
Vermont – Senegal (I really like both Vermont and Senegal, so this is my favorite)
North Carolina – Botswana
Michigan – Liberia

 Isn’t he the cutest three year old? Kii suma xarit senegalese la (this is my Senegalese friend), Zou Zou. I went over to visit my teacher’s family today- I ate some great food, and Zou Zou taught me some more Wolof.

Oops! Sorry, I was losing my train of thought again. I guess that means I should wrap up this woefully inadequate CliffsNotes version of a really cool mission for the U.S. military. I’m sorry that I didn’t do it any justice- but just think of all the follow-on research that you can now do in the comfort of your own home! 

I will say that we have an excellent relationship with the Senegalese military- and the Vermont National Guard is doing some real great work here. I imagine that I’ll revisit this subject soon, and it will be lighter on nail polish and toddlers and more concentrated on what I think is a worthwhile endeavor for our country. Besides, General Olmsted probably would have preferred that I spend some time in Senegal thinking more like a military officer and less time daydreaming about what color I plan on painting my fingernails.