U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson
MARRAKECH, Morocco – The 191st Air Refueling Squadron of Utah’s Air National Guard is in Morocco with a KC-135 Stratotanker supporting Aeroexpo Marrakech 2012, April 4-7.
The Utah National Guard is paired with Morocco in the State Partnership Program, which was established in 1993 to build partnerships with allied nations and promote interoperability.
“The hospitality that we have received so far is very generous, very friendly and very outgoing,” said Lt. Col. Lisa Berente, 191st ARS, KC-135 pilot.
Though the Royal Moroccan Military welcomed all of the U.S. soldiers, Marines, and active duty, guard and reserve airmen in attendance, there is a special relationship with the Utah guardsmen.
“We are pretty involved,” Berente said. “Our TAG [the adjutant general] has been remarkable on his effort with this program. Both he and the senior leadership here in Morocco have been very engaged with each other and consequently it has really been a rewarding deal for both partners,” said Berente,
Morocco and Utah may have only become state partners in the last 20 years, but the bonds that tie Morocco and the United States together has a long history.
“Morocco prides itself as being the first country to recognize the United States as being an independent country and that’s why they celebrate the 4th of July here as well,” said Lt. Col. Corey Love, 191st ARS, KC-135 pilot.
Berente had the opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July in Rabat, Morocco, two years ago when she helped fly the Army Band there for the occasion. However, the mission of the Air National Guard in Morocco runs deeper than celebrations and aeroexpos.
Staff Sgt. Walter Durtschi, 191st ARS crew chief, was previously in Morocco to support African Lion, an annual medical exercise.
“We came to Morocco with a medical unit and staged out of Agadir and on four different occasions we drove out into the countryside where the locals – and a lot of them had never even seen doctors before – would come and we would do exams with basically every kind of doctor you can think of,” he said.
“In our one clinic we saw anywhere from 50-450 patients in one day. We would do exams and hand out prescriptions that the state of Utah had donated – antibiotics, pain killers and prenatal vitamins,” Durtschi said.
African Lion will take place again this year shortly after the aeroexpo, demonstrating the commitment of both nations to strengthen the existing friendship.
“It is mutual. We appreciate the invitations to come over here; we invite them over to our place and show them Utah. It is just a great relationship,” said Berente “I think there is great merit on both sides to continue.”
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