South African Reserve Leaders Visit New York National Guard

Chief of South African National Defense Force Reserves and His Staff Learn About Family Programs, Employer Support, and Guard Missions

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Master Sgt. Keri Booth, a loadmaster with the New York Air National Guard explains her job to a delegation of South African officers.

LATHAM, NY (12/07/2010)(readMedia)-- Major General Roy Andersen, Chief of South African National Defence Force Reserves, wanted to exchange ideas with another really professional organization; so he brought his staff to visit the New York National Guard.

"We are looking to take away the lessons you have learned, so we do not have to relearn them, so we can do things better, and maybe we can identify a few areas where we think we do it better," explained Andersen.

The six-officer delegation was particularly interested in learning about the New York National Guard's family support programs and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program, Andersen said.

"We know these are good and they work," he explained.

The team-which included a South African vice admiral and general officers from the Air Force and Army Reserve, as well as the South African Military Health Service- a separate branch of the South African military-were also interested in National Guard medical readiness procedures.

The National Guard's health assessment process is much more proactive than the South African Reserves employ, he said.

The team visited state headquarters on the day a Soldiers Readiness Check was underway for the Joint Force Headquarters Detachment and got a chance to inspect they process. They were very impressed with the mobile dental clinic that was fixing Soldiers problems on the spot, Andersen said.

The South African National Defence Force and the New York National Guard have had a relationship since the two were joined through the National Guard's State Partnership Program in 2005. The program sets up exchanges between the South African military and the National Guard to foster better understanding through a series of bilateral exchanges.

There is a lot of "energy" in the relationship between the New York National Guard and the South African military, said Major Gen. Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York. As recently as September 2010 New York sent members of the 106th Rescue Wing to train with their South African counterparts.

Bilateral visits are an important part of the relationship process, said Brig. Gen. Isaac Osborne, Deputy Adjutant General of Tennessee and deputy commander of U.S. Army Africa. It gives both parties an opportunity to get to know each other better.

While the New York Army and Air National Guard, with just over 16,000 members, are about the same size as the South African Army, Air Force, and Naval reserves, the level of responsibility that Andersen and his team have is much greater, Murphy pointed out.

He and his staff don't have to deal with the issues of national policy and politics that Andersen must cope with, Murphy explained.

Joining Andersen in the South African delegation were:

• Brig. Gen. Susan Debbie Molefe, the Director of Defence Reserves;

• Rear Admiral Ernst Penzhorn, the director of Naval Reserves;

• Brig. Gen. Tebogo Samuel Madumane, Director of the Air Force Reserves;

•Brig Gen. (Dr.) Abel Maminze, Acting Director of the South African Military Health Service Reserves;

• Chaplain (Col) Masello Mothopeng, Senior Staff Officer Reserve Force Chaplains;

and Col Brian Molefe, Deputy Director of South African Army Reserves.

The three-day visit started on Saturday, Dec. 4 with briefings on subjects of interest to the South Africans: family readiness programs, efforts to keep employers supportive, New York National Guard missions, and reintegration programs.

On Sunday, Dec. 5, the team visited Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, New York. The base is home to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, the only wing in the United States military which flies C-130 equipped with skies to land on snow or ice.

On Dec. 6 the South Africans visited the New York National Guard's standing security force in New York City, Joint Task Force Empire Shield. The team inspected the quarters of the 24th Civil Support Team; a unit specially trained to identify chemical, biological and radiological weapons, and also checked in on Soldiers and Airmen providing security at transportation hubs on Manhattan.

The South Africans also learned of the capabilities of New York's Naval Militia which works with the United States Coast Guard in New York Harbor.

Both the New York National Guard and South African National Defence Force Reserves face some similar challenges, Andersen pointed out. Just as New York deploys troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, South African reservists are serving in peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Burundi. South African reservists also do border duty along the nation's border with Zimbabwe to control illegal immigration, just as New York National Guard forces have served along the Mexican border.

There are differences, though.

South African reservists must serve two years on active duty, including one complete deployment, before going into reserve status. This can make it tough to recruit, Andersen explained. And many of the South African Reserve members do not have jobs. Finding them civilian work is an important mission for his force, said Andersen, who is chairman of several corporate boards in civilian life.

And the Air Force Reserve includes a special component of members who bring their own aircraft with them when they serve, more like the American Civil Air Patrol than the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserves.

Photo Cutlines:

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New York Air National Guard Master Sgt Kerri Booth, a Loadmaster with the 109th Airlift Wing,explains duties onboard her units LC130 Hercules aircraft to members of a South African National Defence Force Reserves delegation on Sunday, Dec.5. The South Africans toured the base and the unit's ski equipped LC-130Hercules aircraft. The 109th Airlift Wing supports the National Science Foundation by deploying every year to Antarctica bringing important cargo 11,000 miles to the bottom of the world. Pictured are (from left) South African Rear Admiral Ernst Penzhorn, Director of Naval Reserves; Booth; South African Major Gen. Roy Andersen, Chief of Defence Force Reserves; Brig. Gen. Isaac Osborne, Deputy Commander of U.S. Army Africa; and Brig. Gen.Gen Susan Molefe,Director of Defence Reserves. (Photo by Senior Airman Ben German, 109th Airlift Wing)

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New York Army National Guard Col Craig Meinking explains New York Army National Guard health check procedures to South African Major General Roy Andersen, the Chief of Defence Reserves for the South African National Defence Force. Representatives from the South African National Defense Forces-Reserve Forces visit the Division of Military and Naval Affairs during annual Soldier Readiness Processing December 4, 2010.The State Partnership Program is a National Guard initiative designed to grow relationships, enhance international secuirty and promote the exchange of free ideas and open doors of cooperation in political, military, economic and social realms. (Photo by Spec. Mary Hogle, 138th Public Affairs Detachment)

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Major General Patrick Murphy, the Adjutant General of New York speaks with South African Brig. Gen. Susan Molefe, the Director of Defence Reserves for the South AFrican National Defence Force during a break in a joint South African/ New York National Guard Conference held at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham, NY on Dec. 4. (Photo by Eric Durr, New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.)

See more photographs here on the New York National Guard Flickr Page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157625403785103/