AFL, MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD COMMEMORATE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF STATE PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Friday, June 20, 2025

The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), led by the Chief of Staff, Major General Davidson Fayiah Forleh along with a three-member delegation, participated in a weeklong celebration marking the 15th Anniversary of the State Partnership Program (SPP) between the AFL and the Michigan National Guard (MING). The event, held from 9–14 June 2025 at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Michigan, coincided with the MING’s annual training exercises and was characterized by colorful, symbolic, and reflective activities commemorating a decade and a half of enduring cooperation and mutual security commitment. The visit reaffirmed the AFL’s commitment to strengthening its strategic ties with the United States through continuous collaboration with the Michigan National Guard.

One of the highlights of the commemoration was a symbolic tree planting ceremony on 10 June 2025. The ceremony, held in honor of the enduring partnership, was attended by senior U.S. and Liberian military officials. In his welcome remarks, Maj Gen Paul Rogers, Adjutant General of the Michigan National Guard, underscored the importance of the partnership, noting that in defense and security, “we can never rest on our laurels,” and that “vigilance, action, and reflection are essential in a dynamic world.” The Chaplain General of the AFL, Maj K. Urias Zogaa, offered a benediction rooted in Genesis 2:9, describing the planted tree as a symbol of life, growth, fertility, and a legacy for future generations.

The history of the Liberia-Michigan partnership was also recounted during the ceremony. According to U.S. Army Captain Layton, who served as the Master of Ceremony, the partnership began in 2009 when Liberia’s then-Minister of Defense, Hon. Brownie J. Samukai, formally requested to join the SPP. The request, approved through the U.S. National Guard Bureau, aligned Liberia with the State of Michigan—an alignment inspired by the strong Liberian-American diaspora in Detroit, particularly the family of U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Paulus Obey, a Liberian-American serving in the 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The AFL first visited Michigan in September 2010 for a familiarization tour, followed by a reciprocal visit in October 2010 by a MiNG delegation led by then-Adjutant General Maj Gen Tom Cutler, who formally launched the partnership during a meeting with former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Monrovia on October 27, 2010.

During the 2025 visit, Maj Gen Forleh and his delegation observed a range of operational training events including drone familiarization by the 125th Infantry Regiment, medical coordination drills by the MiNG Medical Detachment (aligned with AFL’s 14 Military Hospital), and a littoral patient extraction exercise on Lake Huron under the ANG Medical Readiness University Program at the Carmeuse Calcite Quarry in Rogers City. These exercises involved over 2,900 U.S. soldiers and airmen and aimed to bolster readiness and operational proficiency. The AFL Chief of Staff also held strategic key leader engagements with Maj Gen Paul Rogers, and Brig Gen Ravindra Wagh, who shares a long-standing relationship with the AFL, having served as a mentor during the U.S. Africa Command-led Operation Onward Liberty (OOL) mission in Liberia from 2014–2015.  Throughout the commemoration, Maj Gen Forleh expressed profound appreciation on behalf of the Government and People of Liberia to the Government and People of the United States, especially the Michigan National Guard, for their continued support to Liberia’s post-conflict defense transformation. 

He emphasized that the AFL’s evolution into a professional and capable force is a testament to the effectiveness and significance of the SPP. Looking ahead, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation through enhanced joint training, disaster response coordination, and expanded military education initiatives. The AFL remains dedicated to leveraging the State Partnership Program as a strategic platform for regional security, professional development, and mutual learning in the years to come.