Czech President visits Nebraska National Guard headquarters for discussions on Nebraska Guard’s 33-year partnership with Czech Armed Forces
It is believed to be the first time in the history of the Nebraska National Guard that the organization has hosted a head of state.
“This was truly a monumental event for the Nebraska National Guard,” said Maj. Gen. Craig Strong. “After 33 years of partnering with the Czech Armed Forces and working together to address the many common challenges we face in the world, to have the actual Czech head of state visit us here in Nebraska was such an honor.”
President Pavel was accompanied by Czech Ambassador to the United States Jakub Kulhanek, Czech diplomats, military leaders, governmental delegates, and members of the Czech media.
“We are so pleased to have the President with us today,” said Nebraska Lt. Gov. Kelly during an official welcome to the Joint Force Headquarters witnessed by more than 100 Nebraska Soldiers, Airmen and civilian employees who lined the JFHQ’s three balconies. “I think if we were to go around and have everyone in this entire building tell us what their family heritage is, I suspect that one out of every three -- if not more -- would be of strong Czech heritage.”
“The bonds are so great. The bonds have been very strong here recently with the Nebraska National Guard…,” Kelly added. “We are lucky to have you here for a few days. And we hope you enjoy it.”
Historically, Czech roots run deep in Nebraska, which has the highest percentage of citizens, per-capita, who claim Czech as their heritage. That heritage was part of the reason why Nebraska and Texas were chosen to form a partnership with the Czech Armed Forces in 1993 through the State Partnership Program.
Today, the Nebraska-Texas-Czech Republic partnership remains the only tri-lateral State Partnership Program effort in Europe.
President Pavel said he was excited to visit the Nebraska National Guard, adding that the welcome he received at the Joint Force Headquarters rivaled the farewell he was given when he left NATO after having served for three years as the chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
“But this is much better because it is a welcome. And it is a welcome in a country that is special to us… we feel here like it is our home,” said President Pavel. “So, thank you for this welcome. We look forward to hearing about our special relationship and seeing what you do.”
During the two-hour visit, President Pavel received briefings on the Nebraska National Guard’s most recent engagements with the Czech Armed Forces along with information on planned future collaborations. He also learned more about how members of the Czech Armed Forces and the Nebraska National Guard are training together in such areas as cyber defense and aerial refueling.
Following the briefings, President Pavel and the delegation toured a Nebraska Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker assigned to the Lincoln-based 155th Air Refueling Wing, as well as two Nebraska Army National Guard helicopters assigned to the Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility No. 1 in Lincoln.
Strong said the visit helped highlight the importance of the work that members of the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard are continuing to do with the Czech Armed Forces.
“This was an extremely important event because it gave us an opportunity to celebrate the successes that we have had over the decades of our relationship with the Czechs while also reaffirming our commitment to the future,” Strong said. “We all know that we are facing an increasingly challenging and volatile world. As we work with the Czech Armed Forces and continue to learn from each other, we are helping each other build the capabilities that we need to best serve the citizens of our nations. We are clearly stronger together.”
“Relationships are driven by shared commitments and shared motivations,” Strong said. “This visit gave us the opportunity to reaffirm that we are committed and motivated to continue to evolve our partnership with the Czechs, which has been built upon a spirit of trust, respect and shared values.”
Later, President Pavel commented on the engagement in a social media post.
“The Czech army has been cooperating with the local National Guard for more than 30 years,” Pavel’s post read. “During this time, our partnership has expanded to a number of areas. Currently, we are focusing, for example, on training our pilots or exercises in cyber defense.”
“The surprising information for me was that every fifth member of the local National Guard has Czech roots,” Pavel continued. “I appreciate that our partnership has not only been maintained over the years, but continues to bring benefits to both parties.”
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