More than 200 Tennessee Guardsmen, many form the Upper Cumberland, are training in Bulgaria over a two-week period.
Colonel Jay Jackson is the Tennessee National Guard Director of Staff. He said Bulgaria has been a state partner, training and cooperating for mutual aid for 30 years.
“Tennessee highly values the partnership with Bulgaria,” Jackson said. “We benefit so much from this partnership and relationship. The 30 years have been an outstanding way for us to build up our airmen and soldiers.”
Jackson said that the Guard has worked with Bulgaria on missions in Tenessee. He said Tennessee tries to figure out how they do things in Bulgaria and how to help them while Bulgaria does the same in return.
Jackson said training in the austere Bezmer Air Field area allowed them to train airmen and soldiers to perform without their usual infrastructure and be more -self-sufficient.
“We’re really stretching those airmen’s capabilities and making them highly versatile,” Jackson said.
Jackson said joint training with Tennessee and Bulgaria occurred throughout the year but Thracian Sentry allowed them to consolidate many components into a two-week time period.
“And dealing with things with their military medical academy, their joint forces command, some of their firefighting resources and logistics,” Jackson said. “It’s just a lot of components rolled up into that period.”
Jackson said the state partnership program allows the partners to work together with another nation, build relationships, and train together for mutual benefit.
“If there is a need there then we can come to the aid of our partner and help them,” Jackson said.
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