|
WASHINGTON , D.C. (September 18, 2009) -
Members of the Third Army / U.S. Army Central Public Affairs Office
hosted their public affairs counterparts from the Kenya Army during
an exchange between the partner nations Sept. 14-17 in the
Washington metro area.
During the exchange, Kenya officials
visited numerous portions of the U.S. Army's public affairs
operations to include the Defense Information School and the Army
Public Affairs Center at Fort George G. Meade, Md., as well as the
Office of the Chief of Public Affairs in the Pentagon and the
Defense Media Activity center in Washington.
This was the final of three planned
exchanges between the Kenyan Army and USARCENT Public Affairs
personnel focusing on growing and developing the Kenya military's
public affairs assets.
"We have grown to understand the
importance of winning the hearts and minds of the people in Kenya,"
said Bogita Ongeri, spokesman for Kenya's Ministry of State for
Defense. "This trip has helped us to understand what we need in
order to succeed in our mission and establish public affairs in
Kenya. Seeing how the U.S. Army runs its public affairs provided
great assistance for us to disseminate our information and to tell
the story of the Kenya Army."
Maj. Amanda Azubuike, media relations
officer with Third Army PAO, said the cooperation with the Kenya
Army has been a strong growing experience for both Third Army and
its partner nation in working toward a sustainable future for all
involved.
"Exchanges like this are important to
share information and to improve interoperability between our
partner nations," said Azubuike. "It is mutually important to share
information in both directions. We can both learn from each other
and help to shape the future."
Ongeri spoke for the entire group
when he talked about his appreciation and gratitude for the
assistance provided in helping to grow the operational capability
of the Kenya Army public affairs.
"We greatly appreciate everything
Third Army has done to assist us," he said. "The cooperation was
excellent and everyone learned a lot. We also want to thank the
people at DINFOS, the Pentagon, (Defense) Media Activity and APAC
for taking the time and talking to us about the different programs
used in the American Army.
"We look forward to future visits to
the (United States) and other opportunities to work with the
American Soldiers. We hold your entire military in the uppermost
dignity."
|
