Chief Warrant Officer 4 Don Hildebrant (center standing), commander, New Jersey Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, New Jersey Army National Guard, describes the functions of the facility to Maj. Gen. Xhemal More
Albanian Special Forces members provide roof-top security during a meeting with coalition forces and Afghan leaders in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 10, 2012.
Albanian Maj. Ramadan Karakushi, executive officer of the Albanian Special Operations Force Contingent Eagle Five, greets Capt. Ryan McHatton, security officer with the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, du More
Staff Sgt. Juana E. Garrett, right, Headquarters, 117th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard, explains how a work order is written up with (left to right) Albanian armed forces l More
Sienna Nichole Siracusa, front right, daughter of Maj. Vincent Siracusa Jr., back and second from right, follows her father's example and salutes during the playing of the national anthem during the welcome hom More
Kim Guadagno, lieutenant governor of New Jersey, speaks during the Salute to Troops ceremony for the 12 soldiers and one airman of the Military Advisor Team (MAT) V at the New Jersey National Guard's Joint Mili More
Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, left, The adjutant general Of New Jersey, presents the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal, the state's highest military award, to Warrant Officer 1 Preston D. Robinson at the More
New Jersey Army National Guard Sgt. Ryan A. Pikul, right, assists Albanian Armed Forces officer candidate Endri Deda with his helmet fit as Albanian Armed Forces officer candidates are issued clothing, wet weat More
Albanian officer candidate Eldi Ormeni, center, checks his fellow candidates prior to the welcome ceremony for Albanian Officer Candidate Class 1 at Joint Force Headquarters, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N More
Cadet Renalda Manushi shows another Republic of Albania officer candidate how to properly wear hat before the welcome ceremony the 24 cadets at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst May 9. New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Gu More
A summary of the first week of Albanian OCS Class 001. New Jersey's National Guard is training 24 soldiers from Albania to become officers. Officials say it's the first time a state's National Guard will trai More
New Jersey Army National Guard drill instructor 1st Lt. Stephanie M. Shillaber, corrects Albanian officer candidates as Soldiers from the 254th Regiment (Combat Arms), NJARNG, train Albanian Officer Candidate C More
New Jersey Army National Guard training 24 soldiers from Albania to become officers. New Jersey is the first state's National Guard to train foreign military officer candidates under the State Partnership Progr More
Republic of Albania ambassador Gilbert Galanxhi, center left, and Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, center right, The adjutant feneral of New Jersey, enter Joint Force Headquarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehu More
Members of the Albanian Officer Candidate Class 001 prepare to transition from Phase One to Phase Two of the New Jersey Army National Guard OCS program with the awarding of the infantry blue ascot with the OCS More
Albanian Officer Candidates Arsen Shehi, left, and Adem Xhepa fill up their hydration packs prior to training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., June 4, 2014. Albania is the first State Partnership Prog More
Pictured is the Albanian OCS Class 001 Information Brief Week 5, as of June 6, 2014. (U.S. Army National Guard illustration by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Patrick Daugherty/Released)
New Jersey Army National Guard drill instructor Sgt. 1st Class Harry R. Martinez, right, demonstrates how to load an ammunition drum on a M249 squad automatic weapon to Albanian Officer Candidate Endri Deda at More
Brig. Gen. James J. Grant, left, chief of the joint staff and Maj. Gen. Jeronim Bazo, center, chief of general staff of Albanian armed forces, presents Albanian officer candidate Stela Brahaj her graduation ce More
First Sgt. Stephen Cosmanic hugs his daughter at a welcome home ceremony for the seven Soldiers and one Airman of the Military Advisor Team (MAT) V held at the New Jersey Joint Force Headquarters, Joint Base Mc More
Col. John Langston, left, Commander, JT2DC, advising the Albanian Armed Forces staff at the prefecture operations center in Elbasan, Albania, July 23, 2015. (Courtesy photo) (This image was cropped to focus on More
U.S. Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 18.1 hike to a range during Exercise Platinum Lion 18 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Aug. 1, 2018. Platinum Lion is an annual field training exercise that rei More
Members of the Albanian Armed Forces receive a safety brief on proper helicopter medical evacuation procedures during Exercise Platinum Lion 18 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Aug. 5, 2018. Platinum Lion More
Albanian Armed Forces Lt. Alban Subashi, Albanian platoon leader of Alpha Joint Company leads his platoon of Soldiers alongside Bulgarian, North Macedonian and U.S. forces during a mechanized exercise June 11, More
50th Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Metodiev Borisov observes Bulgarian, U.S., Greek, Albanian and North Macedonian forces conduct urban warfare and mechanized exercises June 12, 2019 at Novo Selo Training Area More
Albanian Air Force Maj. Ervin Buzi, Military Unit No. 3006, Farka Air Base, inspects the interior of a UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter at the New Jersey Army National Guard Army (NJARNG) Army Aviation Su More
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Green, left, a UH-72A Lakota helicopter pilot with Charlie Company, 1-224th Security and Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG), pilots a Lakota for a More
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Green, left, a UH-72A Lakota helicopter pilot with Charlie Company, 1-224th Security and Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG), reviews safety proced More
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Arnold Young, left, Communications Section Chief, 21st Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team (21st WMD-CST), New Jersey National Guard, reviews the 21st‘s communications capa More
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Green, a UH-72A Lakota helicopter pilot with Charlie Company, 1-224th Security and Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG), lands a Lakota at the helip More
Soldiers with the Albanian Armed Forces participate in a patrol training exercise, March 2, 2020, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The exercise mimicked the patrols that occur More
Soldiers with the Albanian Armed Forces participate in a patrol training exercise, Feb. 2, 2020, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The exercise mimicked the patrols that occur i More
Albanian Soldiers assigned to 3-rd COY underwent crowd riot control training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center on Oct. 25, 2020, as part of training for KFOR 28. The Albanian Armed Force’s participati More
An Albanian soldier assigned to the Albanian Armed Forces, 3-rd Coy receives information from a role player during freedom of movement training at Hohenfels, Germany on Oct. 27, 2020. Training at JMRC provides More
Albanian soldiers assigned to 3-rd Coy practiced their crowd riot control training in a simulated environment at the Hohenfels training area on Oct. 28, 2020. Training at JMRC provides USAREUR-specific training More
Albanian soldiers assigned to the Albanian Armed Forces, 3-rd Coy discuss which route to take while looking at a map during patrol training at Hohenfels, Germany on Oct. 29, 2020. Training at JMRC provides USAR More
Albanian soldiers assigned to 3-rd COY conducted simulated patrol missions at the Hohenfels Training Area on Oct. 29, 2020. The Albanian Armed Force’s participation in KFOR training enhances professional relati More
An Albanian soldier assigned to the Albanian Armed Forces, 3-rd Coy calls other soldiers forward during patrol training at Hohenfels, Germany on Oct. 29, 2020. Training at JMRC provides USAREUR-specific trainin More
Members of the Albanian Armed Forces respond to a mock protest at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Nov. 4, 2020. Various organizations came together in the culminating training More
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Don Hildebrant (center standing), commander, N.J. Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, New Jersey Army National Guard, describes the functions of the facility to Maj. Gen. Xhemal Gjunk More
Australian Brig. Gen. Chris Field awards the Non-Article 5 NATO Medal to a member of the Albanian special forces for service in Afghanistan during an awards ceremony at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak, July More
Albanian Special Forces members provide security during a meeting with coalition forces and Afghan leaders in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 10, 2012.
Albanian Special Operations Force members prepare food for an Eid al-Adha celebration meal at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, Oct. 26, 2012. Albanian service members hosted the celebration to c More
Maj. Roger Shaw (center), an officer with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and Albanian special operations force members provide security while coalition forces and Afghan Border Poli More
Albanian army Special Operations Forces teams Eagle 5 and Eagle 6 commanders and the Albanian army SOF Commander meet with an Afghan Border Police check point commander Feb. 13 in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. The More
Capt. Jennifer M. Johnston, right, New Jersey Army National Guard, explains how the mobile aisle system tool and parts container works to Staff Sgt. Andi Dodo at the Consolidated Logistics Training Facility loc More
Kim Guadagno, left, lieutenant governor of New Jersey, and Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, second from left, the adjutant general of New Jersey, present the state and national flags to Sgt. Maj. Mark Rizzo, righ More
Soldiers from the Military Advisor Team (MAT) 4, New Jersey Army National Guard, were presented with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal, the state's highest military award, at the welcome home ceremony More
New Jersey Army National Guard Spc. Jacob J. Walsh, right, checks Albanian armed forces officer candidate Hekuran Budani's checklist as Albanian armed forces officer candidates are issued clothing, wet weather More
Albanian officer candidate Renalda Manushi, left, checks her fellow candidates prior to the welcome ceremony for Albanian Officer Candidate Class 1 at Joint Force Headquarters, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, More
Albanian Officer Candidate and platoon leader Besiana Dermyshi holds her ascot during the ceremony where members of the Albanian Officer Candidate Class 001 transition from Phase One to Phase Two of the New Jer More
The New Jersey National Guard leadership briefs Republic of Albania ambassador Gilbert Galanxhi on the status of Albanian Officer Candidate Class 001 at Joint Force Headquarters at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehu More
Albanian officer candidates Adem Xhepa, left, and Eriselda Shema go over their notes prior to training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., June 4, 2014. Albania is the first State Partnership Program cou More
Pictured is the Albanian OCS Class 001 Information Brief Week 6, as of June 13, 2014. (U.S. Army National Guard illustration by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Patrick Daugherty/Released)
New Jersey Army National Guard drill instructor 1st Lt. Stephanie M. Shillaber, left, explains the upcoming mission to Albanian Officer Candidate Bilbil Elezaj at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., June 26 More
Brig. Gen. James J. Grant, left, chief of the joint staff, and Maj. Gen. Jeronim Bazo, center, chief of general staff of Albanian armed forces, presents Albanian officer candidate Andi Gjeci his graduation cert More
Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, right, The Adjutant General of New Jersey, welcomes 1st Sgt. Stephen Cosmanic at a welcome home ceremony for the seven Soldiers and one Airman of the Military Advisor Team (MAT) V More
Lt. Col. Robert J. Yencha, left, executive officer, JT2DC, is briefed by an Albanian Armed Forces officer at the Albanian Armed Forces Joint Operations Center, Tirana, Albania, July 23, 2015. (Courtesy photo) ( More
U.S. Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force 18.1 issue ammunition during Exercise Platinum Lion 18 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Aug. 1, 2018. Platinum Lion is an annual field training exercise that re More
Members of the Albanian Armed Forces participate in medical evacuation drills during Exercise Platinum Lion 18 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Aug. 5, 2018. Platinum Lion is an annual field training exerc More
Albanian Armed Forces Lt. Alban Subashi of the 3rd Infantry Battalion, Bulgarian Land Forces Cpt. Rasen Nachev of the 38th Mechanized Battalion and North Macedonian 1st Lt. Blarton Isa of the 4th Mechanized Bat More
50th Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Metodiev Borisov observes Bulgarian, American, Greek, Albanian and North Macedonian forces conduct urban warfare and mechanized exercises June 12, 2019 at Novo Selo Training More
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Green, second from right, a UH-72A Lakota helicopter pilot with Charlie Company, 1-224th Security and Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard, briefs the upcomi More
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Green, left, a UH-72A Lakota helicopter pilot with Charlie Company, 1-224th Security and Support Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG), answers procedural qu More
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Anthony C. Norrish, left, Emergency Medical Technician, 21st Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team (21st WMD-CST), New Jersey National Guard, discusses the medical monitoring p More
Haki Çako, third from right, Director General, General Directorate of Civil Emergencies, Ministry of Defence, Republic of Albania, poses with, left to right, Lt. Col. Robert Hysenllari, Staff Officer, Search an More
Albanian Armed Forces Col. Ardian Bali tours the display at the Command and General Staff College, Lewis and Clark Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Oct. 26, 2020. International military leaders visited the i More
Albanian soldiers assigned to the Albanian Armed Forces, 3-rd Coy march towards an objective during patrol training at Hohenfels, Germany on Oct. 29, 2020. Training at JMRC provides USAREUR-specific training, f More
An Albanian soldier assigned to the Albanian Armed Forces, 3-rd Coy stands in the woods awaiting orders during patrol training at Hohenfels, Germany on Oct. 29, 2020. Training at JMRC provides USAREUR-specific More
Albanian Soldiers assigned to 3-rd COY put their crowd riot control training to the test against mock protestors from 1-4 Infantry Regiment at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center on Nov. 4, 2020, as part o More
Members of the Italian Army prepare to breach a barricade during crowd riot control training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, on Nov. 4, 2020. Various organizations came togeth More
Lt. Col. Jeffrey Brownlee (fourth from right), N.J. surface maintenance manager, New Jersey Army National Guard, describes how repair orders are processed at the New Jersey Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site More
Albanian Col. Dritan Demiraj, commander of the Special Operations Battalion, appears with Australian Brig. Gen. Chris Field and U.S. Army Col. Alden Saddlemire, during the transfer of authority ceremony for two More
An Albanian Special Forces member provides roof-top security during a meeting with coalition forces and Afghan leaders in the Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Sept. 30, 2012.
Albanian Special Operations Force members prepare a grill for an Eid al-Adha celebration meal at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, Oct. 26, 2012. Albanian service members hosted the celebration t More
An Albanian special operations forces member provides security for his NATO and Afghan Border Police counterparts during a rehearsal for Operation Southern Strike IV in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, More
Albanian army Special Operations Forces teams Eagle 5 and Eagle 6 commanders and the Albanian army SOF Commander, Col. Dritan Demiras, meet with the Afghan Uniform Police commander, Col. Abduhl Quayoum, Feb. 13 More
Lt. Col. Erik Myhre, commander, Military Advisor Team (MAT) V, speaks during the Salute to Troops ceremony for the 12 soldiers and one airman of MAT V at the New Jersey National Guard's Joint Military and Famil More
Warrant Officer 1 Preston D. Robinson spends time with his family at the welcome home ceremony for the Soldiers from the Military Advisor Team (MAT) 4, New Jersey Army National Guard, at the National Guard Armo More
New Jersey Army National Guard Sgt. Alexander I. Mendoza, left, watches as Albanian armed forces officer candidate Euglent Rika signs his clothing issue checklist as Albanian armed forces officer candidates are More
Brig. Gen. James J. Grant, right, director, Joint Staff, talks with an Albanian officer candidate of Albanian Officer Candidate Class 1 at Joint Force Headquarters, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., May 9 More
New Jersey Army National Guard drill instructor Capt. Matthew J. Zilinski, corrects Albanian officer candidates as Soldiers from the 254th Regiment (Combat Arms), NJARNG, train Albanian Officer Candidate Class More
New Jersey Army National Guard drill instructors Staff Sgt. David R. Crenshaw, standing left, and Sgt. 1st Class Harry R. Martinez, standing right, observe members of the Albanian Officer Candidate Class 001 as More
Albanian Officer Candidates, left to right, Ardi Bello, Vilson Toka and Bilbil Elezaj plan for an upcoming mission at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., June 26, 2014. During a three-day field leadership e More
The 24 members of Albanian Officer Candidate Class 001 congratulate each other after receiving their graduation certificates at a ceremony at the National Guard Armory, Lawrenceville, N.J., July 29, 2014. Alban More
Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, right, The adjutant general of New Jersey, welcomes Sgt. 1st Class Morgan Mchose at a welcome home ceremony for the seven Soldiers and one Airman of the Military Advisor Team (MAT More
First Lt. Joseph Allen, standing left, confers with a member of the Ministry of Interior Affairs in the National Operations Center for Civil-Emergency in Tirana, Albania, July 23, 2015. (Courtesy photo) (This i More
Members of the Albanian Armed Forces receive a safety brief prior to executing a small-arms range during Exercise Platinum Lion 18 at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Aug. 1, 2018. Platinum Lion is an annual More