CONTACT: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008

ON SITE: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg or Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo

WHO:

South African Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Ms. Susan Shabangu; South African Defense and Military Attaché, Rear Admiral George Mphafi, New York National Guard Commander Major General Joseph Taluto; Director of New York State Emergency Management Office, John Gibb; and 73 other representatives of South African and American government, military, business and academic communities. As South Africa's Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Shabangu is comparable to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, responsible for the welfare and security of a South Africa's 44 million residents, nearly half a million square miles of land and some 1,738 miles of coastline.

WHAT:

Ms. Susan Shabangu, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Safety and Security and Rear Admiral George Mphafi, South Africa's Defense and Military Attaché will participate in the New York National Guard's first State Partnership Program Conference Thursday, September 4 at the Desmond Hotel. Members of the Media are invited to attend. The event is the first New York National Guard-Republic of South Africa State Partnership Program Conference. The conference will bring together experts to discuss issues such as security cooperation, defense support of civil authorities and trade opportunities between the United States, especially New York State, and the Republic of South Africa. New York is partnered with the Republic of South Africa through the National Guard's State Partnership Program.

WHEN:

Opening remarks begin at approximately 9 a.m. Maj. Gen. Taluto and Rear Admiral Mphafi provide media interview opportunities from 10 to 10:30 a.m. before Mphafi's keynote address, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008.

WHERE:

Desmond Hotel, 660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany N.Y. 12211

Coverage Opportunities: Members of the media are invited to sit-in on general session addresses which begin at approximately 8:45 a.m. This will include opening remarks from Major General Joseph Taluto. There will be a 20 minute break following the opening remarks for media interviews with conference participants, followed by the keynote address from Rear Admiral Mphafi from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. followed by a panel discussion before lunch. The New York State/South African Partnership: New York was paired with South Africa as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program in 2003. The program is designed to build military-to-military, military-to-civilian, and civil security cooperation links between participating countries and their National Guard state partner. Since 2003 New York has conducted military familiarization exchanges with the South African Military which have included visits to New York by South African Military Police officers, and South African Air Force Public Affairs soldiers, while New York has sent military chaplains, doctors, lawyers, and combat infantry veteran weapons experts to South Africa to share their expertise and training models. Most recently, four New York Air National Guard pararescue jumpers visited South Africa in June 2008 to work with the South African National Sea Rescue Institute. The National Guard State Partnership Program was established in 1993 in response to the radically changed political-military situation following the collapse of Communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The program's goals reflect an evolving international affairs mission for the National Guard, to promote security cooperation in support of Homeland Defense and Civil Support Missions. The State Partners actively participate in a host of security cooperation activities ranging from bilateral familiarization and training-like events, to exercises, fellowship-style internships, and civic leader visits. All activities are coordinated through the Theater Combatant Commanders and the US Ambassadors' country teams, and other agencies as appropriate, to ensure that National Guard support is tailored to meet both US and partner country objectives. Today, 43 US states, two territories, and the District of Columbia are partnered with 51 countries around the world.