One soldier and two airmen with the Ghana Armed Forces are at Camp Grafton Training Center in Devils Lake, North Dakota, observing U.S. engineer instruction and shadowing U.S. aviation soldiers who are conducting annual training.

Their month-long visit in June, 2008 is part of the U.S. Defense Department's State Partnership Program which pairs a state's Army and Air National Guard with a country to foster a long-term relationship that encourages the development of economic, political, and military ties. North Dakota's partnership with Ghana began in 2004.

Staff Sergeant Ahinakwah Jonathan Owusu, a soldier in the Ghana Army, is learning how the North Dakota Army National Guard teaches and prepares engineers for deployment. His visit, which is the second part of a two-part exchange under the State Partnership Program, allows him to observe first-hand how U.S. combat construction engineers prepare students for deployment and other engineer operations.

During the first part of the instructor exchange in November 2007, a North Dakota Army National Guard soldier traveled to Ghana, where he observed how the Ghana Army trained soldiers and taught classes for Ghanaian soldiers.

Because the visit coincides with the battalion's annual training, Ghana airmen Flying Officer Officer Razak Abdul Mustapha and Sergeant Richard Rufus Kwasi Tettey have had opportunities to observe squadron-level staff meetings, procedures and policy development, watch how command emphasis on safety is used throughout day-to-day operations, and examine the role of U.S. aviation officers and enlisted soldiers in regular operations.