Ohio Guard, Serbians hold military exercise

The program aims to boost ties between the Serbian and U.S. armies.

NIS, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s army and members of the Ohio National Guard held a joint military exercise Thursday as part of a program between the Balkan country and the U.S. military.

The exercise at the military airport in the southern Serbian city of Nis included 51 soldiers and officers from the two armies.

“This is a truly historic event,” said the leader of the Ohio National Guard, Maj. Gen. Gregory Wayt.

The program was launched a year ago as part of efforts to boost ties between Serbia and U.S. armies that had been strained in the past because of the U.S.-led NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 over Kosovo.

The military airport in Nis was heavily bombed during the air war, which was launched to force then Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic to end a crackdown against Kosovo separatists.

The Ohio-Serbia military program included cooperation in training of soldiers, a medical exchange and cooperation among top officers, Wayt said.

“Many friendships have been made, friendships that will last a lifetime,” he said.

Serbian army commander Gen. Zdravko Ponos pledged to further strengthen the contacts in the next year.

Serbia’s President Boris Tadic and the U.S. ambassador in Belgrade Cameron Munter attended the exercise.