SLOVENIA (11/7/10) – Slovenian Defense Minister Dr. Ljubica Jelusic continued her official visit to the U.S. on Saturday by attending a military parade in Denver to honor war veterans and the 150th anniversary of the Colorado National Guard.
The minister had underlined the importance of cooperation between the Slovenian army and the Colorado National Guard already in Washington on Friday.
Slovenia took over its own Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) in Afghanistan this month together with members of the Colorado National Guard, but the cooperating with the guard goes back 16 years.
Colorado helped the Slovenian army implement reforms in 1994, when Slovenia joined the Partnership for Peace.
"During that time, there was a lot of military cooperation, which was recently upgraded with a joint OMLT, which trained in Germany and Slovenia," Jelusic noted. The Slovenian and American troops from the OMLT left for Afghanistan at the beginning of October.
The minister and her delegation later visited army installation Fort Carson, Colo., where members of the Colorado National Guard train for OMLT missions.
Jelusic was also scheduled to have a private dinner with Slovenia-born astronaut and scientist Ronald Sega.
The minister will continue her visit by meeting the Colorado National Guard Adjutant General H. Michael Edwards and visiting Buckley Air Force Base and Colorado Army National Guard commands.
She will also make stops at the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she is expected to meet Slovenian cadets Matija Zupancic and Marko Podplatnik.
She will deliver a lecture at the University of Denver Law Faculty and meet Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr.