Press Release
☷Nebraska Guardsman Honored for State Partnership in Rwanda
National Guard ( By Press Release office)
Feb 15,2024
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As the bilateral affairs officer , Pan collaborates with the Office of Defense Cooperation and the U . S . ambassador ' s country team to provide information on State Partnership Program activities to the partner country . It is worth noting that the bilateral affairs officer is exclusively a representative of the United States . Pan ' s nomination highlighted her exceptional teamwork and professionalism . She was commended by the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence and Nebraska ' s Senior Enlisted Advisors for her contributions to the development of Rwanda Defence Forces ' noncommissioned officers . Additionally , she played a key role in planning multiple medical readiness exercises , enhancing the skills of medical practitioners in the Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda Defence Force who treated thousands of patients . According to her nomination , Pan has assumed the role of acting Office of Defense Cooperation chief on multiple occasions , going beyond her direct responsibilities . The nomination letter praised her innovative approach in maximizing the State Partnership Program , aiming to establish long - lasting relationships between Rwanda and Nebraska that extend beyond the military realm . Pan ' s efforts include developing a humanitarian assistance plan involving the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and the Rwanda Ministry of Emergency Management , as well as exploring other opportunities for partnership between Nebraska and Rwanda . Furthermore , Pan dedicated her personal time to learning the local language , Kinyarwanda , to foster better communication and understanding with her Rwandan counterparts . Lt . Col . Peter Kalogiros , Defense Attaché at the United States Embassy in Kigali , Rwanda , praised Pan as an outstanding officer who effortlessly manages programs and personnel . Pan , who has served in the Army National Guard for twenty years , expressed her gratitude for being recognized for her accomplishments during her two - year assignment in Rwanda . She acknowledged that while the award is individual , it reflects the collective efforts of the Embassy DOD team , Nebraska State Partnership Program office , and the Soldiers and Airmen of the Nebraska National Guard involved in the engagements with Rwanda . Nebraska Army National Guard Maj . Jessica Pan has been named Bilateral Affairs Officer of the Year for 2023 by U . S . Africa Command . Pan ' s role as a bilateral affairs officer involves working with the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program in Rwanda . Since the partnership between the Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda Defence Force was established in 2019 , they have collaborated on various projects in engineering , medicine , and leadership development . After seeing how well she handled the portfolio , everyone agreed that she definitely deserved the recognition . It just goes to show how much we all appreciate the Nebraska relationship as a key connection . Pan mentioned that she ' s excited to wrap up her time in Rwanda and bring back all the knowledge she ' s gained to Nebraska . She ' s also curious to see how the partnership between Nebraska and Rwanda will progress in the future .
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