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The United States Army

06/23/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/23/2026 11:07

North Carolina Guard partners strengthen disaster response in Zambia

1 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Participants at the Domestic Response Workshop watch videos of previous floods in Zambia at the Zambia Army Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, June 9, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - U.S. Army Col. Patrick J. Szvetitz, North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters director of strategic plans and policy, right, shakes hands with Maambo Haamaundu, Zambia Ministry of Defence permanent secretary, left, at the Zambia Army Headquarters, Lusaka, Zambia, June 8, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the NCNG State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Ryan Kenney, North Carolina Emergency Management deputy branch manager of emergency services, left, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron Youngblood, North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters chief of domestic operations, center, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jason J. Boyd, NCNG JFHQ domestic operations planner, right, assess a drainage during the Domestic Response Workshop near the border of Lusaka, Zambia, June 9, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the NCNG State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 4 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Brig. Gen. David C. Nkete, Botswana Defence Force director of training and doctrine, shares information from the BDF's support of a regional flood in 2025 during the Domestic Response Workshop at the Zambia Army Headquarters, Lusaka, Zambia, June 8, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 5 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the North Carolina National Guard, and representatives from the Botswana Defence Force, Malawi Defence Force, Zambian Defence Force, and Zambia National Service tour a warehouse for the future location of the National Disaster Risk Management Division during the Domestic Response Workshop near the border of Lusaka, Zambia, June 9, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the NCNG State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 6 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - Ryan Kenney, North Carolina Emergency Management deputy branch manager of emergency services, left, explains the NCEM program during the Domestic Response Workshop at the Zambia Army Headquarters, Lusaka, Zambia, June 9, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 7 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron Youngblood, North Carolina National Guard chief of domestic operations, center, shares highlights of the NCNG's state active-duty assignments and domestic operations training for 2025 during the Domestic Response Workshop at the Zambia Army Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, June 8, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the NCNG State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 8 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - U.S. Army Lt. Col. Andrew P. DeLaney, 60th Troop Command deputy brigade commander, discusses logistical considerations for troops and equipment before a disaster during the Domestic Response Workshop at the Zambia Army Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, June 10, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation, and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL 9 / 9 Show Caption + Hide Caption - U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the North Carolina National Guard and representatives from the Botswana Defence Force, Malawi Defence Force, Zambian Defence Force, Zambia National Service and National Disaster Risk Mangement Division, pose for a group photo with the guest of honor, Norman Chipakupaku, National Disaster Risk Management Division national coordinator, center, at the Zambia Army Headquarters, Lusaka, Zambia, June 12, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the Domestic Response Workshop served as the NCNG State Partnership Program's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation, and emergency management. (Photo Credit: Senior Airman Zeno Kang) VIEW ORIGINAL

HLUSAKA, Zambia - Representatives from the North Carolina National Guard, Botswana, Malawi, Moldova and Zambia gathered for the North Carolina State Partnership Program Domestic Response Workshop at Zambia Army Headquarters June 8-12.

Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop marked the first time a Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program partner nation with North Carolina hosted a multinational event on its own soil. Moldova participated virtually.

The workshop highlighted each nation's past disaster responses, civilian-military collaboration and opportunities for regional disaster preparedness and future cooperation.

"This is the first time we have had an opportunity to gather five partner nations in one location outside of the United States," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron Youngblood, North Carolina National Guard chief of domestic operations. "It was an amazing opportunity for us to come together in Zambia and focus on something different from what we experienced when we hosted it in North Carolina."

The discussions highlighted a growing emphasis on preparedness, mitigation and emergency management rather than responding only after disasters occur.

"The frequency and intensity of disasters are continuously increasing," said Ryan Kenney, North Carolina Emergency Management deputy branch manager of emergency services. "Our partners are taking a proactive approach to emergency management rather than reacting to a disaster."

Throughout the workshop, participants shared after-action reports from past disasters, exchanged lessons learned and discussed interagency coordination frameworks between civilian and military agencies.

Representatives found that despite geographic differences, they face similar disaster challenges, including floods and droughts.

"Disasters do not respect borders, whether you are prepared or not," Youngblood said. "They happen, and there are many commonalities among the nations we are partnered with."

While each nation operates under different domestic response structures, participants agreed that continued collaboration and information sharing are essential to improving disaster preparedness.

For the Zambian government, hosting the workshop provided an opportunity to deepen relationships with its SPP partners and strengthen regional disaster response networks.

"We launched the partnership [with North Carolina in 2024] and agreed that we would share information," said Norman Chipakupaku, National Disaster Response Management Division national coordinator. "This workshop came at the right time. We want to continue sharing experiences, prepare for future disasters and help build resilience within our countries."

As the partner nations concluded the workshop, representatives emphasized the growing multinational relationships through the North Carolina State Partnership Program and their shared commitment to building resilient communities with a common understanding of disaster preparedness and response.

"This highlights the importance of the partnership and Zambia's ownership to host an event like this," said U.S. Army Col. Patrick Szvetitz, North Carolina National Guard director of strategic plans and policy. "The maturity of our State Partnership Program is evident during this workshop, where Zambia can host four countries in person and one virtually to improve our emergency response to the people we serve."