Building international partnerships
Col. David Cochran, 167th Airlift Wing commander, meets with Col. Hamed Al-Gahtani, deputy commander for the Qatari Emiri Air Force Airlift Wing, Jan. 30, 2019, in Al Udied, Qatar. Cochran was attending the U.S. Central Command Security Cooperation Round Table event and met with the colonel prior to an upcoming West Virginia/Qatar State Partnership Program meeting. The West Virginia National Guard began the partnership with Qatar in April 2018. Through the partnership, the WVNG seeks to increase military and diplomatic cooperation, develop and expand defense capabilities and mutually beneficial training interactions. “The 167th AW is excited about the partnership and looks forward to growing the relationship with the QEAF,” Cochran said.