The California National Guard's state partnership with Ukraine began in 1993,justtwo years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, the partnership has always been critical because of the country's influence in Eastern Europe and its strategic location along Russia's border and the Black Sea. Though strong now, there was initial concern, "maybe even skepticism, up front about what to expect from one another," said Lt. Col. Jon Siepmann, one of the California Guard's State Partnership Program directors. Those serving in the military in the late 1980s vividly remembered training for a potential conflict against the Soviet Union "and then next thing you know you're in former Soviet territory working with a new partner," said Siepmann.
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