BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - In a story April 11 about the military partnership between the Ghanaian Armed Forces and North Dakota’s National Guard, The Associated Press incorrectly spelled the name of the Guard’s commander on the fourth reference. His last name is Sprynczynatyk, not Sprynvzynatyk.
A corrected version of the story is below:
North Dakota, Ghana celebrate 10-year partnership
Military leaders from North Dakota and Ghana celebrate 10-year partnership at Capitol
By KEVIN BURBACH
Associated Press
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The head of the Ghanaian Armed Forces used to have trouble pronouncing the name of North Dakota’s National Guard commander. So, like many before him, he called Major Gen. David Sprynczynatyk simply “General Spry.”
Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie says it’s become easier the longer he’s known Sprynczynatyk. The two led a ceremony Friday at the North Dakota State Capitol to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of their forces’ partnership.
The North Dakota National Guard and the Ghanaian Armed Forces have worked together through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program to foster military, economic and cultural ideas in order to grow each other’s communities.
“It feels good to know the people of Ghana welcome us, respect us, and that’s we’ve done the exact same thing here” Sprynczynatyk said after the ceremony.
Last week, North Dakota also signed similar partnership agreements with the Republic of Benin and the Togolese Republic.
Sprynczynatyk said the partnership with Ghana began for several reasons more than a decade ago. Chief among them was that Ghana was looking to develop its oil resources in the near future, which was an enticing prospect for North Dakota.
The general said the partnership quickly evolved into more civilian areas, such as health care and emergency preparedness.
Fargo and Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health has opened clinics in Ghana, partly because of the military relationship, and the North Dakota National Guard has traveled to Ghana often to learn about how the African nation prepares for natural disasters.
Quashie said his country is exploring new security measures as it continues to grow and wants to learn from North Dakota.
“We’ve started talking about (unmanned aerial vehicles), which are fairly new for us, but with which North Dakota has great experience,” he said. “We hope that experience will come to bear on us again,” he said.
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