Nevada National Guard’s senior ranking officer, Maj. Gen. D. Rodger Waters, Nevada’s 31st Adjutant General, met with Samoan Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt as part of a five-day visit to Samoa. The visit on behalf of the National Guard State Partnership Program is focused on building natural disaster response capabilities in Samoa and around the region.

Maj. Gen. Waters will discuss continued collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA), Samoa Police, Prisons and Corrections Services (SPPCS), Samoa Disaster Management Office (DMO) and other emergency response agencies in the nation.

“We value our longstanding friendship and cooperation with Samoa on issues from disaster preparedness and law enforcement to health cooperation and education exchanges,” Waters said. “The United States is a Pacific nation, and Samoa and the United States are neighbors and friends and have mutual interests in this region’s security and prosperity.”

The visit will help share information between the Nevada National Guard and Samoan officials in preparation for Samoa’s Disaster Response Exercise planned for 2027.

The Nevada State Partnership Program activities with Samoa are part of a broader effort to provide professional training and disaster preparedness support around the world. “The Nevada National Guard is proud to lead security efforts in Nevada and around the world,” Waters said. “We protect communities at home and support the nation when called upon. We are experts in responding to natural disasters, emergencies, and times of crisis. We also work with countries like Samoa to support peace and stability and to be prepared for natural disasters when they happen.”

END.

Photos by the Government of Samoa