A warm greeting

Lt. Col. John T. Rojas bilateral affairs officer, U.S. Embassy and Col. Lee Hartley, 134th Air Refueling Wing commander greet at Sophia Airport, Bulgaria, before participating in a media flight aboard a KC-135R Stratotanker, assigned to the 134th ARW, Tennessee Air National Guard, during exercise Saber Guardian 19, June 14, 2019. The flight began at Sofia Airport, Bulgaria, and flew into Romania, where media were able to view the refueling of a C-17 Globemaster III, assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, after the C-17 dropped equipment and Army paratroopers as part of exercise Swift Response 19. Both exercises promote regional stability and security, while increasing readiness, strengthening partner capabilities and fostering trust. The combined training opportunities that the exercise provides greatly improve interoperability among participating allies and partners.