Our Allies and Strategic Partners

Our Allies and Strategic Partners, the Pentagon, and White House officials throw these words out a lot. What do they mean? I have a basic understanding of the words but they sort of have the same meaning don't they? They do! When we hear our Defense Department officials use these words, they are very careful about how they use them. How so? In the world of international relations, they have two different meanings.

Alliances

Where we have alliances, we have formal agreements with other countries. Agreements in national defense that other countries promise they will support each other, especially during a war. The U.S. is in alliance with NATO -- the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NORAD -- the North American Aerospace Defense Command (with Canada), ANZUS -- Australia, New Zealand and U.S. Security Treaty, and the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship -- Which is America's oldest unbroken treaty.

Documents that make alliances official are treaties, aka "treaty ally." Boundaries, human rights, and trading rules set the rules for treaties.

Partnerships

Often called "strategic partners", not as formal as alliances, partnerships help organize and build trustworthy relations with other nations or organizations. Partnerships benefit members, but don't involve any treaties - they can also be short-termed.

Our DOD -- Department of Defense is in partnership with many other countries and foreign militaries in a military-to-military exchange agreement to help each other build a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship. It is advantageous for the U.S. to be in these partnerships.

There is much more to understand about our national Alliances and Partnerships, way too much for me to offer here. However, out of my own curiosity with these terminologies, I researched and wrote this very brief explanation to help you and me have a little better understanding of these words since we hear them so often in the national news. This information and $4.75 will get you a cup of plain coffee at Starbucks!

Comments

Secret Codes of Your Flight Crew

Maybe you have been on a commercial flight and overheard your flight crew use some kind of weird "code-talk". They do this when they need to communicate with each other without the passengers knowing what they are talking about. Could be harmless chatter among themselves or it could be something a lot more serious. Here are 10 examples of their interesting "secret code-talk". 1. "Deadhead": A crew member who is traveling as a passenger only - not on duty. 2. "Slam-click": When a crew member stays in their hotel room until it's time to fly. 3. "Code-bravo": Flight crew uses this term to distract passengers while they may be attempting to take care of a serious problem. 4. "Air pocket": A nice way of saying hold on to your drinks, bumpy ride coming up! 5. "The sin bin": Coming into Vegas? No, it's the area your plane is holding in while waiting to takeoff. 6. "Blue-Juice": Tropical drink? Nope! It is ...

"We Need Life Flight!"

"We need Life Flight!" Desperate words when lives are in serious danger! It happens, all too often, especially in bad weather, traffic accidents or when a family member suffers a stroke or has seriously injured themselves. Memorial Hermann Life Flight is based in Houston, Texas and provides critical care medical air transport services within 150-mile radius of the Texas Medical Center located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1976 by James "Red" Duke, MD the service operates around the clock - weather permitting - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Life Flight is able to transport up to two patients at a time, with each flight staffed by highly skilled personnel and equipped with advanced emergency equipment and necessary medications. There is so much more to know about Memorial Hermann Life Flight you will enjoy visiting their web page which I provide here. ( My accurate source of this important information and yours.) https://memorialhermann.org/services/specialties/tr...

Get away to New Iberia

Founded by Spaniards in 1779 on the banks of the Bayou Teche, New Iberia eventually became home to French settlers known as Acadians, who had been driven from Nova Scotia by British troops. The Acadians, who in their new home became known as Cajuns. When my dad, who worked for an oil company, got transferred to New Iberia from Houston, we had to move from the big city to this small country town in south Louisiana. A culture shock for me! I was 15 years old back then and had to leave all my friends back home in Houston. I eventually, made new ones in my new "hometown." It was tough! However, I wound up loving New Iberia and all my new Cajun friends. My mother was a nurse; she found work with the Jefferson Island Salt Co. on nearby Avery Island - it was one of the biggest employers in the area at the time. How do you get to New Ib...

What's Up Melton?

Search This Blog