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The World Trade Organization ruled Friday local time that Korea can impose annual trade

sanctions of 85 million U.S. dollars on the U.S. after challenging U.S. anti-dumping and

anti-subsidy tariffs on washing machines.

This comes after Seoul complained to the WTO that the U.S. had not lifted tariffs to comply

with a WTO ruling in 2016, and demanded the right to impose its own sanctions in return.

In 2013, the U.S. Commerce Department, prompted by U.S. home appliance maker Whirlpool Corporation,

imposed anti-dumping duties of around 10 percent on washers made by Korean companies like Samsung

Electronics and LG Electronics.

This WTO arbitration panel ruling is separate from the Trump Administration's recent safeguard

measures against Korean washers and solar cells imposed in January 2018.

For more infomation >> S. Korea can impose US$ 85 mil. tariffs annually against U.S. over washing machines: WTO - Duration: 0:57.

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Saudi Arabia Is Sending US-Made Weapons To Our Enemies - Duration: 5:35.

According to an explosive new investigation by CNN, weapons that the United States has

been selling to, Saudi Arabia are finding their way to the hands of what is essentially

our enemies over there in the Middle East and it's not an accident.

It's not Saudi Arabia accidentally leaving these weapons on their porch overnight and

waking up to find them stolen.

It's actively happening as the Saudi Arabian government seeks to curry favor with these

factions who happen to be enemies of the United States including Al Qaeda and they are brokering

deals and giving them these weapons, selling them these weapons, which is a violation of

the agreement that the United States and Saudi Arabia have.

We say, we will, so you are weapons.

You will pay us for these weapons and those weapons remain with you.

That is the deal, but now we find out according to this massive investigation, and I encourage

everyone, by the way, the link to it's in the description of this video.

It is an incredibly long piece, but take the time to read it.

Take the time to read it twice if you have to.

It is that important because what we've learned now, something a lot of us have suspected

and been saying for a very long time, is that Saudi Arabia is not our ally.

Saudi Arabians are not our friends.

At least the government's not.

Saudi Arabia is all about money.

They're all about weapons.

They're all about power.

They're all about oppression and these weapons that they are buying from the United States

and then selling to our enemies are what's being used right now in Yemen to kill children,

to kill people, fleeing violence, to force millions in the malnutrition and starvation

and again, according to this investigation, they're selling these to al Qaeda.

They're selling them to a rainy and backed a militants.

They're selling them to the a Salafi militants, all groups fighting in Yemen, killing civilians.

You know those missiles that we hear about coming from a these militia groups, killing

children, killing them on the school bus targeting civilians, trying to flee the country.

Those are made here in the United States.

Those are our weapons.

We.

We sent them to Saudi Arabia because we thought for sure Saudi Arabia have never break that

deal.

There are good buddies.

Of course they're not.

I mean here had take all these weapons.

Don't they?

Don't let that guy use it.

He's a bad guy.

Saudi Arabia says, okay, yeah, you can trust us.

Yeah, we're not going to do anything, and then they turn around and they're selling

these same us back weapons, killing children, killing women, killing refugees, and killing

American soldiers with our own weapons.

That's what's happening.

Saudi Arabia is not our friend.

We need to immediately and irrevocably and our relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Tell them we're not going to buy your oil.

We're not going to help you.

We're not going to be your ally.

We're not going to age.

You were not going to sell you another God damn thing because everything we do for you,

you turn around and use that money to spread hatred and misery and depression and death.

That is what the Saudi Arabian government is all about right now.

It's what they've been all about for many decades now in the United States has sat quietly

by aiding and abetting them because they buy a lot of weaponry from us.

They buy a lot of weapons from us that keeps us going.

It makes us feel big and tough.

We're selling weapons, were selling guns and these massively armored vehicles and then

our troops, our kids, our parents, brothers and sisters, family members, friends.

They're the ones who go over there and then they get killed with those same weapons that

we thought for sure Saudi Arabia was going to hold onto because they were good faith

negotiators and they would never break our deal.

The truth is the exact opposite.

They will do anything to make money.

They will do anything to harm their enemies even if it means violating our agreements

and even if it means getting civilians and children and US soldiers killed along the

way, they don't care.

Something has to be done because Saudi Arabia is not going to change the only country that

we can change his hours and hopefully this issue, the atrocities that weird now realize

we're funding and providing the the weaponry for over in Yemen.

This needs to be a bigger issue in the 20 slash 20 campaigns and we need a democratic

nominee who says that not only are we going to put an end to any US involvement over there

other than humanitarian aid, but we're ending our relationship with Saudi Arabia and we

will never do business with them again ever.

For more infomation >> Saudi Arabia Is Sending US-Made Weapons To Our Enemies - Duration: 5:35.

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BREAKING , ICE Arrest Illegal Immigrants, Migrant Caravan Trying To Illegally Cross US Border - Duration: 11:45.

For more infomation >> BREAKING , ICE Arrest Illegal Immigrants, Migrant Caravan Trying To Illegally Cross US Border - Duration: 11:45.

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Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Testifies To An Audience Of One | Deadline | MSNBC - Duration: 21:04.

For more infomation >> Attorney General Matthew Whitaker Testifies To An Audience Of One | Deadline | MSNBC - Duration: 21:04.

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Russia summons US diplomat accusing Washington of breaking collapsed INF Treaty - DAILY NEWS - Duration: 3:51.

Russia summons US diplomat accusing Washington of breaking collapsed INF Treaty

RUSSIA has summoned a US diplomatic representative to Moscow after accusing America of breaking

the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) as the fallout from America's

decision to withdraw from the accord escalates.

Last week the US announced it wants to tear up the landmark 1987 agreement which aims

to keep intermediate and long range missiles out of Europe.

Donald Trump has accused Vladimir Putin of violating the 30-year-old treaty by stationing

Novator 9M729 missiles in territory banned by the deal and gave the Kremlin a 60-day

ultimatum to move the warheads.

That demand expired last weekend after Russia held firm and said the range limit of the

controversial missile does not contravene the INF Treaty triggering a six-month countdown

before the accord is binned.

As both sides attempt to blame the other for the Treaty's breakdown, the Kremlin today

accused America of also breaching the deal.

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) summoned the US military attaché in Moscow to demand

America gets rid of its cruise missile launchpads and attack drones in Europe.

Russia's MoD added in doing so the US would return to compliance with the INF Treaty and

the deal could be saved.

It says the launchpads and drones fit the definition of a "land-based cruise missile"

under a different form defined by the 80s deal which was signed by Soviet leader Mikhail

Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan.

Russian state-owned media quoted defence authorities as saying the US must "destroy its Mk-41

universal launchers, designed for launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and target missiles".

The Russian MoD added that it "categorically denies groundless claims of Russia violating

its obligations under the treaty".

Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkovm said "the US accusations are false".

However America believes the Novator 9M729 missiles have a range between 500 and 5,500km,

making them illegal under the treaty.

On Saturday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said America has been breaking the

treaty for more than two decades.

He said: "The United States has been violating the treaty since 1999, when it started testing

combat unmanned aerial vehicles that have the same characteristics as land-based cruise

missiles banned by the treaty."

"These launchers are fully suitable, as they are for Tomahawk intermediate-range attack

missiles."

US officials have repeatedly denied Russia's allegation.

This week, Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Rybakov threatened Washington by saying

it should not seek to contain Moscow's military power after President Putin said he would

"mirror" America after the collapse of the INF Treaty.

Mr Rybakov told Russia's state-owned TASS news agency: "It is vital to conclude that

measures for Russia's military containment will be taken and they will be very tough."

"We will respond to them in a tit-for-tat manner."

"But colleagues who are now dwelling on how to seriously sting Russia must comprehend

all this."

For more infomation >> Russia summons US diplomat accusing Washington of breaking collapsed INF Treaty - DAILY NEWS - Duration: 3:51.

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Elizabeth Warren: 'I Am A Candidate For President Of The United States Of America' - Duration: 3:25.

For more infomation >> Elizabeth Warren: 'I Am A Candidate For President Of The United States Of America' - Duration: 3:25.

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Deadly disease sweeping US is turning deer into 'zombies' - Duration: 2:45.

 A so-called 'zombie deer disease' is spreading across North America, a new report has warned

 The deadly infection attacks a deer's nervous system, causing them to become aggressive and rapidly lose weight and coordination

 They eventually die after the illness, which is formally known as chronic wasting disease (CWD), attacks the brain, spinal cord, and other tissues

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) attacks the deer's brain, spinal cord, and other tissues (File picture: Getty) The deadly infection attacks a deer's nervous system, causing them to become aggressive and rapidly lose weight and coordination (File picture: Getty) The 'zombie deer disease' has drawn parallels with the devastating outbreak of mad cow disease that swept across the UK in the mid-1990s, but no evidence has so far suggested humans can contract it by eating infected meat

 The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the disease has now swept to 24 states in the US as of January 2019

Advertisement Advertisement  CWD was found in captive deer in the late 1960s, but it was later discovered in wild deer in 1981

 It was first identified in Colorado in central US but soon spread to Wyoming and other states, including states in the Midwest, Southwest, and areas on the East Coast

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The disease has spread to deer across 24 states in the US (Picture: CDC) 'It is possible that CWD may also occur in other states without strong animal surveillance systems, but that cases haven't been detected yet,' the CDC says

 'Once CWD is established in an area, the risk can remain for a long time in the environment

The affected areas are likely to continue to expand.'  CWD earned its 'zombie' nickname from an infected animal's vacant stare and the way their body physically wastes away

 Despite no evidence suggesting CWD is transmissible to humans, a study found macaques could get the disease after consuming infected meat

 This sparked fears that a new variant of the 'zombie deer disease' could soon affect humans that eat infected game

Got a story for Metro.co.uk?  If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk

 You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Advertisement Advertisement

For more infomation >> Deadly disease sweeping US is turning deer into 'zombies' - Duration: 2:45.

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U.S. Heightens Attacks on Taliban in Push Toward Peace in Afghanistan The New York Times - Duration: 7:02.

U.S. Heightens Attacks on Taliban in Push Toward Peace in Afghanistan The New York Times

By and

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has stepped up airstrikes and special operations raids in Afghanistan to the highest levels since 2014 in what Defense Department officials described as a coordinated series of attacks on Taliban leaders and fighters.

The surge, which began during the fall, is intended to give American negotiators leverage in peace talks with the Taliban after President Trump said he would begin withdrawing troops and wind down the nearly 18 year war.

The campaign appears to have registered with the militants: During negotiations, the Taliban complained bitterly about the torrent of airstrikes, according to two senior Afghan officials who have spoken to Zalmay Khalilzad, the American special envoy who is leading the talks.

They say they have learned from their mistakes of the past, Mr. Khalilzad said in a speech on Friday in Washington. He said the Taliban did not want to be a pariah state and had told him that they did not see a military solution to the conflict.

The military strategy, devised by Gen. Austin S. Miller, the current commander of the American led mission in Afghanistan, is similar to past attempts to bleed the militant group. But it is tied to a more specific ambition, coming as the United States is negotiating directly with the Taliban.

Last year, the United States dropped more than 7,000 bombs, missiles and other munitions on extremists in Afghanistan — up from 2,365 in 2014, military data show. Since September alone, the United States has launched about 2,100 air and artillery strikes in Afghanistan.

Additionally, American and Afghan commandos more than doubled the number of joint raids conducted from September to early February, compared with the same five month period a year earlier, the military data show. Generally, the joint forces conduct dozens of raids each month.

And on Friday, reports of attacks on Taliban by Afghan and American units surfaced from Kandahar, Helmand and Nangarhar — including one that killed two low level Taliban commanders and another that killed a Taliban intelligence chief.

The increase in lethal operations is not without cost to both American and Afghan forces.

In January, two American commandos were killed, and about two dozen have been wounded since General Miller took command in September — about as many as during the same period the year before, said two Defense Department officials who described the campaign only on the condition of anonymity.

And Defense Department officials said a steady rise of support in funding and small arms to the Taliban — from Iran and Russia — could complicate not only the American military strategy but also larger peace efforts.

This week, a Taliban delegation and Afghan politicians were among 50 negotiators . It was the most significant contact between senior Afghan leaders and the Taliban since the United States toppled the Islamist extremists after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

As the White House pushes to end the war, officials said General Miller has focused the relatively small number of American commandos in Afghanistan on killing the Taliban and its leaders. It is a strategy he has pursued throughout a career in the commando forces, including his last job as head of the shadowy Joint Special Operations Command.

In December, as the peace negotiations were continuing, Mr. Trump the 14,000 American forces in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, a Taliban official, Abdul Salam Hanafi, said in Moscow that the American negotiators had promised to withdraw 7,000 troops by April, a timeline that American diplomats and military officials based in Kabul have denied.

Ultimately, military officials said, American counterterrorism forces could remain in Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of other troops, continuing to pursue the Islamic State or the hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters still there. In the current calculations for a peace deal, the Taliban could take part in future Afghan governments but must agree to not let terrorist groups plan and launch attacks from Afghan soil.

Mr. Khalilzad said the United States hoped to complete a peace agreement before Afghan presidential elections scheduled for July. That was a shift from his earlier prediction that a deal could be achieved by April.

We have a long way to go, he said. What we have achieved so far is significant, but these are two or three small steps in a long journey.

Earlier military strategies to defeat the Taliban have been abandoned, including that have served as a key part of their financial pipeline, according to current and former military officials who have served in Afghanistan.

Those plans were devised after Mr. Trump in August 2017. But they lost momentum after two of its main architects — Gen. John Nicholson and Brig. Gen. Lance R. Bunch — left Afghanistan in yet another example of the stop and go strategies from Washington throughout the war.

Instead, General Miller is gathering reconnaissance aircraft, artillery, air support and American and Afghan commandos against pockets of Taliban fighters spread across the country. In recent SecDef weekly updates to the acting defense secretary, Patrick M. Shanahan, military officials said General Miller had highlighted the increasing number of Taliban fighters killed.

Everything we do is focused on denying safe haven to terrorists — whether that be setting conditions for a political settlement with the Taliban, raiding alongside our Afghan partners or striking and killing ISIS and Al Qaeda, said Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for the American led military mission in Afghanistan.

Taking place during Afghanistans colder months, the increased assaults have helped keep the Taliban engaged in peace talks while giving the beleaguered Afghan military time to regroup.

One senior Defense Department official said the Afghan militarys performance during each summertime fighting season since 2014 was worrying; if they continue, staggering casualties might point to a possible fracturing among the Afghan security forces.

Last month, President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan said since he took office in 2014 — a much higher total than his government had previously acknowledged.

The fighting season in Afghanistan begins in the spring, coinciding with the end of the annual poppy harvest, and runs through the summer. The Taliban briefly seized control of Ghazni Province in August.

Attacking the Taliban through the winter, the senior Defense Department official added, could force the militant group to spend the spring and summer reconstituting its forces instead of attacking towns and cities.

We want to prolong these operations because it really brings the Taliban momentum down and decreases insurgents coordinated attacks against our security forces, said Dadullah Qani, a member of the Farah provincial council.

But the Taliban have also struck back with attacks against outposts and police checkpoints. In late January, Taliban fighters overran an Afghan intelligence base in Wardak Province, killing dozens in what Afghan officials said was one of the deadliest assaults against the intelligence service of the war.

The ramped up attacks against the Taliban come as the American military is also trying to fight the Islamic State in Khorasan, as the groups affiliate in Afghanistan calls itself. Khorasan fighters have been firmly rooted in the countrys mountainous east since 2015 and their forces have steadily grown.

The strategy against the Taliban serves as a reminder of the American militarys attempt to keep the North Vietnamese involved in peace talks in the early 1970s.

In 1972, the military launched an extensive bombing campaign around Hanoi and Haiphong, known as Operation Linebacker II, after North Vietnamese leaders rejected new diplomatic demands from the United States and South Vietnam and refused to set a date for further talks.

Some historians believe that the 11 days of bombing brought the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table. But the United States also made a series of concessions, which likely helped.

In Afghanistan, at the last minute, were tripling down on all of our worst instincts of the past with hope it turns out differently, said Jason Dempsey, who served as an Army infantry officer in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

For more infomation >> U.S. Heightens Attacks on Taliban in Push Toward Peace in Afghanistan The New York Times - Duration: 7:02.

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City of Peñitas, Oldest Settlement in the United States? - Duration: 3:08.

For more infomation >> City of Peñitas, Oldest Settlement in the United States? - Duration: 3:08.

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Lakeland Currents 1214 - Camp Ripley : U.S. - Norway Reciprocal Troop Exchange - Duration: 27:42.

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Lakeland Currents you public affairs

program for north central Minnesota produced by

Lakeland PBS with host Ray Gildow.

Production funding for Lakeland Currents is made possible by Bemidji

Regional Airport serving the region with daily flights to the Minneapolis-

St. Paul International Airport. More information available at bemidjiairport.org.

Closed captioning for Lakeland

Currents is sponsored by Nisswa Tax Service. Tax

preparation for businesses and individuals online at

nisswatax.com. Ray Gildow: Hello again

everyone and welcome to Lakeland Currents where tonight we're doing something

we've done before in our 12 year history. We're

going to interview folks from Camp Ripley. And if you're at all

familiar with central Minnesota you know that somewhere between Little

Falls and Brainerd is a pretty good size

military training camp. If you're not a

military person with a military background you probably have never stepped foot on

this place. But it's a very, very interesting

well managed property. If you're a

deer hunter you may also have been there because there are people that go there

and go bow hunting. But I'd like to welcome my two guests

this evening who are from Camp Ripley. And first

to my right is Staff Sergeant

Tishel Schwegel [Yes]. I'm saying that right? And

[You are] you are the Senior Culinary Specialist

I Company 134th

Brigade Support Battalion. I'll get it out yet.

[laughing] And to her right is Chief

Warrant Officer Andrew Bachman, Chief Warrant Officer

3. [Correct] And it's important to have those numbers. And he's a Minnesota

National Guard Quarter Master. Andrew: That is correct, Sir. Ray: And

maybe we could start out with a little bit about your backgrounds.

Where you came from and how you got into

what you're doing now before we talk about the camp.

Tishel: I'm originally from Roseau, Minnesota.

I joined when I was a junior in high school, back in

2002. [Wow] So I have been in for 16 years.

Currently working with the

J4 office as the state food service

program manager. Ray: Great and

you've been how long at Camp Ripley? Tishel: I started

as a technician about a year and a half ago.

Ray: So when you....you think

you'll finish your career there? [Absolutely] Okay.

And how about you? Andrew: So I have been in

the National Guard since 1995. I enlisted

as a senior in high school. And

from there I've been with a unit in

Northfield down at Division Aviation

Brigade in the cities. And in 2007 I was

transferred up to Camp Ripley. And I've been up here

full time ever since as the State Quarter Master. Ray: Well lets talk a little bit about

the size of the camp and whose there. Whose

working there year round? Andrew: So year round

it fluctuates employee wise. But give or take year round there's about

800 employees full time. Only the

General and his family live full time as far as

on post. Everybody else comes and goes.

And the camp itself I believe is approximately

53,000 square acres. And predominately most of it is

training area. Ray: Is the camp growing at all?

Andrew: It is growing in the last few years

substantially. Even since I started there in 2007

a tremendous amount of building additions.

A lot of the old aluminum sheds that we've

had out there when we first started that we...

bivouacked in or whatever at annual training. A lot of those are gone

now replaced with more modern facilities. Ray: How about

land wise. Does the state still purchase property

for Camp Ripley or is that pretty much locked in?

Andrew: They do. They have a program called A-CUB

and I don't know exactly how it works but

they do occasionally purchase land

around Camp Ripley as a buffer. And I'm not

exactly sure how they do do that. But I know they still do that.

The environmental team works with that [inaudible] Ray: And you have

visitors that come from military groups

from not only America but from around the world.

Well at least from Norway. [Absolutely] And

how many do you have any idea how many soldiers

go through that camp in a typical year in the summertime?

Andrew: Well as far as National Guard I would say

it can fluctuate anywhere from

a few thousand to all the way up to I've heard numbers

somewhere around 10,000, 12,000,

10,000 person range for a training season. Ray: Wow, wow.

And in your role in the culinary fields

are you responsible to help feed all those people then?

Tishel: We do have a central dining

facility. And we do have a full time staff person

Staff Sergeant Christianson, she actually

kind of operates the National Guard side of that but then

they do also serve any other entities

that would be coming to Camp Ripley. So I know they do have

high numbers that they feed there as well. We would help them

with any type of MRA request.

Or if they have anything coming from

DLA which would be like the UGR Heat And Serves, we would

help with that aspect of it. Ray: So the

800 people that are working there, do they eat in... that mess hall then?

Or do they all have responsibilities they

figure that out on their own? Tishel: There are

some people who do go to the central dining facility

but I would say most of the time we eat

at the snack shop or they do bring

meals up to the tack which is where a lot of

the employees are for AGR staff.

And a lot of people probably bring their own.

Ray: Yeah. It's interesting. So one of the topics

that we want to talk about today is the Norway

Reciprocal Troop Exchange. And it's called

NOREX. Is that the correct

acronym for that? [Correct] And what is NOREX?

Andrew: So NOREX in a nutshell

started in 1974 between

Norwegian Major General Nygaard and

American at the time the National Guard Chief

Major General Greenlief. And it basically started

as a handshake as a cultural exchange.

So their soldiers would come here and train with us, American

soldiers. And the American soldiers would go to Norway

and train with Norwegian soldiers. And it

currently I believe is the longest allied exchange

of all the exchanges that the military does.

Ray: So they come typically like what July, August?

Or do they come in the winter time? Andrew: We've alternated.

Sometimes they come in the summer. Sometimes they come in the winter.

From what I've been told for future NOREX'S

were going to kind of continue with that winter theme.

Ray: And do you send troops

then to Norway... and reciprocate with

that? Andrew: We do. We send approximately 100 soldiers over

there too. Ray: And then is that like usually a two week assignment?

[Yes] Ray: Okay. And then what do they do when they're over there?

Andrew: So when they're over there they do

the military training. So we have all that

aspects, winter operations. And then they'll

also experience the cultural aspects in a way.

Ray: Have either of you been involved in that exchange? Andrew: I wish.

Ray: Not quite yet. Tishel: I'm actually gonna be part of it this year. Ray: So you'll get to

go to Norway. Tishel: Correct. Ray: And what month will you be going?

Tishel: We will be going in February. Ray: So, it's probably gonna

be winter there too, isn't it? Tishel: Yes. Ray: [laughs] It's not like you could've gone

to Florida or something. [No] Enjoy some warm weather.

And in your area then, what will you be doing when you go over there?

Tishel: I will be the...food service

person that goes along. I am in charge of the

American meal when we are over there. From my understanding

they do a Norwegian meal where they bring all of their

typical foods that they have. And then we will be

bringing I believe the....Trolling for Troops

is a big sponsor with Mancini

Steaks down in Minneapolis area. [Really?] And they donate

the steak meal for us to bring over there.

So we will be bringing steaks and potatoes

and I actually am

friends with the cook who went last year and she said they

look forward to the steaks the most

and apparently they are big for sweet tooth. So we're gonna bring

over a lot of desserts this year. Ray: It's a small world I

was with the person last summer who did that.

With the Mancini steaks. [Oh ok] One of the

people that work with that program and he was talking about that, that's pretty interesting.

Tishel: Yeah they give us the opportunity to go down there and learn how

to cook their steaks and....bring all of that knowledge

over to Norway. Ray: So do you do this...do you

bivouac at all? Are you out in the field during some of this? Or are

you on one of their military sites, in one of their mess halls?

Tishel: From my understanding we do go to basically like one of their

camp areas and they do take us...

down range or out in the field and

the stories that I have heard...I guess we

get to ski the mountain. So I guess I've never skied uphill

before. So that will be great training and something fun to

learn. Ray: Physically challenging, I'll bet yeah. Tishel: Yes, so

and I know that they do what's called like a buddy weekend.

Where the soldiers are allowed to go and learn

the different cultures over in Norway. I believe they do

that here as well. I know there have been a couple families who have

done that and they said it's a lot of fun. Ray: So do you fly over

in military planes when you're doing this? Tishel: I believe this

year we are flying commercial. Ray: Oh that'll be nice. [Yes] Better

than riding in some of those cargo planes. [Yes]

So it's a unique event. And you talked a

little bit how it got started with just a hand shake.

And is there....what else is interesting about

the history of this? What's happened over the years that you've been doing

this that might be of interest to people? Andrew: Well I think

you know initially I think it was more of a cultural exchange.

And throughout...and this is just some of the stories I've been told..this will be my

4th NOREX participating state side.

And what I've learned is it's become

they really kind of increased the mission or the op

tempo as we would call it. So like the training portion of

it is probably increased dramatically. Ray: So how many people

are typically involved? Are you gonna take a company

over? Andrew: So, there's approximately a hundred that go over

and a hundred that come over here. And then we have approximately

150 support staff here to support those

Norwegians. Ray: Interesting. Does everybody

in the camp take part of this in some way or another or no?

Andrew: Not everybody in camp. Camp Ripley operations

continues to function for other individuals that are using

the camp for different reasons. Cause there are different training facilities

there being used at all times of the year.

So we allocate those individuals well in advance

so they know they're going to be participating in the exchange

and those individuals will support it.

Ray: Does anybody speak Norwegian?

[laughter] Tishel: I'm Polish background so I......

I'm... Ray: That's not gonna help. Tishel: I did download the translator

though for Norway so, when I get over there if I have any

questions I have help. Ray: So I suppose that is part of your training is that

you do have to have interpreters along with you, do you?

To....or no? Andrew: The Norwegians speak very good English. Ray: They all speak English.

So that's not an issue at all? Andrew: It is not an issue. Ray: And

you said here it takes about 150 people to

support this operation. [Correct] And what are those people all doing?

What are some of the roles that you see there? Andrew: We have everything

from the individuals that are the operations

[inaudible] that run everything, the glue that holds it together.

To the logistic staff which includes

everything from our cooks to our bus drivers

to the individuals that are in charge of the warehouses

to issue out winter gear. We have individuals that

mirror the Norwegians Senior

officers to show them around. So, liaisons

Senior Training Coordinators, we call them. Company

Commanders, Executive Officers. And then...

just individuals that help on the ranges.

They have a very important role. Everybody from safety officers

safety non-commission officers. To the individuals

that are actually running the machines.

Ray: So we talk about American meals

and select meals, what are those terms meaning?

Tishel: I guess I'm not

really understanding the select meals part?

Ray: I wrote part of the question we've got here, we hear a lot about

select meal, what are they for, I guess is the question.

Andrew: Like the American meal...or the Norwegian

meal. Tishel: We basically just do it as kind of like our

gift to them for letting us come over. Ray: Is our food?

Tishel: Correct. And this year we are

gonna be bringing a couple of addition items

with. They said they would like to try bison.

So we are going to do a couple different varieties of

bison for them. And then we are also going to bring walleye

with us over there. Ray: How are you finding walleyes? I can't find

them? [laughs] Tishel: We actually can get that

distributed from Cisco, which is where we will be ordering all of

our food from. Ray: So they typically wouldn't be eating

these kinds of American foods. And what kinds of foods

do you expect to run across in Norway?

Tishel: I was told that they have a

very large meal over there with a lot

of the seafood because they are right near the ocean

so there's lobster, crab

they don't do a lot of the white fish

like we have here. They're more of the salmon type

of fish, so. Ray: And not as much red meat probably obviously as we have. [Correct]

Tishel: And that's why they look forward to that steak every year. Ray: I bet they do

yeah. Um.....

what are some of the...what are you finding as similarities

when you get together with Norwegians? What are some of the similarities

that you've experienced? Andrew: So one of the cultural

similarities that I've picked out from almost right from

the get go on my first NOREX was the

Minnesota nice aspect that we always discuss here. And

I always kinda wondered where that came from. And

and when I met the Norwegians within

a few hours I realized that we share

that. And I always kinda when I explain

it to my family, do the joke like when I say

would you like this? And then you say, well no that's ok.

And then I say, well please take it. And then we go back

and forth maybe two or three times before I finally take your "no"

for what it is. [laughter] And...

I picked up on that right away. It's the same shtick

so to say. Ray: Similarity. Andrew: Absolutely. Ray: We have a lot of

Norwegians in Minnesota. [Correct] A lot of Norwegians in

central Minnesota, too. I'm kind of curious

both of you joined the guards in high school.

[Mmhmm] What was it that triggered that for

you, I'm kinda curious about that. Because in my era

when I joined it was mostly after

high school or after college or back

in my era there was a draft, too, for people that got in the draft.

But what attracted you guys to get into the military?

Andrew: You go first. Tishel: The reason why I joined

is up in Roseau we do have a lot of flooding.

And the National Guard was one of the

main sources that came and helped with a lot of

that and I wanted to make sure that I was part of that because

I cared about my community a lot, so that was one of the reasons.

And then the other benefit of it was

there was college assistance. So....

Ray: Which is a very important thing. Tishel: Yes, college is very

expensive. So that was another reason. And

I'll be honest, I really liked the uniform so

that was another reason why I decided to join. Ray: That's very cool.

Andrew: I had a grandfather that was in World War 2, another

grandfather that was served shortly thereafter in the

101st Airborne Division. And uncle

who was like an older brother to me who served in the

reserves when the reserves still had infantry. And

I grew up with the stories and I grew up with that aspect

of it. And as well as the college portion of it

that was a big deal as well. But, that

kind of all played a part in me joining. Ray: So Andrew, you were a junior

too in high school or were you a senior? Andrew: I was a senior. Ray: And you were a junior? Tishel: I was yes.

Ray: When you joined. And are you finding a lot

of guard members that are joining when they're in high school?

Is that still pretty common thing? Andrew: I believe so.

Absolutely. Ray: And when Camp Ripley serves

the training in the summer time....

do you know how many units come from outside of the

state of MInnesota? Andrew: You know, I couldn't

answer a specific amount. But it is a regional

training facility now. So we do get soldiers

from all over the mid west that come here and train.

As well as emergency management individuals

and as well as MNDOT for plow training and what not.

Ray: Is there still a.....camp

in Sparta, Wisconsin that you know of? Is that still operational?

Andrew: You know, I'm unsure. [Ok] I know

that there's Fort McCoy somewhere down there. Ray: That's...yeah that's it. Andrew: And they are still operl

but they would be federal as a fort and

then we are like...you know like a state owned

entity with federal dollars that comes in as well. [Right, right]

Ray: So getting back to the Norwegian thing again

do you see this going on

long term? Is it something that's just been beneficial to both

organizations so that they can keep doing this do you think?

I mean, I know you don't make the decisions for that but. Tishel: I would hope

so cause I mean we have a lot of soldiers that I

know that have gone and they really enjoy the experience

and the different training and just

the different culture so I would hope that they

would continue to do this.

Ray: Let's just talk a few minutes if you don't mind about some of

the other things that people see if they've never been to

Camp Ripley. What...kinds of buildings

what kinds of things are going on there? Because I know when

I was there back in the 60's it's changed a lot.

I know you have at least a museum.

I think of all the animals from Minnesota...isn't that

there somewhere, an educational center?

Andrew: There is. Ray: And what is that....for? What

is that educational center? Andrew: So that educational center

is in the training and community center.

And it...what it's for is I believe a lot of the students go there

and what not. And it's set up in such a way where

they can identify the animals the different

animals that are native to Minnesota. And then later

on they can pull out their worksheets and then they can see whether

or not they got them right or not. It's a very

it's an amazing training tool. I've been there, I've seen it because

the amount of animals they have in there is...

it's amazing. Ray: And you have....what

other kinds of buildings or facilities do you have at camp?

You're probably there all the time you don't think

about it. But for somebody that just comes in and isn't familiar

at all with the camp what would they see? Andrew: I think what they'd take away

is how modern it's become. Even since I've started

there a lot of the old buildings when you think the

old army with the old tin buildings or

green tents or what not have been replaced with

education centers with all the latest technology.

We can communicate with other

facilities as though we're right there in the meeting

no one has to drive anywhere with you know the

technologies that are embedded in all the facilities now.

The new style of barracks that are being

built are so much better than what they used to be.

One would even say that each individual soldier has a small

little bit of privacy that wouldn't have been afforded to a soldier

of maybe in the 1960's, 70's

or 80's or heck even when I started in the 90's.

So there's a lot of that that you'll see. And you'll notice

that the big take away that I see from Camp

Ripley is not only how modern it is but

how clean it is. I mean everything is

upkept so nice. And everything is taken care of.

And you don't see broken windows and you don't see decrepit buildings.

And which is a testament to the

state employees that maintain the facility. Ray: And you also

have solar don't you have some solar gardens there? [We do]

And what do they do, what's the purpose of that? Are they actually

providing heat or hot

water or something? Or is that a demonstration site? I know

it got hit by a tornado I believe. Andrew: Right, so....

Ray: You had to start over with some of that. Andrew: We do have some buildings that are

geo thermal heated. [Oh really?] Which is kinda neat. And

then....some of them. And then we also have the solar

plant. And the solar plant actually feeds back

in to the electrical grid. So it doesn't necessarily

power Camp Ripley proper. It's contributing

to the grid itself. Ray: That's pretty cool.

So when people...you talked about snow.....plow

drivers, state employees coming to get trained,

do they do that in that educational building that you have

then? Is that kind of a multi purpose setting?

Andrew: That particular one that you're referencing is

purely for environmental students and what not. We have a

a much larger educational facility that

has state of the art class rooms in it, state of the art technology

designed for adult learning in the modern

way that we teach and instruct things. And that is

also attached to the dining facilities

so everything is co-located. And that's where the MNDOT

employees...they're in that area [Ok] so they'll eat there

they'll dine there, they'll use those particular facilities.

And then I think they're out in the maintenance base and what not, too, because

of the type of training that they're doing. Ray: So

on the culinary side are you responsible for ordering the food

for the camp? Is that part of your role? Tishel: That is actually contracted.

[Ok] They do have a

civilian side that does track all of the

other entities that would come into Camp Ripley. And then

we just track on the military side, just the military

units that are coming. [Cool] So we could have

anywhere from you know, 100 to 500 soldiers

and on the civilian side they could have anywhere from

10 to 120 people coming in

from whether it's the DNR, State Patrol,

different counties that are doing SWAT training

um, schools.

I know they have a lot of schools that come through. Ray: So it's really

expanded it's role hasn't it, that camp, from what it was

back in my era it was pretty much just military operations.

So now it's making use of state resources.

And training state employees in a variety

of levels. And you mentioned the conservation officers,

highway patrol, that's pretty cool. Tishel: Yeah they have...the driving

course out there. And I know my husband is a

deputy with Stearns county and they do a lot of their

drivers training and all kinds of active shooter

training down range at Camp Ripley and

then they also have a law enforcement facility that

they just built with a lot of....they have like the

behind the wheel driving stuff that not only we use

but I believe they use as well. Ray: So if a person were

interested to go to camp and just see what it's like do they have

to make an appointment for that? How do they get into the camp

to just to see what it is? Andrew: Well, what they

do is they come up and as long as they have a valid ID

and then especially like if they want to go see the

museum or whatever, security will ask them what their reason

is to be on post. But yes, the public is welcome.

And they just need to have a valid ID to get on post. Ray: Is there a cost to go see

the museum? Andrew: I believe it's a small fee

5 dollars give or take. Ray: Ok, have either of you

been in active duty? Tishel: I have not, no.

Andrew: I have been in active guard reserve but that's

very different than active duty. Ray: Not in the war zone. Andrew: Absolutely not.

Ray: Or anything like that. Andrew: Deployed to Bosnia and that was it.

Ray: So, my voice personally is

that every healthy kid coming out of high school

should be either in the peace corp or in the military. I thought

my military experience was a wonderful experience.

And I don't regret a minute of it.

Is recruitment going well for the National Guard? I know

you guys aren't recruiters, but is it still

are the....most of the organizations in the state

doing pretty well? Andrew: From what I've....been

told Minnesota is actually one of the better states

for recruiting. It seems like the youth in Minnesota are very

interested in joining the military and giving back and serving.

And that's...a testament to the state. Ray: It is.

And you know you look at the Red Bull ? units in some of the

over seas assignments they've had, they've had quite a few.

[Correct] Back in the 60's it was assumed the

National Guard only took care of things state side.

But our desert wars have changed that

significantly. Are you seeing many veterans

from the wars coming to camp? I suppose

you see some of those in the summer time? [Absolutely] Coming back with some of

these units? [Absolutely] Yeah. And um....

20 years is a pretty good time to serve. It's

there's a lot of benefits. Do you plan to go beyond the 20 years

as who knows? Andrew: I'm at 23 now, so. Ray: Oh you're at

23. So you're already going past that, good for you. [laughing]

Good for you. How about an airport? What's the airport condition like

at the camp? I mean, planes come and go there right? [Yes]

[They do] And I think you're flying C-17's?

Or not C-17's? Andrew: C-130's? Ray: C-130's cause

I see those from time to time. Those are

big humongous airplanes if no ones every been inside of one.

And they really can get up on a short runway.

They have so much power. [Absolutely] So what.....what's housed out there? What

do you have at camp? Andrew: So as far as the air field

goes I think it's...the air guards are located at

different locations. And they'll come and use

that runway to do training. So they'll fly their

train and then they'll fly out. We also have the

aviation for the Army. So you have your black hawks and then you have your

Chinooks that we have. And then we also have the unmanned

aerial recon vehicles, I'm not sure if that's the term

they still use. But they have their own little runway over there

too, I shouldn't say little, it's pretty big. I've been out on it. But

they're doing the unmanned training over there as well. Ray: So is that airport

in operation year round? Andrew: It is. Ray: It is.

And the people that work in that

are they private citizens? Or are they military?

Andrew: There's a combination of I believe they are contractors

and then they also have what we would call

green suiters or active duty or active guard or technicians.

Overseeing operations. Ray: So do you have many

military units that come to camp in the winter time to train

for winter operations?

Andrew: It slows, but there's always units training. Ray: There are.

Andrew: Even in the winter time. Ray: Really? Andrew: Correct.

Ray: And to your knowledge where are the farthest ones come from? What states

would be some of the long distance that they come from for

training? Andrew: Oh goodness, they come from all over. Tishel: All over.

Andrew: I guess ah... Ray: Really? Out west? Down south?

Alabama, Arkansas? Andrew: Absolutely. I mean heck even

the Canadians come. Ray: Really oh really? [Absolutely] So you have an

exchange program with them? Or is it just that they....? Andrew: They're coming to

train at Camp Ripley. Ray: But you don't go back to Canada and

do any training there? Andrew: I haven't been invited walleye fishing yet. [laughs]

I can hold out hope. Tishel: I'll take you. Ray: And when....the

Canadians come to Camp Ripley what are they looking for for experiences

there? Andrew: I think it's just a good facility. And it's

close to where they're at. So it's a good one to

good one to train in. Ray: I'm out of time. It went

fast. So pretty easy. You guys did a great job. Thank you for coming

and if anybody wanted to find out more about Camp Ripley

you have a website? Andrew: Ah, we do have a website.

Ray: And if you do we'll post it at the end of the show so you don't have

to memorize it if you didn't want to. [Thank you] But thank

you very much for jumping on board we appreciate it very much.

Interesting program you're doing with the Norwegians but I think

for people who have not been to Camp Ripley in the last 15 years

they really should just go there and see what a great place it is.

Thank you very much. [Thank you] You've been watching

Lakeland Currents where we're talking about what you're talking about.

I'm Ray Gildow, so long until next time.

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