The Chief of the United States National Guard Bureau, General Craig McKinley, met with the IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gabi Ashkenazi and Homefront Commander Makor-General Yair Golan on Tuesday. General McKinley arrived for this visit to Israel as part of the IDF Homefront Command exercise Turning Point 4.

The goal of the visit is to familiarize General McKinley with the Israeli homefront emergency services and specifically the IDF Home Front Command. This will include observing exercise sites and studying the lessons learnt by the IDF in general, and the Homefront Command specifically, following the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead.

During the visit, General McKinley visited the Homefront Command Broadcast Studio and Information Center, participated in command-level situation assessments and listened to a special briefing regarding the IDF medical and rescue delegation to Haiti.

Throughout the exercise, General McKinley will join Golan on visits of various exercise sites, Israeli regional councils and field drills involving Homefront Command battalions in northern and southern Israel.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem / IDF Spokesman)