The Chief of the National Guards Bureau of the USA – Lieutenant General Steven Blum and a group of officers from the Bureau visited “Rakovski” Defense and Staff College on June. 3 rd 2008. The visit was on the initiative of Leiutenat-General Blum’s who took part in a Regional Conference in the framework of the program for partnership with the USA at Sofia.

The meeting was opened by Col. Assoc.Prof Boris Bogdanov, temporary in charge of “Rakovski” College on academic affairs and a Chef of ‘National Security and Defense” Faculty. A briefing on the mission, tasks and structure of “Rakovski” Defense and Staff College was delivered.

Lieutenant General Steven Blum introduced the participants at the meeting – lecturers and students - to the structure and functions of the USA National Guards and the partnership programs which it is carrying out with 59 countries all around the world.