REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- The Office of the Program Manager for the Saudi Arabian National Guard welcomed its incoming Program Manager and paid tribute to the departing PM at a Change of Charter ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sept. 10.
Brig. Gen. Paul Laughlin assumed the title as PM for OPM-SANG from the outgoing PM, Brig. Gen. Victor Petrenko.
Gen. Dennis Via, Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command served as host for the ceremony. OPM-SANG, which is part of AMC, has a 41-year history and its role is to assist the Ministry of National Guard modernization efforts to develop a more capable, self-sufficient defense force while enhancing the vital partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The ceremony was also an occasion for OPM-SANG and the Army to bid "farewell" to the outgoing PM. During a 31-year career, Petrenko served in field artillery and Special Forces and held critical joint and Middle East assignments. As PM for OPM-SANG, he oversaw the development of an aviation program for SANG, and the management and fielding of 724 light armored combat vehicles to four brigades. He also initiated and oversaw the SANG Command and General Staff College (CGSC) curriculum development.
Petrenko leaves OPM-SANG in the hands of Laughlin, who previously was the Deputy Commanding General of the Eight U.S. Army, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea.
Dignitaries from the American Embassy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the British Embassy, past OPM-SANG PMs, and other U.S. stakeholders in the country attended.
OPM-SANG is a subordinate organization of the U.S. Army Security Command, which executes the Army's security assistance and foreign military sales program.
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