Major General Linda Singh Visit to Estonia

Major General Linda Singh and Estonian Minister of Defense Sven Mikser (Photo: Ministry of Defense)
Major General Linda Singh and Estonian Minister of Defense Sven Mikser

The Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard, Major General Linda Singh, had a productive and informative visit to Estonia this week.

She met with a number of Estonian officials, including Defense Minister Sven Mikser, Interior Minister Hanno Pevkur, and Commodore Igor Schvede, Chief of Staff of the Headquarters of the EDF).

After her meeting with Defense Minister Mikser, she said, “There are several areas of cooperation, where we can support each other, and also where we can learn from Estonia. For example, in the field of cyber security.”

General Singh added the Maryland National Guard will continue its cooperation and joint training programs with the Estonian Defense Forces and Kaitseliit, the Estonian Defense League.  Maryland and Estonia have cooperated through the National Guard State Partnership Program since 1993.

Major General Singh and Command Sergeant Major Beyard from the Maryland National Guard, with an Estonian Defense League unit on 30 May. (Photo: U.S. Embassy)
Major General Singh and Command Sergeant Major Beyard from the Maryland National Guard, with an Estonian Defense League unit on 30 May.

During her time in Estonia, General Singh also met with Brig. Gen. Meelis Kiili, the Kaitseliit commander. She had the opportunity to observe a Kaitseliit exercise and visited the training center of the Tallinn regional corps of Kaitseliit, and the Kaitseliit School in Alu.  She also met with Ministry of Defense’s Cyber Security policy (team) and members of the Cyber Defense League unit. In Tallinn, she met with the Rescue Board, where a joint Maryland National Guard-Estonian Rescue Board film project was recently shot.

General Singh arrived in Tallinn after attending the Northern European Chief of Defense (CHOD) conference in Copenhagen, where she met with Lieutenant General Riho Terras, Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces.