Brunswick Golden Isles CVB welcomes international students during Veterans Day visit

The Brunswick Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomed 48 international students and family members to the coast during a special Veterans Day tour. The students are enrolled the U.S. Army's Security Assistance Training Program (SATP) at Fort Benning, Georgia. They represent 24 countries including Moldova, Azerbaijan, Chile, Korea, Slovenia, Jamaica, Portugal, Turkey, Tanzania, Yemen, Bosnia, Rwanda, Georgia, Uruguay, Jordan, Tajikistan, Kosovo, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Southern Sudan, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Singapore.

International students representing 24 countries visited Brunswick Manor in Old Town Brunswick, during a tour of the area sponsored by the Brunswick Golden Isles CVB. The students are enrolled in the U.S. Army's Security Assistance Training Program (SATP), which is conducted at Fort Benning, Georgia.

During their visit, the group attended the annual Veterans Day parade and program on St. Simons Island, visited the St. Simons Lighthouse, ate lunch at Saltwater Cowboy, visited Fort Frederica National Monument and Brunswick Manor in Old Town Brunswick.

Their visit was coordinated by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Glynn County, including the City of Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.

The Security Assistance Training Program is a vital element of U.S. foreign policy, enabling our country to establish valuable friendships and channels of communication with foreign governments and military forces, facilitating U.S. national security objectives worldwide. SATP comprises military training which provides the knowledge and skills to improve participants' military defense capabilities, and increase the ability to operate with U.S. forces in military missions including combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations; promote professionalism, with a special emphasis on Human Rights, within their own militaries; and promote security and stability within their own countries and/or regions.

SATP also incorporates the Field Studies Program (FSP), which is designed to expose international students to the diverse American way of life.  Through classroom study and educational field trips, students learn about the American Constitution, government, judicial system, political process, the media, community life and a variety of other topics including ethnic and other minorities, industry, environmental protection and agriculture, the economy, labor and management relations, education and public and social welfare. The program enhances student's appreciation of American values, civil rights, civilian oversight of the military and police, etc. and enables them to return to their home countries with a deeper respect and better understanding of Americans and our diverse way of life.