U.S. European Command
June 10, 2022

USEUCOM Visit Highlights Value of U.S.-Bulgaria Security Cooperation

Senior U.S. European Command leaders visited Bulgaria to discuss current and future security cooperation with Bulgarian defense leaders this week.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Edward “Hertz” Vaughan, USEUCOM’s deputy director for security cooperation, policy, partnering and space capabilities, and a team of USEUCOM security cooperation professions were joined by U.S. Embassy defense officials, including Defense Attaché, U.S. Air Force Colonel Paul Sebold, and met with Bulgarian Armed Forces leaders in Sofia, Graf Ignatievo Air Base, and Novo Selo Training Area.

In Sofia, the USEUCOM team thanked Bulgarian Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Emil Eftimov, for Bulgaria’s security leadership in the Balkans and Black Sea regions. The two also discussed opportunities for further bilateral and Allied security cooperation. The USEUCOM team also visited a NATO battlegroup at Novo Selo Training Area….

Vaughan spent part of the trip with Bulgarian Air Force Brigadier General Nikolai “Hunter” Rusev, commander of Graf Ignatievo Air Base. The two fighter pilots toured the Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet flying operation and discussed Bulgaria’s transition to the NATO interoperable F-16 fighter jet.