 Well, for the last 46 years, members of the Norwegian Home Guard have been visiting Minnesota as part of a reciprocal troop exchange at Camp Ripley. The exchange was founded as a way to reinforce the positive working relationships between allied services and to highlight the strong lineage many Minnesotans share with the Scandinavian culture. With this week's in focus, our reporter Rachel Johnson has more. Last week, the Training Center gym at Camp Ripley was filled with allied troops from Norway and the United States to kick off the 46th annual Reciprocal Troop Exchange. Over 100 members of the Norwegian Home Guard have arrived at Camp Ripley. The last 46 years, what we've been doing is sending a contingent of Minnesota Army National Guardsmen and Airmen to Norway and likewise we'll get a Norwegian Home Guard and the Norwegian military to come here for some training with us here at Camp Ripley. The exchange began with a handshake between two veterans of the Second World War and kicked off an important tradition. We have a little bit more than 100 troops here and the Americans have a little bit more than 100 troops on our side so they will get experiences and skills from the Norwegians on the Norwegian side and we will get your experiences and skills on this side. Throughout their time in Minnesota, the Norwegian troops will be training in procedures and techniques from American troops. We start with the basics like shooting and trying all the weapons systems that the MP company has here, National Guard, and now we have kind of operations training. Around 35 youth from Norway join the troops to get a taste of what serving in the military is like. So every year Norway sends about 30 to 35 other youths that are still in high school. They are the ones that are interested in becoming a member of the actual military and so they come over here as a little taste of what they can expect in the military. In addition to training exercises, the troops will be participating in various culture activities such as curling, bowling, and other things we do here in Minnesota. Ice fishing, curling, meals together, American meal, Norwegian meals. Over the last 46 years, the troop exchange has been an important tradition and has been rewarding for all those involved. I have loved every single day and what I love the most is actually the people here. It's extremely rewarding, an incredible group of individuals, fantastic people. We all have the same values, shared values, and our culture is very similar. So we're there to strengthen those bonds and establish relationships. Reporting from Camp Ripley with us this week's In Focus, Rachel Johnson, Lakeland News. And similar dialect with some people around here. The reciprocal troop exchange is a part of the Partners for Peace exchange program which has welcomed over 9,000 soldiers from overseas in its 46 years. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.