State Partnership Program's 30th Anniversary
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State Partnership Program's 30th Anniversary

The State Partnership Program began 30 years ago after the breakup of the Soviet Union to help countries emerging from behind the Iron Curtain. It now pairs 100 nations with National Guards from every state and U.S. territories to increase regional security and advance U.S. interests. It is a cost-effective Department of Defense National Guard Bureau program executed by Geographic Combatant Commands, guided by State Department foreign policy goals and U.S. Chief of Mission security cooperation objectives. The program produces enduring relationships that improve interoperability and enhance U.S. access and influence while increasing the readiness of U.S. and partner forces to meet emerging challenges.

 

SPP turns 30: A Five Part Series by Master Sgt. Jim Greenhill and Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely, NGB
National Guard delegation boards plane to Latvia at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, November 15, 1992.

‘Why Don’t we do a Little Partnership Thing?’ Th...

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Jul. 14, 2023

This is part one of the five part series "State Partnership Program turns 30." WASHINGTON, D.C. – It began in...
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Master Sgt. Aghzaf Abdelkrim from the 15th Regiment Royal Char and Master Sgt. Joe Carson, from the 3-116th Combined Arms Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, chat while their soldiers boresight their tanks before gunnery during African Lion at Tan Tan, Morocco June 7, 2023.

‘Our Real Superpower as a Nation is our Allies a...

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Jul. 14, 2023

This is part two of the five part series "State Partnership Program turns 30."WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the eve of...
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Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, visits Vietnam to help reinforce the mutually beneficial, successful security relationship with the Oregon National Guard established in 2012 under the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program, which strengthens the partners’ capabilities to respond to natural disasters, Hanoi, Vietnam, May 19, 2023.

‘A Mosaic of Opportunities’ The Department of De...

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Jul. 14, 2023

This is part three of the five part series "State Partnership Program turns 30."WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The...
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(Left to Right) U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermont National Guard Adjutant General, Gov. Phil Scott, Vermont Governor, Minister Slavjanka Petrovska, North Macedonia Minister of Defense, Lt. Gen. Vasko Gjurchinovski, North Macedonia Chief of Defense sign documents reaffirming North Macedonia’s and the Vermont National Guard’s continued partnership, Montpelier, Vt. June 9, 2023.

‘It truly is a Team Sport’ How the Department of...

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Jul. 14, 2023

This is part four of the five part series “State Partnership Program turns 30.”WASHINGTON, D.C. – Talk with...
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U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Markle, left, and Col. William Murphy, right, command sergeant major and commander of Task Force Orion, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York Army National Guard, walk with Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, through a camp in Grafenwoehr, Germany, March 1, 2023.

‘The Most Important People in the Army are the S...

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Jul. 14, 2023

This is part five of the five part series “State Partnership Program turns 30.”WASHINGTON, D.C. – When Russia...
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State Partnership Program Timeline

 

State Partnership Program Photos
State Partnership Program