An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 13, 2023

Sasseville: State Partnerships Vital to International Relationships

By Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Schwach, National Guard Bureau

WASHINGTON – The National Guard reaches out to other nations through partnerships, stands ready for the warfight, and provides security for the homeland, the vice chief of the National Guard Bureau said Jan. 12.

“The National Guard exists to fight and win our nation’s wars,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville told a meeting of newly minted defense attachés. “Our ability to respond to almost any disaster here at home is because we are manned, trained, and equipped to fight, as the combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force.”

The Defense Intelligence Agency’s defense attachés represent the nation on defense and military topics with foreign governments. Defense attachés, who can be uniformed service members or civilians, serve overseas in U.S. embassies.

The National Security Strategy highlights competition with the People’s Republic of China and managing the acute threat posed by Russia.

“This is a radical change from the focus and strategy of the past 20 years,” Sasseville told the defense attachés. “Many of our service members have spent their entire careers training and fighting in a counterinsurgency environment. Now the landscape is different. The threat is different. And it will require a different approach.”

The Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program has grown to 87 partnerships with 95 nations since 1993.

“Perhaps the greatest, most imperative element of our global security is our relationships with our allies and partners,” Sasseville said. “That’s why the National Guard’s State Partnership Program is so important. The [SPP] is a unique security cooperation agreement that formally pairs a state’s National Guard with a partner nation.”

The SPP celebrates its 30th anniversary this summer. The program began with partnerships with three former Soviet nations, Latvia with the Michigan National Guard; Estonia with the Maryland National Guard; and Lithuania with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

“The National Guard is the second largest organization in the American military, behind only the regular Army,” Sasseville said. “Today, we make up 20% of the entire U.S. military. One in five service members is in the National Guard. That’s 20% of the Joint Force with only 5% of the budget.”

The Guard is unique because Soldiers and Airmen have civilian jobs they juggle, along with family responsibilities. Today, more than 22,100 Guardsmen are serving overseas.

Sasseville shared his own experience serving in Turkey. “Of my 36 years in uniform, some of the best were from March of 2014 until June of 2016, when my wife Karin and I were assigned to Ankara. I was extremely fortunate to serve as the senior defense official and defense attaché.”

Wishing the defense attachés the best in their new assignments, Sasseville stressed: “One day we will be called together to keep the peace, to confront aggression, to stand up for the things we hold dear. And because of the relationships we’ve built over the course of our careers, we will do so with friends at our side.

“Relationships are living things,” he added. “They are built on trust, respect, and common interests. They must be nurtured, cherished, and strengthened for the years to come. They are our best long-term investment in mutual and global security, and we must honor them accordingly.”

 

 

Related Articles
The U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa Command Surgeon and staff, along with the Ohio National Guard, visit medical students and doctors at the American Corner prior to attending the Platinum Wolf 25 Distinguished Visitor day in Bujanovac, Serbia, June 26, 2025. PW25 is an exercise focused on regional stability, partnership, and interoperability between the U.S., regional forces, and the Serbian Armed Forces, marking the first time Stamp and his staff attended in support of the medical teams that participated in the exercise.
Ohio Guard Attends Exercise Platinum Wolf in Serbia
By 1st Lt. Kaseyann Cornwall, | July 3, 2025
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Several high-ranking officials from U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, or USAFE-AFAFRICA, and the Ohio National Guard participated in the June 26 Distinguished Visitor day at Exercise...

Members of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard competed in the Bulgaria Armed Forces’ first multinational Best Warrior Competition, at the National Military University, June 23-26.
Tennessee Guard Participates in Bulgaria’s Best Warrior Competition
By Capt. Kealy Moriarty, | June 30, 2025
VELIKO TARNOVO, Bulgaria – Members of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard competed in the Bulgaria Armed Forces’ first multinational Best Warrior Competition at the National Military University.The June 23-26...

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Soloff, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 1st Brigade, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, observes Polish Territorial Defence soldiers as they prepare range cards necessary for Javelin deployment during Javelin anti-armor ambush training at the TDF Training Center in Toruń, Poland, June 11, 2025. The Illinois National Guard and Poland are partners in the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program, which pairs Guard elements with partner nations worldwide for mutual training and subject matter expert exchanges. Servicemembers with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team spent two weeks alongside their Polish counterparts training on sniper operations, the Javelin anti-tank weapon system, combat medical care, and remote observer techniques.
State Partnership Program Enables Global, Shared ‘Peace through Strength’
By Maj. Jon LaDue, | June 27, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.  – For more than 30 years, the National Guard has helped bolster the capabilities of foreign militaries, effectively broadening the pool of partners who are willing and able to support defense and security...