DILI, Timor Leste — The chief of the National Guard Bureau visited Timor-Leste last week to underscore the Rhode Island National Guard’s budding security cooperation ties with the island nation through the Department of Defense State Partnership Program.
“I can’t overstate the value of this mutually beneficial security cooperation relationship,” Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus said here. “By working together and exchanging best practices, we learn from each other to become more capable and ready to address the challenges of an increasingly complex international security environment.”
Nordhaus met with Timor-Leste’s President Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Milena Rangel, Minister of Defense Donaciano do Rosário Gomes, and Vice Chief of Defense, Maj. Gen. Calisto dos Santos Coliati. Joined by Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hannon, assistant adjutant general, Rhode Island Air National Guard, their discussions focused on bilateral military cooperation, enhancing defense capabilities and facilitating strategic expertise exchanges.
“Timor-Leste greatly values its security partnership with the United States, which continues to grow stronger each year,” President Ramos-Horta said in a statement. “General Nordhaus’s visit represents an important milestone in our bilateral cooperation, particularly as we expand our disaster response capabilities and strengthen our defense infrastructure.”
Nordhaus also encouraged Timor-Leste officials to reestablish the Timor-Leste Bilateral Defense Dialogue, an annual meeting between Timor-Leste’s defense minister and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which has been on pause since 2021.
Located between Indonesia and Australia, Timor-Leste is one of the world’s newest countries. Having gained independence in 2002 after centuries of colonization and decades of conflict, the country is now working to solidify its democracy with still-nascent institutions, limited human capital and significant economic and health challenges.
Timor-Leste—home to the second-highest per capita Catholic population outside the Vatican City—was established as the first new democracy of the 21st Century and shares excellent relations with the United States.
To deepen its connections with the U.S., Timor-Leste established its State Partnership Program relationship with the Rhode Island National Guard in 2020 and officially signed the partnership agreement in 2023. This makes Timor-Leste one of 18 State Partnership Program nations in the Indo-Pacific region and one of 115 nations worldwide that is paired with the National Guard of a U.S. state, territory or the District of Columbia.
Timor-Leste and Rhode Island have much in common. Each is relatively small geographically, and they are similar in population size: Rhode Island is home to about 1.2 million people. Timor-Leste has about 1.5 million citizens.
The Timor-Leste National Defense Force and Rhode Island National Guard are also similar in personnel strength, making the two a good pairing despite the nearly 10,000 miles that separate them.
The relationship between Timor-Leste and Rhode Island is robust and promising, Nordhaus said.
During his time in Timor-Leste, the CNGB participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Response warehouse and an aircraft hangar in Baucau—both byproducts of U.S. assistance and cooperation with Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste, the Rhode Island Guard, the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Navy Seabees, or Naval mobile construction battalion Sailors, collaborated on the projects that will help Timor-Leste’s response and security activities.
“Rhode Island National Guardsmen have collaborated with their Timorese Defense Forces counterparts in 32 events the past two years, building relationships that go far beyond training exercises and exchanges,” Nordhaus said during the ceremony. “This partnership has fostered mutual understanding, respect and an ability to respond effectively to the challenges we face together.”
Through the SPP, the National Guard is partnered with nations on every continent except Antarctica. These partnerships are focused on collective readiness and capacity building. Deeper connections often develop.
Air Force Master Sgt. Brandon Desimone, an aircraft maintainer and quality assurance specialist with the Rhode Island Guard’s 143rd Airlift Wing, has been to Timor-Leste five times to assist with the aircraft maintenance program for the Timor-Leste Defense Forces air component’s Cessna fleet.
“From day one, I’ve formed friendships and strong working relationships with everyone I’ve worked with,” Desimone said.
Desimone began engaging with the Timorese people beyond military-to-military events. He has visited an orphanage in Dili, delivering personally procured snacks, toys and clothes. He recently began to deploy a special skill whenever he’s there: making balloon animals for the children.
“That’s become a staple every time we come here,” Desimone said. “We form relationships everywhere we go, despite the language barrier. Every time I come out here, I bring someone new from Rhode Island to expand the relationships I have. That’s the type of partnership we are forging here.”
The Rhode Island National Guard has conducted subject matter expert exchanges with the Timor-Leste Defense Force focused on military doctrine, safety standards and aircraft maintenance, in addition to several key leader exchanges.
Later this year, for the third time, Rhode Island National Guardsmen will participate in U.S. Army Pacific’s Dalan ba Dame exercise in Timor-Leste.
Dalan ba Dame translates to “path to peace” in Tetum, a native language of Timor-Leste.