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 cooperation objectives across the globe.
Now, lawmakers are assessing how to strategically expand the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program and its role in enhancing regional stability. The Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing at the U.S. Capitol June 25 to discuss the value of the SPP and how the program can further enhance global peace.
“The State Partnership Program embodies a cost-effective and collaborative approach to ‘Peace through Strength,’” said Army Maj. Gen. William Edwards, director for the National Guard Bureau’s Strategic Plans and Policy, and International Affairs directorate. “It improves security capabilities of our partners and the readiness of our units.”
The bipartisan panel, led by subcommittee chairman U.S. Rep. William Timmons, also heard testimony from Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Partnerships Christopher Mamaux and Army Maj. Gen. Robin Stilwell, adjutant general of the South Carolina National Guard, on the program with direct ties to the Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance by increasing the ability for partner nations to fight or deter adversaries—either in lieu of U.S. forces or alongside them.
“The SPP directly contributes to the objective of ensuring partners can shoulder their share of the burden in our collective defense,” Mamaux said. “Today, the SPP boasts a network of 115 partner nations strategically aligned with the National Guard’s presence in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.
“Working hand-in-hand with the State Department and geographic combatant commands, this extensive reach makes the SPP a critical component of the United States National Security Framework.”
The SPP is authorized by Congress and codified in law to support the security cooperation objectives of the United States. The program supports the combatant commands’ theater security cooperation strategies and the U.S. State Department’s integrated strategic plan for the partner nations.
Timmons called the SPP one of DoD’s most effective, yet often overlooked, tools of influence.
“From Eastern Europe to the islands in the South Pacific, the State Partnership Program has helped the United States deter our adversaries, enhance allied interoperability and promote regional stability,” Timmons said.
“Currently, the SPP’s budget is just 1% of the overall defense security cooperation budget, but accounts for almost 30% of all geographic combatant command engagements with partners and allies,” Timmons said. “It is my hope that this hearing will bring to light the need for enhanced funding for the State Partnership Program and the vital mission it supports.”
Mamaux indicated a key element of the program’s continued success is allocating resources to optimize and develop the most beneficial partnerships and to facilitate the development of lethal capabilities to defend the homeland and deter China.
“Deepening existing relationships and prioritizing partnerships aligned with key U.S. strategic objectives, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, is a crucial step to ensuring the SPP continues to deliver maximum value for the taxpayer,” Mamaux said. “While the success and value of the SPP is evident, it is paramount to ensure its alignment with the president’s America First agenda—that every dollar we spend makes the American people safer, stronger and more prosperous.”
Each partnership synchronizes strategic objectives between the state, the partner nation, the geographic command and the DoD to balance program activities and ensure a unified effort.
“The State Partnership Program gives us flexibility and adaptability,” Mamaux said. “These partnerships extend beyond traditional military training, encompassing disaster response, borders security and cyber defense.”
Currently, the National Guard averages more than 1,000 engagements with SPP nations annually. Engagements include training exercises, bilateral staff talks and subject matter expert exchanges designed to build partner capacity, interoperability and trust.
“Through face-to-face engagements and cooperative training, the State Partnership Program cultivates essential relationships with our partner nations,” Edwards said. “It improves interoperability and facilitates a shared responsibility to shoulder the regional security burdens of today’s global environment.”