CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines — Cheers, handshakes and shared stories filled the air Sept. 23–25 as the Hawai‘i National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines celebrated 25 years of partnership — a bond that has endured typhoons, crises and global challenges to become the Indo-Pacific’s longest-running state partnership through the Department of War National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.
“This 25-year partnership is the first and longest continuous state partnership in the Indo-Pacific,” said Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, Hawai‘i’s adjutant general. “It’s a quarter-century of steady engagement, cooperation and deep friendship.”
The anniversary, observed Sept. 25 at Clark, highlighted how the partnership has grown from a handshake in 2000 into more than 400 engagements across cyber defense, aviation, medical readiness, air defense and disaster response.
At Clark, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Reserve Force Development hosted a ceremony that blended military tradition with cultural symbolism. Philippine Army Reserve Col. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao attended as a guest.
“Col. Pacquiao’s presence showed how this partnership weaves into our nations’ cultural fabric,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Brandon Kumalae, the Hawai‘i Guard’s senior enlisted leader. “It connected Aloha with the honor of service.”
In Manila, Guard leaders met with U.S. Embassy officials, the Philippine Department of National Defense and the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group to discuss homeland defense, cyber resilience and infrastructure training. The talks reinforced Indo-Pacific Command’s security priorities and Pacific Air Forces’ focus on interoperability and people-centered partnerships.
Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has called for “functional replication” of reserve forces to match the readiness of active units. He said the Philippines must develop reserve formations that are capable of responding to both external threats and domestic emergencies.
The State Partnership Program already has supported that effort. Through combat casualty care training, cyber defense exchanges and aviation cross-training, the Hawai‘i and Guam National Guards have worked with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to move reserve concepts from doctrine into practice. These efforts embody the Hawai‘i National Guard’s vision and priorities — building ‘Ohana through community, Optimizing the force, remaining Ready for any mission, honoring Kuleana through responsibility, strengthening Partnerships, and living Aloha wherever duty calls.
“Through hundreds of exchanges, our Guardsmen embody ‘bayanihan’ — unity and friendship,” Logan said. “This reflects the strong people-to-people and security ties between the United States and the Philippines, making us stronger together, stronger tomorrow.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. Stephen Brightman’s tour as bilateral affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Manila was extended to sustain momentum.
“Maj. Brightman’s extension ensures mission success and preserves trust, respect and shared purpose,” said Maj. Reuben Kim, the Hawai‘i Guard’s State Partnership Program, or SPP, director.
Since 2000, the partnership has supported key milestones:
2013: Joint response to Super Typhoon Haiyan;
2023–2025: More than 90 annual engagements in cybersecurity, aviation and medical training;
2023: A Series of Rotary Wing Aviation engagements launched;
April 2025: Eighty-five Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel trained in combat casualty care at Camp O’Donnell; and
August 2025: More than 500 events planned through the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board cycle.
Maj. Gen. Pablo Rustria Jr., commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Reserve Command, said the partnership has built resilience in the face of natural disasters.
“We’ve faced typhoons, earthquakes and floods over two decades,” he said. “The SPP has built a response framework that’s faster, stronger and more unified.”
Beyond training, cultural exchanges — such as lei greetings, Filipino Boodle fights, school renovations and community gatherings — have forged lasting bonds.
“We come for the mission but stay for the people,” said Col. John Udani, the Hawai‘i Guard’s director of military support. “We’re Pacific family.”
Those ties endure, with former exchange participants now mentoring cadets and Guard members returning as senior leaders. With more than 60 engagements already this year, the SPP continues to evolve, tackling challenges from climate change to cyber threats while developing future leaders.
The State Partnership Program, established in 1993, links National Guards with partner nations to build relationships that support access, interoperability and shared security interests.