JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Allan Lawson, the senior enlisted for the Washington National Guard, conducted a battlefield circulation across Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines to engage with Washington National Guard service members and Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, or SPP, counterparts, April 8-23.
“It is all about partnerships, you have to show up,” Welsh said.
Welsh and his staff met with deployed service members to assess mission progress and discuss operational challenges. An ongoing concern for the leadership team has been the health and welfare of overseas personnel working in close cooperation with their host-nation counterparts.
Welsh and Lawson also engaged with partner nation military leaders, emphasizing interoperability, readiness and shared security objectives.
Notably, Welsh toured the Washington National Guard’s Stryker maintainer subject matter expert exchange in Chon Buri, Thailand. Originally held in the United States, this new engagement in Thailand enables a better education in less time and at a lower cost. Washington Army National Guard trainers help Royal Thai Army mechanics better service their vehicles by holding classes on engines, weapons, mounting systems and vehicle suspension systems.
“It is great to have guys in here who would not otherwise work on vehicles,” said Sgt. 1st Class Paul Deveny with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard and instructor during the exchange.
Welsh also served as the head of the U.S. delegation to the Defense Services Asia conference. Engagements like Defense Services Asia provide insight into technological defense industrial developments that will be critical to next-generation American competitiveness.
“What a whirlwind week meeting with senior Malaysian Armed Forces leadership as well as being the face of Team America during a very challenging time to be in the region,” Welsh said in a social media post. “Huge thanks to our SPP team, and I really appreciate the outstanding support from the U.S. Embassy, Malaysia.”
Throughout the trip, Lawson met one-on-one with enlisted Soldiers and their senior enlisted leaders to plan and discuss improvements to local national noncommissioned officer education. He emphasized the importance of professional development, leadership accountability and building a resilient noncommissioned officer corps capable of sustaining long-term readiness.
These engagements fostered open dialogue and reinforced shared best practices, strengthening partner nation capacity through enhanced enlisted leadership development.
The battlefield circulation also enabled direct feedback from service members, allowing leadership to better understand conditions on the ground and identify opportunities to enhance support. The visit underscored the Washington National Guard’s continued commitment to building strong, capable partnerships through the SPP.