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 | March 15, 2016

Nevada National Guard Soldiers sharpen communication skills with Tongan military

By Lt. Col. Mickey Kirschenbaum Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga – Last week, several members of the Nevada National Guard traveled across the globe to interact and exchange techniques for communicating with members of His Majesty's Armed Forces, the Army, Navy and Marines of the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific.

Several members of the Nevada National Guard's 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion and the Nevada Air National Guard worked with the Tongan forces to set up, operate and troubleshoot U.S. and Australian radios and communication base stations at locations across the island nation and with one of its naval vessels at sea.

The Nevada National Guard and the Kingdom of Tonga signed a Declaration of Partnership under the auspices of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program on April 11, 2014.

The State Partnership Program (SPP) links a unique component of the Department of Defense – a state’s National Guard – with the armed forces of a partner country in a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship.

The SPP is administered by the National Guard Bureau, guided by State Department foreign policy goals, and executed by the adjutants general in support of combatant commanders and Department of Defense policy goals.

Past exchange topics have included military and maritime legal aspects, military police techniques, night vision equipment and Combat Life Savers.

Nevada and Tonga have also partnered in several Pacific Command and South Pacific exercises that include active duty, guard and reserve U.S. forces, as well as military personnel from Australia, New Zealand and several other Pacific Rim nations.

The exchange enhanced communication knowledge and focused on radio and equipment care and maintenance, command and control, emergency preparedness and standardizing radio procedures.

Maj. Jerome Guerrero, executive officer of 422nd ESB, was impressed with the knowledge and ingenuity of his Tongan counterparts. "Their ability to persevere despite limited equipment assets and compatibility was impressive," Guerrero said.

The team from Nevada also visited several Tongan military installations, toured the nation's newest naval ship and observed newly-created basic training classes.

Capt. Alex Kassebaum, a Reno Police Department detective and a member of the 152nd Airlift Wing Operations Group, visited the Women and Children Crisis Centre with Col. JoAnn Meacham, Headquarters Nevada Air National Guard, to support the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan through high-level discussions with female senior leaders and female Tongan officers.

Discussions included domestic violence within His Majesty's Armed Forces and reporting procedures used in the U.S. military and Nevada National Guard.

"The approach to protecting these women and providing them with a way out is similar to programs here in Nevada and something both communities could expand upon," Kassebaum said.

 

 

Related Articles
Photo of medical training during a Port Subject Matter Expert Exchange at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, August 20, 2025. (Courtesy Photo)
Washington Guard Continues Strengthening Relationship at Thailand’s Port of Laem Chabang
By Joseph Siemandel, | Sept. 30, 2025
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Four members of the Washington National Guard partnered recently with more than 170 employees from the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, to continue improving the port’s all-hazard response as part of the...

Leaders and attendees from the Hawai‘i National Guard, Guam National Guard and Armed Forces of the Philippines gather for a group photo during the 25th anniversary celebration of the State Partnership Program between the Hawai‘i National Guard and the AFP at Clark Air Base, Philippines, Sept. 25, 2025. The Hawai‘i Guard and AFP launched the Indo-Pacific’s first State Partnership in 2000, marking 25 years of cooperation in training, disaster response and regional security.
25 Years Strong: Hawai‘i Guard and Philippines Celebrate Enduring Partnership
By Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy, | Sept. 30, 2025
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...

Oklahoma National Guard leaders and Italian representatives unveil a plaque at the former headquarters of the 45th Infantry Division during WWII in Venafro, Italy, Sept. 8, 2025. A delegation of Oklahoma National Guard members and veterans toured key locations from the 45th Infantry Division’s campaign in Italy against German forces during World War II, continuing the development of the Thunderbird Trail. The initiative is aimed at preserving the Division's role in World War II through a memorial trail tracing its footsteps through Italy, France and Germany, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)
Thunderbird Trail: Preserving Sacrifice, Strengthening Connection for Oklahoma Guard
By Sgt. Danielle Rayon, | Sept. 29, 2025
ITALY – Standing among rows of white marble headstones at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard bent to place sand from the beaches of Anzio into the carved names of...