Guard News - The National Guard - Tag State Partnership Program

National Guard, Adriatic Partners Strengthen Cyber Defense Skills
June 15, 2026 — ZAGREB, Croatia – More than 100 cyber professionals from seven European nations and seven U.S. National Guard state partners participated in Combined Adriatic Cyber Endeavor, or CACE, 2026, a... MORE

Maine Air National Guard Warrant Officer 1 Zachary Watkins, a white cell member, shows cyber specialists on the blue team from Montenegro’s Ministry of Defense during Combined Adriatic Cyber Endeavor 2026 at the Petar Zrinski Barracks, June 8, 2026.

Washington Guard Supports Bulgaria's Stryker Modernization Effort
June 11, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – As Bulgaria received its first Stryker vehicles this spring, a small team of Washington Army National Guard Soldiers traveled more than 5,000 miles to pass on the knowledge,... MORE

Washington Army National Guard Soldiers work alongside members of the Bulgarian Land Forces' 61st Mechanized Brigade during Stryker familiarization training in Bulgaria in 2026.

Where The State Partnership Program Began: National Guard Leaders Visit Baltics
June 10, 2026 — VILNIUS, Lithuania – When the 30th chief of the National Guard Bureau arrived in the Baltic region this month, he was not opening a new chapter in American security cooperation, he was reinforcing the... MORE

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, joins Maj. Gen. Kaspars Pudans, chief of defense for the Republic of Latvia, for a ceremonial wreath laying at the Riga Brethren Cemetery to honor Latvians who gave their lives for their country’s independence, Riga, Latvia, June 2, 2026.

Kentucky Guard, Ecuador Strengthen Partnership Through Training
June 8, 2026 — SALINAS, Ecuador – Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers in the 940th Military Police Company participated last month in Exercise EL GATO, or Ecuador Liaison Guard Annual Training Operation, with... MORE

Soldiers assigned to 2nd Platoon, 940th Military Police Company, train alongside Ecuadorian airmen in a paintball shoothouse during Exercise El Gato 2026 in Salinas, Ecuador, May 15, 2026.

Mississippi Guard, Uzbekistan Train for Disaster Response
June 8, 2026 — JACKSON, Miss. – Soldiers from the Mississippi National Guard, in partnership with U.S. Army Central, conducted disaster preparedness and response training with the Republic of Uzbekistan Ministry of... MORE

U.S. Army Warrant Officer Brett Patterson, Mississippi National Guard, discusses the U.S. National Incident Management System with Republic of Uzbekistan Ministry of Emergency Services personnel during a Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership engagement May 18, 2026, in Almalyk City, Uzbekistan.

Virginia Guard, Finnish Air Force Strengthen Cyber Partnership
June 4, 2026 — JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Members of the 185th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 192nd Wing, Virginia Air National Guard, and the Finnish Air Force gathered this spring for Exercise Smoked... MORE

Members of the Finnish Air Force and the 185th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 192nd Wing, Virginia Air National Guard, collaborate during exercise Smoked Reindeer April 20, 2026, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia.

Washington Air Guard Deepens Ties With Thailand at Enduring Partners
June 2, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Military leaders from the United States and Thailand officially launched the fourth annual Enduring Partners exchange June 1.The exchange, which runs June 1-12, represents a... MORE

Senior Master Sgt. Naz Brockman, the State Partnership Program Senior Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge with the Washington Air National Guard, wears an Enduring Partners patch at Camp Murray, Wash., on June 1, 2026.

New Hampshire Guard, Cabo Verde Partners Conduct Aeromedical Exchange
June 1, 2026 — PRAIA, Cabo Verde – A joint New Hampshire National Guard medical team conducted an aeromedical exchange with its state partners in Praia, Cabo Verde, May 20-22.Coordinated through the Department of... MORE

New Hampshire National Guard medical personnel and Cabo Verde Armed Forces Medical Unit members load a simulated patient aboard a C-12 Huron multipurpose aircraft assigned to the Cabo Verde Coast Guard Air Squadron during an aeromedical knowledge exchange in Praia, Cabo Verde, May 22, 2026.

Maryland Guard, Estonian Partners Strengthen Cyber Readiness
May 27, 2026 — TALLINN, Estonia – More than 40 Maryland National Guard members participated in Immediate Response 2026, a comprehensive cyber exercise, with their Estonian counterparts at Foundation Cyber Range 14,... MORE

Members of the Maryland National Guard discuss exercise control and scenario development as a part of the white cell part during a multinational cyber defense exercise in Estonia, May 2026.

Utah Guard, Morocco Partners Provide Medical Care in African Lion
May 19, 2026 — EL FAID, Morocco – Utah National Guardsmen and the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces redefined what partnership looks like through shared expertise, innovation and expanding access to impactful care, under... MORE

A group of U.S service members and Royal Moroccan Armed Forces perform care on a newborn baby after an emergency cesarean section during an African Lion 26 humanitarian civic assistance mission at El Faid, Morocco, April 30, 2026.

New York Guard, Sweden Strengthen Partnership at Exercise Northern Lights
May 15, 2026 — KUNGSÄNGEN, Sweden – Eighty New York Army National Guard Soldiers spent their annual training working alongside Swedish soldiers in Sweden's sprawling forests.Instead of spending their two weeks of... MORE

A Swedish Armed Forces service member, left, speaks with a New York Army National Guard Soldier with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, during exercise Northern Lights 26, April 28, 2026, in Habo-Tibble, Sweden.

South Dakota Guard, Suriname Partners Conclude Operation Rumble in the Jungle
May 13, 2026 — PARAMARIBO, Suriname – South Dakota National Guard Soldiers and their Suriname partners have concluded Operation Rumble in the Jungle, a joint exercise that included testing the forces' ability to... MORE

Suriname Armed Forces Sgt. First Class Alvaro Ronoreso teaches survival techniques to U.S. Soldiers and Airmen, as well as Suriname Armed Forces members, during Operation Rumble in the Jungle at Ayoko, Suriname, April 17, 2026.

Indiana Guard, Slovak Soldiers Dominate in Shooting Competition
May 12, 2026 — INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana National Guardsmen and Slovak soldiers teamed up at a recent shooting competition, continuing their enduring partnership in a dominant fashion."By integrating our forces in this... MORE

Indiana National Guard Master Sgt. Thuc Tran, the operations sergeant for Indiana's State Partnership Program, Sgt. Ondrej Macak and Sgt. 1st Class Matus Fulop, soldiers with the Slovak Armed Forces, pose for a photo at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, April 4, 2026.

African Lion 2026 Brings Vermont National Guard State Partnership Program Partners Together for MEDREX in Senegal
May 11, 2026 — ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal – Military medical personnel from Senegal, the United States, Austria and Italy trained together across three hospitals in southern Senegal during Exercise African Lion 2026.The... MORE

U.S. Army Capt. Nicholas LeBeau, a nurse with the Vermont Army National Guard, assists Senegalese medical providers while closing an incision following an emergency cesarean section during a multinational medical readiness exercise, or MEDREX, in Ziguinchor, Senegal, May 6, 2026.

Vermont National Guard Conducts Key Leader Engagements With Senegal Partners Ahead of 2027 Medical Exercise
May 7, 2026 — THIÈS, Senegal – Vermont National Guard leaders conducted a pre-deployment site survey in Thiès, Senegal, May 3-4, to assess regional healthcare capabilities and coordinate planning for Medical... MORE

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gene Enriquez, State Partnership Program director with the Vermont National Guard, greets Dr. Amadou Mbaye Diouf, chief physician, during a key leader engagement in Thiès, Senegal, May 4, 2026, to discuss regional healthcare priorities and inform planning for a 2027 medical readiness exercise.

Hawaii, Philippine Aircrews Strengthen Partnership Through Flight
May 6, 2026 — CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines – Beneath the steady rhythm of rotor blades and shared purpose, Hawaii National Guard and Philippine Air Force aviators came together for a Rotary Wing Subject Matter... MORE

Philippine Air Force Sgt. Julius Chun Manasan, left, mechanic assigned to the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing; U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Pacheco, center left, senior mechanic and standardization instructor assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard; Philippine Air Force Lt. Col. John Paul Delgado, center, commander of the 210th Tactical Training Squadron; and U.S. Army Maj. John Worthington, right, Army Aviation Support Facility commander, standardization pilot and instrument examiner assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard, pose for a photo in front of a Philippine Air Force S-70i Black Hawk helicopter during a Rotary Wing Subject Matter Expert Exchange Clark Air Base, Philippines, April 15, 2026.

Washington Guard Leaders Engage Troops, Partners in Indo-Pacific Visit
May 4, 2026 — 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... MORE

Royal Thai Army Senior Colonel Teeragut Sengrod, commander of the 11th Infantry Division, Royal Thai Army, or RTA, meets with U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, at an RTA base in Chon Buri, Thailand, April 10, 2026.

Hawaiian Raptors Enhance Interoperability During Cope Thunder
April 29, 2026 — CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines – For more than 90 Airmen from the 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron, Exercise Cope Thunder 26-1, conducted April 6-17, was more than just another deployment; it was an... MORE

Philippine Air Force 5th Fighter Wing pilots welcome U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard pilots assigned to the 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron, comprising the 19th Fighter Squadron and 199th Fighter Squadron, following arrival at exercise Cope Thunder 26-1 at Basa Air Base, Philippines, April 3, 2026.

Washington Guard Transfers Strykers to Bulgarian Land Forces
April 23, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – With the ongoing transformation of the 81st Brigade from a Stryker to a Mobile Brigade, the Washington National Guard transferred eight Strykers to the Bulgarian Land Forces... MORE

Brig. Gen. Paul Sellars, commanding general, Washington Army National Guard, sits down with Evgeni Mandadzhiev, reporter with the Ministry of Defense Information Center, to introduce the Stryker Fighting Vehicles and discuss the role of the National Guard in supporting the Bulgarian Land Forces, April 15, 2026, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Minnesota Guard, Croatia Partners Participate in Best Warrior Competition
April 22, 2026 — LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – Twenty-seven Minnesota Guard members, along with Canadian and Croatian soldiers, tested their skills April 15-18 during harsh weather conditions in the 2026 Minnesota Best... MORE

Minnesota Army National Guard Spc. Bronson Stachowiak, from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, who serves as a unit supply specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 682nd Engineer Battalion is one of 27 service members from the Minnesota National Guard and NATO allied nations Canada and Croatia who participated in the 2026 Minnesota Best Warrior Competition April 15-18, 2026, at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, Minnesota.

Montana Guard Firefighters Strengthen Readiness With Live-Fire Training

Michigan, Rhode Island Guardsmen Complete Rocket Training

Ohio Airmen Turn Field Into High-Tech Command Center During Exercise

Maine Airmen Enhance Combat Life-Saving Skills

Idaho Guardsmen Save New Soldier's Life at First Drill