UNCLASSIFIED National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) Overview of the National Guard State Partnership Program

UNCLASSIFIED Outline Introduction to State Partnership Program (SPP) SPP History and Current Partnerships SPP Typical Activities SPP Broader Engagement SPP - Stronger Together 2

UNCLASSIFIED The NG SPP is an innovative DoD joint security cooperation program, conducted by the National Guard in support of Combatant Commanders security cooperation objectives and Ambassador Mission Strategic Resource Plans SPP promotes long term, enduring and mutually beneficial security relationships with friendly and allied nations around globe SPP matches a National Guard state with a foreign partner country to exchange military skills and experience, share defense knowledge, enhance partnership capacity and further mutual security cooperation Introduction to SPP 3

UNCLASSIFIED SPP History SPP began in 1993 with establishment of security partnerships between National Guard states of Maryland, Michigan and Pennsylvania with three Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in coordination with US European Command SPP has grown significantly since then with 64 partnerships worldwide today and still growing 4

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SPP Request Process Requests State Partnership Endorses partnership concept & provides intra/interagency coordination Performs selection analysis and nominates state partner Endorses partner selection & coordinates with US Ambassador Endorses partner selection & notifies requesting country Endorses partnership concept Approves of state partner – Partnership activities begin Submits state partner nomination Request Approval Geographical Combatant Commander Chief, National Guard Bureau Requesting Nation US Ambassador 6

UNCLASSIFIED SPP Typical Activities Typical SPP activities with foreign partner nations can include: o Leadership, Officer and NCO development o Defense reform and military modernization o Border, Port and Aviation defense and security events o Military medical and engineer exchanges 7

UNCLASSIFIED SPP Typical Activities (con’t.) Aviation logistics, maintenance and safety exchanges Air/Army deployment planning and family support programs Disaster preparedness and crisis management Critical infrastructure and energy security 8

UNCLASSIFIED SPP Broader Engagement Enduring professional and personal relationships that develop from NG state citizen-soldiers and foreign security partner nations’ personnel interactions under SPP can lead to productive exchanges beyond only military cooperation Mutual Exchanges in education, medical, law, business and NGOs often emerge with SPP on a strictly voluntary and privately funded basis These private exchanges can substantially enrich overall SPP relationship through enhanced understanding of each side’s history, culture, social organization and languages 9

UNCLASSIFIED SPP - Stronger Together To meet new security challenges of 21 st century we are stronger if we work together By promoting better understanding of each other’s military needs and security concerns, SPP helps lay foundation for more effective teamwork and a more cooperative security environment among friendly and allied nations As an equal partnership based on mutual respect and mutual interests, SPP helps improve ability of our respective militaries to work together, deploy together and learn from each other 10

UNCLASSIFIED Colonel Tracy L. Settle NGB-J5 International Affairs Division Arlington Hall Station 111 South George Mason Dr Arlington, VA Tel: (703) SPP Point of Contact 11