No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

State Partnership Program vital for international relations

Bryan Kirk
by Bryan Kirk
October 11, 2021
Maj. Gen. Johanna Clyborne, assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, speaks to troops completing the Croatian Armed Forces Best Soldier Competition at the Eugene Kvaternik Military Training Area in Slunj, Croatia on June 16, 2021. Sgt. Jakob Ellingson, with the 114th Transportation Company, Minnesota National Guard participated in the CAF Best Soldier Competition as part of the Minnesota National Guard’s state partnership program. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Samantha Hircock)

Maj. Gen. Johanna Clyborne, assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard, speaks to troops completing the Croatian Armed Forces Best Soldier Competition at the Eugene Kvaternik Military Training Area in Slunj, Croatia on June 16, 2021. Sgt. Jakob Ellingson, with the 114th Transportation Company, Minnesota National Guard participated in the CAF Best Soldier Competition as part of the Minnesota National Guard’s state partnership program. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Samantha Hircock)

The State Partnership Program has expanded to include 83 partnerships with 90 nations around the globe, according to the National Guard Bureau.

Known as the SPP, the program is administered by the Bureau but executed by the state’s adjutants general in alignment with Department of Defense policy goals. 

Many of these partnerships are with countries that were once part of the old Soviet Union or were among the Eastern Bloc countries allied with the Soviet regime. North Carolina National Guard, as an example, is partnered with Moldova, Tennessee National Guard partners with Bulgaria, and Illinois National Guard has a partnership with Poland.

Earlier this year, Minnesota National Guard celebrated the 25th anniversary of its partnership with Croatia, a former Eastern Bloc country that became a member of NATO in 2009, according to a press release.

Senior Croatian military leadership visited Camp Riley last month where they met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and became familiar with the UH-60 Black Hawk.

Adm. Robert Hranj, the Croatian Chief of Defense who was part of the delegation visiting Camp Riley, praised the SPP relationship, which he said has helped make them stronger.

“We came out of the war-torn country, we joined NATO, we joined the EU, we’ve participated in many international operations, many times with Minnesota National Guard units, making on some occasions joint units,” Hranj said. “And for all these changes in the Croatian military, cooperation with the Minnesota National Guard played a huge role.”

RELATED: Program puts Guard units side by side with international partners

Maj. Gen. Michael Wickman, commanding general of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, referred to the relationship as a “bedrock of professionalism.” He said the partnership helped build a relationship of trust and cooperation between both countries, which included sending joint mentoring teams to Afghanistan in 2008.

“That was such a significant measure of operational success for this partnership program,” Wickman said. “It shows interoperability in a combat situation.”

Retired Lt. Col. Greg Scofield served as the bilateral affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard from 2002 until his retirement in 2011 and was helping, early on, to build that relationship, shortly after the Croatian military joined the SPP.

“We helped lay the ground work for the Partnership for Peace Program, which helped them get admitted into NATO,” he said. 

The California Army National Guard, which began partnering with Ukraine in 1993, has one of the longest relationships in the SPP. The partnership, which began just two years after the Soviet Union collapsed, has played a key role in enhanced soldier readiness and helped build an unbreakable spirit of cooperation between the two nations.

“The California National Guard partnership with Ukraine contributes to our military readiness by strengthening our individual service members’ knowledge of their military occupational specialty,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Hill, who serves as the director of Strategic Communications for the California Military Department. “It is one thing to know how to do your own job, but it develops core competencies by training a member of a foreign military that same skill set.

“This can be something as simple as a small team of our soldiers who trained some vehicle mechanics from the Armed Forces of Ukraine on how we do maintenance, order parts, and report vehicle maintenance, which sharpens the skills of those non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers by giving them real world training opportunities.”

RELATED: Malaysia and Washington State partner for exercises


In September 2006, members of
California Air National Guard participated in a joint emergency readiness exercise with the Ukraine military that also included Moldova, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. And in 2015, CANG members deployed to Ukraine to train their troops for a possible conflict with Russia.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel has completely stopped, which has resulted in the CANG and Ukrainian military relying on alternative means of training.

“In the past year, the State Partnership Program was able to execute multiple virtual engagements with our Ukrainian partners focusing on NATO staff functions, medical readiness, recruiting and retention, and officer career management,” Hill said. “The exchanging of best practices between CANG and Ukrainian military personnel has significant benefits for both parties.

“We each learn from each other, share experiences, and broaden our understanding of the topics being covered. At a minimum, our engagements serve as a physical representation of the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty in the face of Russian aggression.”

Hill praised the nearly 30-year partnership with Ukraine, which he said has helped make both countries better prepared to meet international challenges — particularly those in Europe — adding that he’s hopeful that the partnership can last for many more years.

For more information on the SPP, visit the National Guard website.

Read comments
Tags: 34th Red Bull Infantry DivisionCalifornia National GuardEuropeinternational relationsMinnesota National GuardRussiaState Partnership ProgramTennessee National GuardUkraine
Bryan Kirk

Bryan Kirk

Bryan Kirk is an award-winning journalist and columnist. Throughout his 24-year career, his byline has appeared in numerous publications including Newsweek, Newsmax, the Associated Press, and the Houston Chronicle. Bryan is also a military veteran, serving in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army. Bryan currently works as a freelance writer and lives in New Braunfels, Texas.

Related Posts

Guardsmen train with Coast Guard in Alaska

by Kari Williams
18 hours ago
0
Coast Guard

Undulating waves pitched the 2,000-ton U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Cypress like a bath toy, which was nothing unusual for the...

Read more

Northern Strike winter iteration prepares units for emerging threats

by Allison Churchill
1 week ago
0
Northern Strike

Northern Strike 23-1 will be held this month, bringing together guardsmen, active-duty service members and Latvian National Armed Forces.

Read more

The Hooligans’ Way: Air National Guard’s 119th Wing receives Air Force’s ‘outstanding unit’ award 23 times

by Bianca Strzalkowski
1 month ago
0
Hooligan

North Dakota airmen have produced the outstanding unit of the year 23 times. The 119th Wing attributes success to the...

Read more

Hawaii guardsmen participate in bilateral exercise with Royal Australian Air Force

by AmeriForce Exclusive
2 months ago
0
Hawaii

Hawaii Air National Guard service members are participating in a bilateral training exercise with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Read more

New era for Sinai Peninsula peacekeeping mission begins

by Allison Churchill
3 months ago
0
Sinai Peninsula

South Carolina and Alabama guardsmen became the first to provide aviation support to the peacekeeping mission at the Sinai peninsula.

Read more

Army Guard, Reserve grapple with the time suck of mandatory online training

by Military.com
3 months ago
0
U.S. soldiers take the Online Academic Skills Course at the education center on USAG Benelux-Brunssum, Netherlands, Aug. 18, 2022. Photo by Sandra Wilson

Mandatory training is an often time-consuming fact in the Army, but some reserve commanders want to rethink how big of a...

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

GET RESOURCES

  • VETERANS TOOLKIT

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • RECRUITING & RETENTION
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • TRANSITION
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • PARENTING
  • OFF DUTY
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • TRAVEL
  • HEALTH
    • FITNESS
    • MEDICINE
    • MENTAL HEALTH
  • OPINION
  • HISTORY
  • MONEY
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • BENEFITS
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • RESOURCES
    • VETERANS TOOLKIT
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2022 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW