Press Release
☷Hokanson Announces new State Partnership Program Nations
National Guard ( By Press Release office)
Mar 09,2024
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The National Guard ' s top officer recently announced that the Defense Department National Guard State Partnership Program will be expanding to include several new nations . Finland , Palau , Saudi Arabia , Sierra Leone , Sweden , and Tanzania will join the program in 2024 . The program , which pairs state National Guards with foreign military allies , aims to promote security cooperation and foster deeper relationships . The National Guard Bureau chief emphasized the importance of alliances and partnerships in upholding freedom and democracy . The State Partnership Program , which has been in place for over 30 years , has proven to be a productive and cost - effective security cooperation initiative . Initially established to assist former Soviet states in military reform , the program has since grown to include partnerships with a total of 100 nations . The selection process for pairing states with nations takes into account various factors such as demographics , economics , and military size . This program helps us connect with other countries and make our partnerships mutually beneficial . In recent years , Guardsmen have been doing about 1 , 000 training exchanges annually with foreign counterparts , covering various topics like peacekeeping , NCO development , lifesaving techniques , and cyber defense . In 2023 , almost 9 , 000 Guardsmen participated in nearly 1 , 500 engagements worldwide , showing the program ' s success . It ' s all about learning from each other and building strong relationships . The National Guard is creating allies for our nation and helping them improve their capabilities . The SPP manages a significant portion of U . S . security cooperation engagements with only a small portion of the budget . The real success of these partnerships lies in the lasting relationships formed by the people involved . These relationships endure throughout careers and are crucial when it comes to training , responding , or fighting alongside our partners . We stand together as friends , not strangers .
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