Commonwealth_ Senior National Guard leaders, including adjutant generals from 19 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, convened at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, on January 22-23 for the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. The seminar provided a platform to discuss longstanding partnerships with military and public-security forces across the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
The goal of this high-level meeting, which included senior SOUTHCOM leaders, was to improve cooperation with regional partners, make sure that support was in line with U.S. and regional security strategies, and make partner nations stronger through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP). The program plays a critical role in advancing security cooperation objectives by fostering long-term relationships between National Guard units and foreign military and security forces. Through these partnerships, the National Guard helps build partner capacity, improve interoperability, and reinforce multinational ties while simultaneously increasing the readiness of both U.S. and allied forces.
Currently, the State Partnership Program encompasses 105 partnerships with 115 nations, with 30 of these partnerships in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The program has deep historical roots in the region, dating back to 1996, when the first partnerships were established between Kentucky and Ecuador, Louisiana and Belize, Missouri and Panama, and West Virginia and Peru. Since then, these partnerships have expanded significantly, reflecting the growing importance of collaborative security efforts in the Western Hemisphere.
In fiscal year 2024, National Guard units across the United States engaged in nearly 322 activities with their partner nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Looking ahead to fiscal year 2025, more than 300 engagements are already planned, highlighting the continued commitment to strengthening regional stability and security.
The scope of security cooperation under the State Partnership Program is extensive, encompassing a wide range of activities such as military exercises, subject matter expert exchanges, workshops, and familiarization visits. These engagements focus on critical areas of mutual interest, including aviation, logistics, engineering, communications, cybersecurity, health services, humanitarian assistance, disaster preparedness, and professional development. By addressing these areas, the program enhances the operational effectiveness of partner forces while fostering greater trust and collaboration among nations.
The origins of the State Partnership Program date back over 25 years when the Department of Defense launched the initiative to leverage the unique capabilities of individual state National Guard units in expanding U.S. defense cooperation worldwide. By linking state National Guards with military and security forces in foreign nations, the program has helped strengthen global security partnerships and improve collective defense capabilities.
Beyond military cooperation, the State Partnership Program has also facilitated broader bilateral engagements between various state government agencies and their counterparts in partner nations. These expanded engagements encompass areas such as healthcare, law enforcement, education, and emergency management. By incorporating expertise from multiple sectors, state partnerships create comprehensive and multidimensional collaboration opportunities that extend beyond traditional military-to-military relationships.
Through its enduring partnerships, the National Guard continues to play a crucial role in supporting regional stability, security cooperation, and capacity-building efforts. As the program evolves to meet emerging security challenges, its foundation of trust and collaboration ensures that it remains a vital instrument of U.S. foreign policy and defense strategy. Looking forward, the continued success of the State Partnership Program will depend on sustained engagement, adaptive strategies, and strong partnerships with nations across the Western Hemisphere.
