State Partnership Program
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| Origin | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Authorities | Title 10 (Armed Forces); Title 32 (National Guard); National Defense Auth. Act |
| Countries | 65 |
| CCMDs | USEUCOM; USOUTHCOM; USAFRICOM; USCENTCOM; USNORTHCOM; USPACOM; |
| Expenditures | $4.5M(2011) |
| Events | 300+ |
| ISAF Nations | 22 |
| ISAF Troops | 7839 |
The National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) is a United States Department of Defense program managed by the National Guard that links U.S. States with partner countries around the world for the purpose of supporting the security cooperation objectives of the geographic Combatant Commands (CCMDs). By linking U.S. states with designated partner countries, the SPP aims to promote access, enhance military capabilities, improve interoperability and enhance the principles of responsible governance. Furthermore, the SPP aims to support several areas of potential interest to the US Congress, such as:
All SPP activities are coordinated through the geographic Combatant Commanders, the U.S. Ambassadors' country teams, the partner State, and other agencies as appropriate, to ensure that National Guard support is tailored to meet both U.S. and country objectives. Specifically, all activities must support the Theater Campaign Plan (TCP) as well as individual U.S. Ambassador mission plans in the countries where they operate. The unique civil-military nature of the National Guard allows active participation in a wide range of security cooperation activities, such as:
As the Soviet Union disintegrated between 1989 and 1991, U.S. government officials explored options to minimize instability and encourage democratic governments in the former Soviet bloc nations. One effort to address these policy goals was to expand military-to-military contacts with the newly independent states of Central and Eastern Europe to promote subordination to civilian leadership, respect for human rights, and a defensively oriented military posture. At the time, most of these newly independent states had militaries that were based on the Soviet model and focused on countering threats from NATO nations.
Sparking the program was a request from the Latvian government for help in developing a military based on the National Guard’s citizen-soldier model. Army Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs at the time and Army General John Shalikashvili, then European Command (EUCOM) commander, embraced the concept as a way to build partnerships with non-NATO countries in the region as they established democratic governments and market economies.
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