State Partnership Program

The National Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP) continues to be one of U.S. European Command's (USEUCOM) most effective Security Cooperation Programs. By linking American states with designated partner countries, we promote access, enhance military capabilities, improve interoperability, and enhance the principles of responsible governance. The EUCOM SPP intent is to support the priorities and objectives of the combatant commanders by enhancing the geographic combatant commanders' ability to build enduring military-to-military (M2M), military-to-civilian (M2C), and civilian-to-civilian (C2C) relationships, all of which enhance long-term international security while building partnership capacity. This mission, accomplished through the bilateral relationship between a country and the National Guard of a state or territory, provides USEUCOM with an integrated security cooperation tool. Building on time-proven DoD initiatives, the mission spans military, political, economic and social realms, is characterized by personal and enduring relationships, features scalable cooperative activities via local, state and national conduits, and opens doors to the full depth and breadth of U.S. defense and interagency capabilities.

EUCOM 2009 State Partnership Program Fact Sheet

Mission:

• National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program supports Military-to-Military contacts and activities between the U.S. and those nations partnering with us in the SPP program. All SPP activities are required to support our Combatant Commanders' Theater Campaign Plans, as well as the individual Mission Plans of the US Ambassador in each country within which SPP operates.
• The State Partnership Program provides organized, trained and equipped forces in support of Combatant Commander Theater Campaign Plan requirements. SPP demonstrates US commitment to reassure allies, friends and coalition partners. The Program expands relationships with existing and new partners. It increases US and partner operational capabilities, interoperability and capacity.
• The primary focus of the State Partnership Program is to develop Military-to-Military engagements, contacts and activities that promote defense & security-related cooperation in critical areas such as emergency management & disaster response, border & port security, leadership & NCO development, medical capacities, economic security, natural resource protection, peacekeeping operations, counter trafficking, counter proliferation and counter & anti-terrorism.

History:

• The current-day State Partnership Program began in 1993 with European Command and evolved from the Joint Contact Team Program, initially launched in Europe as a political and military outreach initiative to new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

EUCOM State Partnership Program:

• The EUCOM State Partnership Program is a tool of the European Command Commander, enabling him to execute his Theater Campaign Plan. The National Guard states build relationships with partner countries in Europe and Eurasia to increase the capacity and capabilities of the partner countries.
• The National Guard of 20 U.S. States have partnerships with 21 countries in the European Command area of operations.

USEUCOM Partnerships:

Alabama / Romania C alifornia / Ukraine Colorado / Slovenia Georgia / Georgia Illinois / Poland Indiana / Slovakia Kansas / Armenia Maine / Montenegro Maryland / Estonias Maryland / Bosnia Michigan / Latvia

Minnesota / Croatia New Jersey / Albania North Carolina / Moldova Ohio / Hungary Ohio / Serbia Oklahoma / Azerbaijan Pennsylvania / Lithuania Tennessee / Bulgaria Texas & Nebraska / Czech Rep Vermont / Macedonia