Strengthening Global Security Through Enduring Partnerships
The Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, managed by the National Guard Bureau, is executed by 54 states and territories in support of the Combatant Commanders’ Plans and State Department Country Strategies. The program began in 1993 with 13 partners and has grown to 115 partner-nations.
Through engagement and shared training, the program cultivates bilateral defense relationships and interoperability between U.S. National Guard and partner nations, fostering effective and efficient national security cooperation, and strengthening overall national security capabilities and readiness through a broadened pool of security partners.
Most of the earliest SPP partner countries in Europe have gone on to become U.S. allies in NATO, and many of them credit the SPP and their National Guard state partners with helping to make that possible.
Leveraging Kentucky’s Civil-Military Strength
The Kentucky National Guard's State Partnership Program (KYNG SPP) has fostered strong ties with the Republic of Ecuador since 1996 and the Republic of Djibouti since June 2015. This program connects the Commonwealth of Kentucky with these nations to enhance interoperability, expand U.S. access and influence, and boost the readiness of both U.S. and partner forces to address shared challenges. The program enhances the skill sets of subject matter experts, maintains readiness, and exposes service members to combined and joint missions.
Through SPP, the Kentucky National Guard not only conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense and security objectives but also leverages a whole-of-government approach, fostering broader interagency cooperation that spans military, government, economic, and social spheres. The SPP also enables joint missions between Army and Air Force National Guard components that routinely perform engagements together with state partners, both CONUS and OCONUS.
To amplify its efforts, the KYNG SPP collaborates with major U.S. combatant commands and component commands across a range of mission sets. These include USSOUTHCOM, AFSOUTH, ARSOUTH, NAVSOUTH, USAFRICOM, SETAF-AF, CJTF-HOA, and SFAB. Each of these commands sends representatives to the SPP Annual Planning Conference to synchronize efforts with state partners. Main lines of activity across engagements include aviation maintenance, cyber defense, NCO development, medical operations, and ground vehicle maintenance. This combined approach broadens capabilities, deepens alignment across agencies, and maximizes the collective impact in support of our partner nations.
As Citizen-Soldiers, Kentucky Guardsmen uniquely apply their military and civilian experiences to identify solutions and cooperate on shared initiatives, particularly in disaster response. As our military institutions' partnership strengthens, we aim to expand the reach of the State Partnership. This initiative will engage Kentucky's government agencies, universities, civic groups, public health experts, and private sector partners. Together, we'll drive economic growth, development, and security, benefiting both Kentucky and its partner nations, thereby expanding goodwill, friendship, and whole-of-government relations.
Partnership with the Republic of Ecuador – 30 Years of Collaboration
Initiated in 1996, the partnership between the KYNG and Ecuador has evolved significantly over three decades. Early engagements, beginning in 1998, centered on exercises under U.S. Southern Command’s “New Horizons” program. KYNG engineers and medical personnel conducted annual training missions in Ecuador from 1998 to 2000, constructing schools and clinics and providing essential medical care. This foundational work established a pattern of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Recent Developments & Current Focus:
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the KYNG-Ecuador relationship has experienced renewed momentum. In 2024 alone, the KYNG and the Ecuadorian military conducted more than 20 joint engagements. These collaborations focused on critical areas including helicopter and fixed-wing maintenance, ground vehicle maintenance, cyber defense, and interagency operations. A key component of this partnership is the annual Key Leader Engagement (KLE), where senior leaders from both the KYNG and the Ecuadorian military convene to discuss and shape the future of this thriving, 30-year-long partnership.
Partnership with the Republic of Djibouti – 10 Years of Building Capacity in the Horn of Africa
The Kentucky National Guard’s partnership with the Republic of Djibouti, established in June 2015, focuses on enhancing Djibouti’s security capabilities in a strategically vital region. This partnership builds upon Kentucky’s existing experience and expertise in security cooperation and disaster response.
Recent Deployments & Current Focus:
Kentucky Soldiers and Airmen have a history of supporting operations in the Djibouti region, including deployments with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). In 2012, over 500 troops from the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, were stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, for Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2021-2022, approximately 170 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment, supported the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in security, crisis response, and partnership building in East Africa. The SPP now formalizes and expands this collaboration.
As the military institutions’ partnership strengthens, the KYNG aims to expand the SPP’s reach. This initiative will engage Kentucky’s government agencies, universities, civic groups, public health experts, and private sector partners. Together, these stakeholders will drive economic growth and development, benefiting both Kentucky and Djibouti and fostering goodwill and whole-of-government relations.
The current focus areas with Djibouti as a state partner include fixed-wing maintenance, medical operations, non-commissioned officer (NCO) development, communications operations, and communications equipment maintenance, which enhance operational capabilities and deepen partner interoperability.