State Partnership Program

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.

State Partnership Program News

Cyber, radio exchange deepens US, Djibouti military cooperation
July 18, 2025
Soldiers assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard participate in a radio communications knowledge exchange with Djiboutian soldiers at the Djiboutian signal corp compound in Djibouti City, Djibouti, July 14, 2025.

Kentucky Guardsman Interprets Native Language, Cyber Skills
June 13, 2025
Staff Sgt. Daniel Jarillo-Gutierrez, an information technology specialist assigned to Joint Force Headquarters with the Kentucky Army National Guard participates in exercise Cyber Shield 2025 with Ecuadorian state partners in Virginia Beach, Virginia, June 4, 2025.

Kentucky Air Guard security forces conduct information exchange with Ecuadorian partners
December 31, 2024
Lt. Col. Joshua Elwell, right, commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Security Forces Squadron, greets his counterpart from the Ecuadorian Air Force Special Operations Command during an information exchange event at Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif., May 17, 2024.

Kentucky Guardsmen Host State Partner Djibouti
September 6, 2024
The visit was part of the National Guard's State Partnership Program, which started in 2015 between Kentucky and Djibouti. During the visit, they toured the CSSB's armory, field maintenance shop 10 and the famous Corvette Museum

Kentucky National Guard hosts Ecuadorians for interagency operations exchange
August 23, 2024
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Carolyn Peabody, a member of the 123rd Airlift Wing’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team, discusses the unit’s personal protective equipment with a group of Ecuadorian military and civilian emergency management officials during a tour of the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 6, 2024. The Ecuadorians were visiting as part of the State Partnership Program to learn more about the Kentucky Guard’s emergency response capabilities and interagency cooperation across the state. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Kentucky National Guard Hosts Ecuadorian Military for Interagency Operations Exchange
August 10, 2024
The KYNG hosted leaders from Ecuador during a subject matter expert exchange on the topic of collaboration between military and civilian agencies during disaster or civil response

Kentucky Guard Attends Leader Engagement with Djibouti
July 16, 2024
CJTF-HOA conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and coalition interests, primarily in the East Africa region. The command is critical to U.S. Africa Command's efforts to build partner capacity to counter violent extremists and address other regional security partnerships. The command works against malign actors to strengthen collective security forces and respond to crises to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

Kentucky Guard engineers support Djibouti armed forces at Camp Dodge
June 27, 2024
Engineers with the 130th Engineer support Company, 206th Engineer Battalion, Kentucky National Guard, set the foundation blocks for a retaining wall at Camp Dodge, Iowa on May 15, 2024. The 206th Engineer Battalion worked on various construction projects at Camp Dodge for their annual training.  (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Dickson)

Ecuador-Kentucky Guard partnership welcomes C-130 to Ecuadorian Air Force
May 6, 2024
Members of the Ecuadorian Air Force salute during a ceremony welcoming the arrival of a C-130H Hercules to the Ecuadorian Air Force in Latacunga, Ecuador, March 25, 2024. The ceremony, which included top Ecuadorian military and civilian leaders, marked a new milestone in Ecuador’s participation in the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, which has paired Ecuador and the Kentucky National Guard for mutual military cooperation. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil Speck)

Kentucky Guardsmen, Ecuador's special forces unite in urban warfare exchange
April 10, 2024
Ecuadorian Army Col. Gustavo Iturralde, commander of Ecuador's 9th Special Forces Brigade, talks with Kentucky Army National Guard in Latacunga, Ecuador, March 18, 2024.

Additional Information

Links

NGB: State Partnership Program - The National Guard

DoD: Building Partnerships Around the Globe

Contact Us

Director, State Partnership Program: (502) 607-6807
Email: ng.ky.kyarng.list.spp@army.mil