State Partnership Program in Latin America and the Caribbean

The U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP) has been successfully building relationships with partner nation forces since 1993. Through SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements to support defense and security cooperation around the world. SOUTHCOM owns the largest number of partnerships globally: 21 states inclusive of the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands with 30 countries.

A man in a green military uniform speaks before a group of military personnel.

250122-N-CD453-1042 - 250122-N-CD453-1042 DORAL, Florida (Jan. 22, 2025) Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Rafael Rodriguez, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Command Senior Enlisted Leader, briefs senior National Guard leaders during a leadership seminar at SOUTHCOM, Jan. 22. Senior National Guard leaders and adjutant generals from multiple states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at SOUTHCOM in Doral, Fla., Jan. 22 - 23, 2025, for the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samantha Oblander, SOUTHCOM Public Affairs)

250122-N-CD453-1042 - 250122-N-CD453-1015 DORAL, Florida (Jan. 22, 2025) Brig. Gen. Monie Ulis, of the Texas Air National Guard, engages in discussion with senior National Guard leaders during a leadership seminar at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Jan. 22. Senior National Guard leaders and adjutant generals from multiple states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at SOUTHCOM in Doral, Fla., Jan. 22 - 23, 2025, for the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samantha Oblander, SOUTHCOM Public Affairs)

250122-N-CD453-1042 - 250122-N-CD453-1011 DORAL, Florida (Jan. 22, 2025) Air Force Maj. Gen. Julian Cheater, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, briefs senior National Guard leaders during a leadership seminar at SOUTHCOM, Jan. 22. Senior National Guard leaders and adjutant generals from multiple states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at SOUTHCOM in Doral, Fla., Jan. 22 - 23, 2025, for the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samantha Oblander, SOUTHCOM Public Affairs)

A group of military and civilian leaders posing for a group photo.

250122-N-CD453-1042 - 250122-N-CD453-1001 DORAL, Florida (Jan. 22, 2025) U.S. National Guard and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) leadership pose for a photo prior to a leadership seminar at SOUTHCOM, Jan. 22. Senior National Guard leaders and adjutant generals from multiple states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at SOUTHCOM in Doral, Fla., Jan. 22 - 23, 2025, for the State Partnership Program’s 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Juan Chiari)

A man in a green military uniform speaks to a group of military personnel.

250122-N-CD453-1042 - 250122-N-CD453-1015 DORAL, Florida (Jan. 22, 2025) Maj. Gen. William Edwards, Director of the National Guard Bureau’s Strategic Plans and Policy, and International Affairs engages in discussion with senior National Guard leaders during a leadership seminar at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Jan. 22-23. Senior National Guard leaders and adjutant generals from multiple states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at SOUTHCOM in Doral, Fla., Jan. 22 - 23, 2025, for the 2025 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Samantha Oblander, SOUTHCOM Public Affairs)

An HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter flown by Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing refuels from the wing’s C-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft during a search and rescue training mission over Campo Grande, Brazil, Aug. 23, 2023.

230823-Z-IK046-1142 - An HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter flown by Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing refuels from the wing’s C-130J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft during a search and rescue training mission over Campo Grande, Brazil, Aug. 23, 2023.

Brazilian security forces Airmen listen as a U.S. Air Force security forces Airman from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing provides advice during an exercise at Brazil’s Air Base Campo Grande, in Campo Grande, Brazil, Aug. 25, 2023.The New York Air National Guard deployed 100 Airmen to take part in Exercise Tapio, a combat search and rescue training exercise, as part of Brazil's State Partnership Program relationship with the New York National Guard.

230825-Z-IK046-1126 - Brazilian security forces Airmen listen as a U.S. Air Force security forces Airman from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing provides advice during an exercise at Brazil’s Air Base Campo Grande, in Campo Grande, Brazil, Aug. 25, 2023.The New York Air National Guard deployed 100 Airmen to take part in Exercise Tapio, a combat search and rescue training exercise, as part of Brazil's State Partnership Program relationship with the New York National Guard.

Members of the West Virginia National Guard train Peruvian Armed Forces on the M1165 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program in Lima, Peru, June 3, 2021. Peru will use the training on an international peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.

210603-Z-FC129-9002 - Members of the West Virginia National Guard train Peruvian Armed Forces on the M1165 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program in Lima, Peru, June 3, 2021. Peru will use the training on an international peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.

Members of the 130th Airlift Wing and West Virginia Army National Guard talk with members of the West Virginia National Guard’s (WVNG) State Partnership Program (SPP) counterparts on Sept. 24, 2020 at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, Charleston, W.Va. The West Virginia/Peru SPP was formalized in 1996 and has generated more than 120 interactions between the forces. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Caleb Vance)

200923-Z-JF864-014 - Members of the 130th Airlift Wing and West Virginia Army National Guard talk with members of the West Virginia National Guard’s (WVNG) State Partnership Program (SPP) counterparts on Sept. 24, 2020 at McLaughlin Air National Guard Base, Charleston, W.Va. The West Virginia/Peru SPP was formalized in 1996 and has generated more than 120 interactions between the forces. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Caleb Vance)

State Partnership Program’s 2019 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar - MIAMI (Sept. 12, 2019) -- The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, talks with U.S. Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, during meeting with SOUTHCOM leadership. Adjutant generals and other senior National Guard leaders from 18 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands met at U.S. Southern Command Sept. 12-13, 2019, for the State Partnership Program’s 2019 Adjutant General Strategic Leadership Seminar. (Photo by Juan Chiari, U.S. Army Garrison Miami)

Latest State Partnership Program multimedia from the region (DVIDS web site)

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State Partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean

U.S. National Guard-supported state partnerships in the region date back to 1996. U.S. National Guard troops conducted dozens of state partnership events with counterparts in Latin America and the Caribbean every year. Here's a list of the current partnerships in the region and the years they were established:

Arkansas / Guatemala (2002)
Connecticut / Uruguay (2000)
Delaware / Trinidad-Tobago (2004)
District of Columbia / Jamaica (1999)
Florida / Guyana (2003) & Venezuela* (1998) & Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines* (2006)
Georgia / Argentina (2016)
Kentucky / Ecuador (1996)
Louisiana / Belize (1996) & Haiti (2011)
Massachusetts / Paraguay (2001)
Mississippi / Bolivia* (1999)
Missouri / Panama (1996)
New Hampshire / El Salvador (2000)
New Mexico / Costa Rica (2006)
New York / Brazil (2018)
Puerto Rico / Honduras (1998) & Dominican Republic (2003)
South Carolina / Colombia (2012)
South Dakota / Suriname (2006)
Texas / Chile (2008)
West Virginia / Peru (1996)