Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 McKinley: State Partnership Program National Guard crown jewel By Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Orrell
                National Guard Bureau
 WASHINGTON - The National Guard’s State Partnership Program is the crown jewel of the Guard’s international engagement, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said Wednesday at the 2011 National Lieutenant Governors Association federal-state relations meeting. “We believe it’s easier to stop a war by being friends with someone than having to fight a war with people we don’t understand,” Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley said. McKinley spoke to the lieutenant governors about the history of the State Partnership Program, the role it plays in international diplomacy and what they can do in their states to take the program and make it their own. The State Partnership Program was formed in the early 1990s amidst the collapse of the former Soviet Union, McKinley said. On Monday, Iowa and Kosovo announced the program’s 63rd partnership. “[The program] started as a practical military modernization, interoperability subordination to civil authorities and development of democratic and free-market institutions science project,” he said. When creating this program there became a moment in history by which the U.S. could partner states with foreign nations and build military-to-military relationships as these countries were emerging into the 21st century, McKinley said. At the beginning stages of the program it was determined that building the program from the ground up would give it the most success. “Instituting American humanitarian values ... started with building a strong noncommissioned officer corps, because in most of those countries, their noncommissioned officers were relegated to being servants to the officers,” he said. “Once you build a strong noncommissioned officer corps, you put it together with the value that our American military brings, and you’ve got a great partnership capacity that has endured for now almost 20 years.” McKinley added that over the last 20 years the State Partnership Program has been very successful on a relatively small budget, which in fiscal year 2010 was only $12 million of the Department of Defense’s almost $664 billion budget. “The $12 million plus some monies that come from the states, go far to do so much,” he said. Working with the geographic combatant commanders is another way that the State Partnership Program has become so successful, McKinley said. “We have 10 combatant commanders around the world, and so with the State Department and the ambassadors in the nations, we form these alliances and partnerships,” he said. “We focus on the civilian military dialogue, transparency in defense budgeting, defense support for civilian agencies, crisis management, border and port security, interagency emergency planning and other core competencies that the National Guard has in our dual capacity of working for the governor and working for our federal military.” The state partnership has evolved into a cornerstone of the United States military in a number of nations, because it’s a low dollar, high impact program, he said. Success of the program is also dependant on the relationship the National Guard has with state leadership, he said. “To have successful civil-military relations includes involvement of civilian leaders and is very essential,” McKinley said. “I am so proud of the relationship that we in the National Guard Bureau and the Department of Defense have with your states, territories and the District of Columbia.” An important element to the relationship between the National Guard and the states is one of President Barack Obama’s new programs signed into effect last year, the Council of Governors, he said. Quarterly, 10 governors who serve on the council meet with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to express the states’ and territories’ interests and needs from the National Guard perspective. “The Council of Governors is very important to us,” he said. Working along with the adjutants general and the Council of Governors, McKinley urged the attendees to take this program and develop it into a new program in their states to build not just military-to-military relationships, but military-to-civilian and civilian-to-civilian. “As we see in the world today, the real challenges confronting us often are at the seams, at the intersection of different worlds where state meets federal, military meets police which then meets the civilian government then the civilian society,” he said. “I would encourage all of you, in your meetings with National Guard leadership, ask them about their State Partnership Program.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 NY Army Guard Band Performs for Netherlands King and Queen
 By Eric Durr,
  Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise
 By Master Sgt. Caila Arahood and Senior Airman Victoria Coursey,
  Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise
 By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier,
  More
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • 8 hours ago
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • 9 hours ago
 National Guard, US Army North, FEMA Train for Hurricane Response Guard News • 10 hours ago
 Cal Air Guard F-15 Pilots Train with Marine Corps F-35 Pilots Guard News • 11 hours ago
 Tennessee Guard Rescues Hiker in Great Smoky Mountains Park Guard News • 3 days ago
 2024 (193)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil