ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The National Guard’s State Partnership Program will grow by several nations this year, expanding to more than 100 the number of U.S. military partnerships with allies and partners, said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

In remarks before defense and industry leaders participating in the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C., Hokanson announced that Finland, Palau, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sweden and Tanzania will be added to the program in 2024.

The Army National Guard has ordered an aviation safety stand-down of all its helicopter units following two accidents in February, including a crash that killed two Mississippi Army National Guard pilots.

The length of the stand-down, which went into effect Feb. 26, is “undetermined,” said Capt. Jamie Mason, an Army National Guard spokesman.

As the nation faces emerging threats from global adversaries, the National Guard “has never been more important,” the component’s top general said.

National Guard and Reserve members are having trouble accessing disability compensation compared to their active-duty counterparts, a report from the Government Accountability Office found. 

The Army National Guard must prepare to face and define a new reality of war, the commander of Army Forces Command said. 

“We have to win the first fight,” Gen. Andrew Poppas said Oct. 9 during the MG Robert G. Moorhead National Guard and Army Reserve Breakfast at the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Exposition. “We have to prepare for the battle today, especially in this uncertain world. … We have to be ready today.” 

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau, delivered an upbeat message to the force about why National Guard members and their missions are vitally important.

Speaking in Reno, Nevada, at the 2023 conference of the National Guard Association of the United States, Hokanson said it is worth stopping for a moment to recognize why men and women serve in the National Guard.

After 30 years, the National Guard’s State Partnership Program and the relationships it fosters are more critical now than ever, the component’s top general said. 

“These relationships matter more than ever,” said Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “Russia’s violent, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has increased interest in the State Partnership Program. Other countries are looking at Russia and are concerned that they, too, will need to defend their sovereignty.” 

As the National Guard’s State Partnership Program marks its 30th anniversary, the program is poised to continue expanding, bolstering its mission of building enduring relationships with America’s partners and allies around the world.

“The Guard is currently partnered with more than half of the world’s nations, and we expect to see continued growth in the coming years,” Maj. Gen. William Zana, director of strategic plans and policy and international affairs at the National Guard Bureau, said during a meeting with members of the media.