SPRINGFIELD, Va. –
The Virginia National Guard Management Group, in coordination with the Virginia National Guard, hosted the National Guard Arctic Interest Council annual conference Feb. 11 - 12, 2025, in Springfield, Virginia.
Military and civilian entities including the VNG, other NGAIC states, U.S. Army North and several civilian vendors participated in the conference, as did contingents from allied nations including Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. The VNG is formal partners with Finland through the State Partnership Program.
“The theme of the conference focused on opportunities and interoperability,” said Capt. Rachel Morgan, the VNG’s Strategic Plans and Training Officer. “Briefings and discussion panels were provided to determine deliberate training opportunities, advance state-state partnerships, and better understand the growing near-peer threat to the Arctic.”
The VNG contingent at the conference was led by Brig. Gen. Russell McGuire, the Assistant Adjutant General for Army Strategic Initiatives, and Col. Chris Dunn, the VNG’s J5 Director of Strategic Plans and Policy. Maj. Jason Dodge, the deputy J5, and Morgan also attended, as did Lt. Col. Carlos Maldonado and Maj. Isaac Rivera, the VNG SPP director and coordinator, and Lt. Col. Mark Ford and Maj. Dax Farnsworth, the VaARNG G3 state training officer and state training operations officer.
Attendees listened to a presentations from Dr. Rebecca Pincus, director of the Wilson Polar Institute, and David Kang, the NORTHCOM and NORAD J7 Director of Training and Exercises.
“The Polar Wilson Institute provided an in-depth review of growing security concerns and hazards that Arctic interested nations should prepare for as melting sea ice makes the region’s waterways and natural resource available,” said Morgan. “The brief, presented by Dr. Rebecca Pincus, discussed national defense concerns, the increase of natural disasters, and how the U.S. can build a sustained presence with its allies and partners.”
The conference also featured a panel discussion regarding the State Partnership Program, with McGuire participating on the panel along with senior leaders from the New York and Minnesota National Guards as well as partner nations.
“All international partners provided an overview of their countries and why they sought partnerships with the National Guard,” said Morgan. “Representatives from Iceland and Denmark provided detailed country history and shared their interest in partnering with the National Guard to improve upon a “whole society approach”, joint training opportunities and seeking state level agency expertise to improve emergency response.”
Discussions included future training opportunities between the National Guard and partner nations in the region.
The SPP agreement between the VNG and Finnish Defense Forces builds on several decades of friendship and partnership between the two organizations. Finnish troops served alongside the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division during the Stabilization 10 rotation in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2001-2002, and VNG personnel have trained side-by-side with their Finnish counterparts on numerous occasions over the years. More recently, Virginia Soldiers and Airmen competed in a Finnish Sniper Championship and participated in the Arctic Forge exercises. In summer 2024 Finnish personnel came to Virginia to participate in the Cyber Fortress 3.0 exercise, hosted by the 91st Cyber Brigade.
Read more about the VNG’s partnership with Finland at https://vngpao.info/yckwa597.