State Partnership Program- Tajikistan & Finland


The National Guard’s State Partnership Program has served as a cornerstone for building enduring partnerships between U.S. states and more than 100 partner-nations for over 30 years. Through the SPP, U.S. National Guard units and partner-nation forces engage in a wide array of activities ranging from joint training exercises and personnel exchanges to disaster response and humanitarian aid initiatives.

The SPP, administered by the National Guard Bureau, is guided by U.S. State Department foreign policy goals, and is executed by the state adjutants general in support of combatant commander and U.S. Chief of Mission security cooperation objectives and Department of Defense policy goals by developing enduring relationships with partner-nations and carrying out activities such as military-to-military engagements while also leveraging whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader cooperation spanning military, government, economic, and social spheres.    

The VNG just recently observed the 20th anniversary of its partnership with Tajikistan, and there have been more than 200 exchanges during that time. The VNG and Republic of Tajikistan have conducted exchanges on subjects like communications, infantry tactics, checkpoint security, civil engineering, and medical evacuation.  

The Virginia National Guard formalized its partnership with the Finnish Defense Forces during a signing ceremony May 2, 2024, at the Finnish Ministry of Defense in Helsinki, Finland. The letter of intent, signed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen, and Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, officially recognizes the pairing of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Finland and the VNG as part of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program.  

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. 

SPP News

Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participate in U.S. Central Command’s annual Regional Cooperation exercise June 15-27, 2025, at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. The exercise encompasses countries from Central Asia, including Tajikistan, which has been Virginia’s formal partner in the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program since 2003. The annual exercise, sponsored by U.S. Central Command and primarily conducted by National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, focused on enhancing multinational stability operations and promoting cooperation on counter-terrorism and joint combined capabilities among the U.S. and Central and South Asia, or CASA, nations.
VNG Soldiers, Airmen participate in Regional Cooperation 25
July 18, 2025
Seven Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in U.S. Central Command’s annual Regional Cooperation exercise June 15-27, 2025, at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts.
Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Command Master Sgt. John Nye, the Virginia National Guard Command Senior Enlisted Leader meet with Manuel Micaller Jr., the U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan, during a key leader engagement in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in support of the State Partnership Program.
TAG, CSEL conduct key leader engagements in Tajikistan
July 14, 2025
Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Command Master Sgt. John Nye, the Virginia National Guard Command Senior Enlisted Leader, conducted key leader engagements with senior Tajikistan officials June 23 and 24, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 
Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno, 29th Infantry Division commanding general, presents a plaque to Finnish Lt. Col. Kai Uitto, commander of the Jaeger Battalion, May 29, 2025, in Finland. The plaque recognized the battalion’s partnership throughout the Karelian Sword Exercise.
29th ID participates in Finland's Exercise Karelian Sword
July 1, 2025
Approximately 20 Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division participated in exercise Karelian Sword, a large-scale, multi-national military exercise, May 23 - 30, 2025, in the Kymenlaakso region of Finland. 
Five Virginia National Guard Soldiers conduct a staff officer exchange with members of the Tajikistan Armed Forces June 9 - 13, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Tajikistan have been formal partners since 2003. The VNG team was comprised of members from the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regiment Support Group and Joint Force Headquarters, Richmond.
VNG conducts military decision making process exchange in Tajikistan
June 24, 2025
Five Virginia National Guard members conducted a staff officer exchange with members of the Tajikistan Armed Forces June 9 - 13, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Tajikistan have been formal partners since 2003.
Capt. Joshua McAnnally, the bilateral affairs officer to Tajikistan, explores Tajikistan. McAnnally says his family has adapted well living in Tajikistan. As a BAO, McAnnally manages defense and security cooperation between Virginia and Tajikistan.
Bilateral affairs officers serve as vital connection between VNG, SPP partners
June 2, 2025
As part of the National Guard State Partnership Program, Virginia is paired with both Finland and Tajikistan to engage in a wide array of military activities, ranging from joint training exercises and subject matter expert exchanges to disaster response and humanitarian aid initiatives. Key components of these SPP relationships are the work and dedication of bilateral affairs officers — Virginia National Guard officers who live in Finland and Tajikistan and manage defense and security cooperation between Virginia and the officers’ host countries.