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

Three Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conduct an urban patrolling operations exchange with members of the Tajik military May 4 - 8, 2026, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Back in Virginia, the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute hosted similar training for a different group of Tajik troops May 11 - 22, 2026, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The engagements were conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Tajikistan have been formal partners since 2003.
183rd RTI, Tajiks conduct patrolling exchanges in Tajikistan, Virginia 
June 8, 2026
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted an urban patrolling operations exchange with members of the Tajik military in May both in Tajikistan and at Fort Pickett.
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team unload vehicles and equipment from railcars June 3, 2026, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The vehicles and equipment traveled from Virginia to Louisiana in support of a training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk. The 116th MBCT is the first Army National Guard brigade to participate in a JRTC rotation as a mobile brigade combat team after formally transitioning from an infantry brigade combat team in 2025. JRTC provides U.S. military units and personnel with complex, realistic combat training, including joint and combined arms operations, force-on-force scenarios and live-fire exercises. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Clements)
116th MBCT arrives in Louisiana, begins JRTC rotation
June 5, 2026
The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team are testing their combat readiness during a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation May 31 - July 1, 2026, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. 
Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted a mountain warfare exchange with members of the Tajik military April 27 – May 1, 2026, 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 exchange focused on developing and refining mountain warfare fundamentals, while fostering collaboration between U.S. and Tajik forces.
VNG Soldiers conduct mountain warfare exchange in Tajikistan 
May 14, 2026
Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted a mountain warfare exchange with members of the Tajik military April 27 – May 1, 2026, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Six members of the Virginia Air National Guard participated in Locked Shields 2026, an international cyber defense exercise, April 11-25, 2026, in Jyväskylä, Finland. Virginia’s participation was in support of the State Partnership Program, in which the VNG and Finland have been formally partnered since 2024. The exercise is one of the largest international live-fire cyber defense exercises, bringing together about 4,000 participants from 40 nations. The six Virginia Airmen joined with their Finnish partners and other allied nations to enhance their skills in defensing against complex cyber threats.
VaANG cyber warriors defend digital front during Locked Shields 26
May 6, 2026
Six members of the Virginia Air National Guard participated in Locked Shields 2026, an international cyber defense exercise, April 11-25, 2026, in Jyväskylä, Finland.
State Partnership Program logo
VNG team participates in Exercise Cold Response in Finland
April 8, 2026
A team of Virginia National Guard officers traveled to Finland to participate in Exercise Cold Response, a multi-country and multi-service winter exercise lead by the Norwegian Army which concluded March 20, 2026.