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

A contingent of Virginia Air National Guard personnel spent time observing PROTECTIVE FENCE 2025, a major exercise conducted by the Finnish Air Force to test its air component readiness Sept. 22 - 26, 2025, in Finland. Ten Airmen traveled to Finland with the goal of identifying and sharing best practices across the key functional areas of flying operations, maintenance, force protection and intelligence. The exercise provided an opportunity to directly examine Finnish tactics related to agile combat employment, or ACE.
VaANG team observes Finnish Air Force agile combat employment tactics
Oct. 20, 2025
A contingent of Virginia Air National Guard personnel recently spent time observing PROTECTIVE FENCE 2025, a major exercise conducted by the Finnish Air Force to test its air component readiness Sept. 22 - 26, 2025, in Finland. 
A team of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team compete in the HÄYHÄ Finnish Sniper Competition Sept. 5 - 7, 2025, in Pahkajärvi, Finland. The snipers’ participation in the competition was in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024. The HÄYHÄ competition is named for legendary World War II Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä. The international event, hosted by organizations including the Finnish Sniper Guild and the National Defense Training Association, consists of multiple days of different shooting and soldiering challenges specifically designed for snipers.
Red Dragons participate in Finnish sniper competition 
Oct. 20, 2025
A team of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team competed in the HÄYHÄ Finnish Sniper Competition Sept. 5 - 7, 2025, in Pahkajärvi, Finland. 
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participate in the Finnish Engineer Platoon Counter-Mobility Operations 25 course Aug. 25 - 29, 2025, at the Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani, Finland. The exchange was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024.
VNG participates in counter-mobility operations exchange in Finland
Oct. 3, 2025
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in the Finnish Engineer Platoon Counter-Mobility Operations 25 course Aug. 25 - 29, 2025, at the Kainuu Brigade in Kajaani, Finland.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Troutville-based 229th Chemical Company, 329th Regional Support Group, and Fort Pickett-based 34th Civil Support Team conduct a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces during Exercise Karelian Stronghold Sept. 1 - 5, 2025, near Helsinki, Finland.
VaARNG Soldiers conduct CBRN exercise in Finland
Sept. 30, 2025
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Troutville-based 229th Chemical Company, 329th Regional Support Group, and Fort Pickett-based 34th Civil Support Team conducted a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces during Exercise Karelian Stronghold Sept. 1 - 5, 2025, near Helsinki, Finland.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a maintenance exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces July 23- Aug. 12, 2025, in Finland. The exchange was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024. During the exchange, the 329th’s Soldiers showed the Finns one of their Humvees and their maintenance protocols, while the Finns demonstrated some of their vehicles and how they conduct maintenance operations.
329th Soldiers conduct maintenance exchange in Finland
Aug. 21, 2025
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a maintenance exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces July 23- Aug. 12, 2025, in Finland.