Hawai‘i National Guard’s State Partnership Program

What is the State Partnership Program?

The National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program (SPP) is an innovative global initiative that pairs the National Guard of different U.S. states with the military organizations of partner nations around the world. Rather than just sending active-duty troops for short deployments, the SPP focuses on building long-term, continuous relationships. National Guard members train side-by-side with their international counterparts, sharing expertise in areas like emergency management, medical care, cyber defense and aviation. Today, the program includes over 100 partnerships, and is essential for organizing humanitarian assistance, improving interoperability and maintaining stability and peace throughout the Pacific.

Hawai‘i National Guard’s Partners

When pairing a U.S. state or territory’s National Guard with a foreign country, the program often looks for shared geographical, economic or cultural characteristics. The Hawai‘i National Guard is partnered with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Tentara Nasional Indonesia. The Hawai‘i National Guard is a respectable match for both the Philippines and Indonesia due to several deep-rooted similarities:

• Hawai‘i, the Philippines and Indonesia are all Pacific island chains or archipelagos, which means they face similar logistical and environmental challenges.
• All three prepare for and experience similar natural disasters, including typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, mudslides and volcanic activity.
• Hawai‘i shares strong cultural and ancestral connections with these nations; for example, Hawai‘i has a large American Filipino population that deeply strengthens the bond between the regions; and both the Hawaiian language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) and Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) belong to the Austronesian language family. They share an ancient linguistic origin tracking back to seafaring migrations from Taiwan thousands of years ago.

A Closer Look at the Partnerships

The Hawai‘i National Guard’s relationship with both the Philippines and Indonesia is active, involving dozens of engagements each year focused on real-world problem-solving.