SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In a significant move to enhance international cooperation and military readiness, the National Guard Bureau and the U.S. Department of Defense have announced the establishment of a State Partnership Program (SPP) between the Illinois National Guard and the Portuguese Armed Forces.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed pride in the Illinois National Guard’s global contributions to security efforts, noting that this new partnership with Portugal will extend that reach and create new opportunities for the state.
The Illinois National Guard has a well-established SPP relationship with the Polish military, spanning over 32 years, which is regarded as a benchmark for state partnerships. Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, adjutant general of Illinois and commander of the Illinois National Guard, highlighted that the experience gained from the Polish partnership will be instrumental in increasing security cooperation with Portugal.
According to Boyd, the partnership is set to enhance interoperability, global deployability, and combat-projection capabilities between the two nations’ armed forces while also bolstering civilian and military organizational capacities.
The Portuguese Ministry of Defense shared its enthusiasm regarding this new partnership, describing the cooperation with the United States as longstanding and robust. They expressed their commitment to deepening this enduring relationship through the SPP.
Both the U.S. and Portugal are founding members of NATO and share a strong existing security collaboration that has been forged through years of joint global deployments. Portugal’s strategic position and contributions to NATO missions have established it as a key player in maintaining transatlantic security.
Governor Pritzker, in his endorsement letter for the partnership, stated that Illinois is well-equipped to foster this collaboration with Portugal. The state is home to approximately 12,000 Portuguese Americans, including a notable 13 percent of the population in Sammons Point, Kankakee County.
The historical ties between Portugal and the United States date back to before the latter’s founding, with significant connections between Illinois and the Portuguese island of Madeira. The Founding Fathers famously celebrated the Declaration of Independence with Madeira wine, reflecting a deep-rooted connection. Many Portuguese immigrants fleeing persecution in Madeira settled in Morgan County, Illinois, about 70 years later, marking the beginning of a lasting Portuguese presence in the state. Their descendants continue to play a valuable role in Illinois’s cultural landscape, particularly in Cook County.
The SPP partnership opens up a range of potential cooperative ventures between Portugal and the Illinois National Guard. Plans include improving mutual cyber capabilities to address national and regional security threats, enhancing crisis response and disaster preparedness, and tapping into strengths in agriculture, infrastructure, and academia.
Additional initiatives could involve joint environmental research concerning soil management and water usage, as well as the development of operational space capabilities.
For more than 30 years, the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Guard Bureau has operated the State Partnership Program, which now includes 106 partnerships across 115 countries. The evolution of this program traces back to a 1991 decision by the U.S. European Command to create the Joint Contact Team Program in the Baltic Region, which included involvement from Reserve component soldiers and airmen.
The successful proposal to pair U.S. states with emerging nations from the former Soviet Bloc paved the way for the creation of the SPP, establishing it as a key tool for U.S. security cooperation. The program promotes collaboration on various aspects of international civil-military affairs while fostering personal relationships at the state level.
With an annual budget of approximately $48 million, the State Partnership Program delivers a substantial return on investment for the Department of Defense. Through SPP, the National Guard pursues military-to-military engagements that support defense security objectives while also leveraging comprehensive relationships across military, government, economic, and social dimensions.
Ultimately, the SPP exemplifies a collaborative approach toward strengthening defense capabilities and enhancing warfighting readiness. The sustained partnerships fostered by this program transcend transactional dynamics, empowering partner nations to take on greater responsibilities in addressing security challenges in today’s global landscape.
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