The National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) stems from a 1992 Department of Defense (DOD) desire to create and expand military security cooperation efforts in Eastern European countries. Sensitive to Russian concerns that US Active Duty military cooperation activities would appear threating, the DOD established the National Guard State Partnership for Peace program. Starting in the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, this program paired US National Guard soldiers and airmen with their partner countries militaries creating an environment to build partner capacity, support military reform and professionalization efforts, and developing and facilitating security relationships. Success in the Baltic States lead to an
…show more content…
US forces stationed in Italy and Germany deployed to the Baltic States and Poland, NATO stood up a Multinational Division headquartered in Romania , all in a deterrence effort to make the 30,000 troops stationed in Europe look like 300,000. The US Government also responded by creating the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), earmarking in 2015 one Billion US dollars to support expanded exercises, rotational units and infrastructure reinvestments to build capacity to deter Russian aggressiveness. DOD budget in 2016 brought an additional $789 Million for reinvestment into security activities. The 2017 budget quadruples that amount committing over three Billion US dollars to enhance security efforts. As the US government expands its efforts to reassure our European allies, it must take advantage of every opportunity to build relationships and strengthen the resolve of our European partners. The SPP can help do …show more content…
The most important aspect of the program is the enduring and long-term relationships developed between leaders in the program, and the interagency and international cooperation it fosters. These activities directly contribute to an improved security environment for the GCC while increasing cooperation, interoperability, and mutual understanding between partners at all levels. The program also provides a stabilizing influence as citizen soldiers demonstrate commitment to civilian control of the military not often found in the traditions of the partnered country. An additional program capability was to bring civilians from US government and academia to partnered nations to facilitate governmental and educational training to enhance support to civilian
US forces stationed in Italy and Germany deployed to the Baltic States and Poland, NATO stood up a Multinational Division headquartered in Romania , all in a deterrence effort to make the 30,000 troops stationed in Europe look like 300,000. The US Government also responded by creating the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), earmarking in 2015 one Billion US dollars to support expanded exercises, rotational units and infrastructure reinvestments to build capacity to deter Russian aggressiveness. DOD budget in 2016 brought an additional $789 Million for reinvestment into security activities. The 2017 budget quadruples that amount committing over three Billion US dollars to enhance security efforts. As the US government expands its efforts to reassure our European allies, it must take advantage of every opportunity to build relationships and strengthen the resolve of our European partners. The SPP can help do …show more content…
The most important aspect of the program is the enduring and long-term relationships developed between leaders in the program, and the interagency and international cooperation it fosters. These activities directly contribute to an improved security environment for the GCC while increasing cooperation, interoperability, and mutual understanding between partners at all levels. The program also provides a stabilizing influence as citizen soldiers demonstrate commitment to civilian control of the military not often found in the traditions of the partnered country. An additional program capability was to bring civilians from US government and academia to partnered nations to facilitate governmental and educational training to enhance support to civilian