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The West Virginia National Guard’s State Partnership Program with Peru won runner-up for the National Guard Bureau’s 2023 SPP Partnership of the Year Award during the program’s annual conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16-18, 2024.
“Our relationship with Peru continued to thrive and grow in 2023, serving as an important example of how the SPP can be a key lever to help the U.S. military and government achieve integrated deterrence worldwide,” stated Lt. Col. Erik Sarson, WVNG SPP Director. “Being recognized for our teams’ efforts in the program of the year category is a true honor.”
Criteria programs were graded on a qualitative evaluation of key leader engagements, subject matter expert exchanges, academic exchanges, inclusion of women, peace, and security engagements, and the program’s ability to include “whole of society” events.
During 2023, the WVNG conducted 31 engagements focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, cyber capabilities, enlisted leader professional development, airlift operations, logistics, special operations, and key leader engagements.
Most notably, the West Virginia Air National Guard responded to an emergent request from the Secretary of the Air Force / International Affairs to support the multilateral System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces (SICOFAA) Cooperación IX exercise in Peru. The WVANG facilitated the integration of a C-17 and more than 50 of its Airmen into the exercise with the Peruvian Air Force and 11 other nations’ air forces, delivering a much-needed ambulance, firefighting equipment, and water for the Peruvian Government and its people. The Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, and the U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Lisa Kenna, both praised this effort.
Other notable efforts included, but were not limited to, continued work to help professionalize the Peruvian Armed Forces enlisted and non-commissioned officer corps, hosting U.S.-Peru air staff talks at the headquarters of the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and facilitation of a meeting between the Peruvian Ambassador to the U.S. and the Peruvian Minister of Defense with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. During that engagement, the Ambassador, Minster of Defense and Chief of the National Guard Bureau were able to discuss strategic issues in the relationship and how the National Guard can assist with humanitarian aid, disaster relief efforts, intelligence sharing, and high-level bilateral agreements.
“We have been a proud partner with Peru since 1996, and our relationship continues to deepen and strengthen,” stated Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, Adjutant General. “Continued engagements help us to grow security cooperation and military readiness in our hemisphere as we continue to foster alliances that benefit U.S. interests and compete against the influence of strategic competitors.”
“Our entire SPP team does absolutely incredible work and earning runner-up for Partnership of the Year is a testament to them and all the Soldiers and Airmen who cultivate the relationship we have with Peru through the SPP. I look forward to our continued success with Peru and our other partners in Qatar and Gabon in the years to come.”
Beginning as a program in 1993 to assist countries emerging from behind the Iron Curtain, today SPP involves one-third of the world’s countries and the National Guard of every U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia. Most of the earliest SPP partner countries in Europe have gone on to become U.S. allies in NATO, and many of them credit the SPP and their NG state partners with helping make that possible.
In 2023, more than 9,000 Guardsmen completed almost 1,500 engagements worldwide.
New SPP partnerships are being established in 2024 with Finland, Palau, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sweden and Tanzania, growing the program to even greater heights.
“SPP continues to prove that its motto of ‘Building Relationships that Enhance Global Security, Understanding, and Cooperation’ is foundational in promoting international peace and stability,” said Sarson. “The WVNG is proud to play our part in creating and maintaining enduring relationships that increase the readiness of U.S. and partner forces to meet emerging challenges.”
The overall winner for Partnership Program of the Year went to North Carolina and its partner, Moldova.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2024 11:54 |
| Story ID: | 471123 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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