GLEN JEAN, W.Va - The West Virginia National Guard welcomed Qatar Armed Forces Military Police Forces commander and senior leaders during a tour of Scouting America facilities located at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, on Feb. 13, 2026. The tour was a part of an ongoing effort to strengthen international partnerships and to prepare for the Scouting America National Jamboree scheduled for this summer.
Maj. Gen. Rashid Al-Hajri, QMPF commander, led a delegation to West Virginia where they met with WVNG Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward and key leaders. During the visit, Guard leaders outlined plans for integrating Qatari military personnel alongside WVNG military personnel to support large-scale event security and training missions focused on sharing best practices and operational coordination.
The engagement is part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program and reflects the continually growing relationship between the WVNG and Qatar that continues to evolve through shared training and mission support.
“The relationship with West Virginia and Qatar is long standing, and I think it’s a very warm and friendly partnership,” said Seward, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration and engagement.
Al-Hajri expressed his commitment to strengthening ties and learning alongside the WVNG military police forces.
“We are always keen on having a strong relationship between Qatar Military Police and the West Virginia National Guard,” Al-Hajri said. “We want to increase the momentum of our long-standing relationship to benefit future joint operations.”
This is not the first time an SPP relationship has grown through the Jamboree support mission. In 2017, Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard and Peruvian Army took advantage of the opportunity to train together at the 2017 National Jamboree on the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The purpose of the training was to exchange different tactics and procedures between the U.S. military police and the Peruvian officers.
The Jamboree helped to strengthen the 20-year relationship between West Virginia and Peru through the State Partnership Program.
This summer the QMPF plans to provide approximately 40-45 personnel for the National Jamboree. They will work side-by-side with the WVNG military personnel who will be conducting security operations throughout the event. The National Jamboree is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors from across the country. The QMPF and WVNG will partner on mission sets such as route control, crowd management, and facility security, while also providing opportunities to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures. The joint effort will provide both forces with real-world experience in large-scale event security operations and enhance their ability to operate together in future missions.
“We want to be one team,” said Al-Hajri. “We are grateful and happy to support any engagement and partnership in the future.”
The visit also highlighted Qatar’s broader role as a critical security partner in the Middle East, particularly through its support to U.S. and coalition air and missile defense operations. Qatar hosts key U.S. military infrastructure and defense capabilities that help protect regional airspace from significant threats. These capabilities—operated through combined and coordinated command structures—serve as a cornerstone of regional defense, deterring aggression and contributing to stability across the Middle East.
For West Virginia Guardsmen, many of whom have served in the Middle East alongside these air defense units, the partnership with Qatar represents more than a training opportunity—it reflects a shared commitment to regional and global security. These defense systems are owned and operated by the United States military, and their presence at Al Udeid Air Base is made possible through a long-standing defense cooperation agreement with the State of Qatar. This partnership enables coordinated command and control of air defense operations, demonstrating how allied nations work together to protect critical infrastructure, safeguard civilian populations, and maintain freedom of movement in a complex security environment.
The concept of burden sharing—where allied partners share responsibility for security operations—was a central theme throughout the visit. By training together in West Virginia and operating together abroad, both WVNG and QMPF forces build interoperability, trust, and readiness for future deployments.
For West Virginia, the partnership with Qatar also brings tangible benefits at home. Joint training events at the Summit Bechtel Reserve enhance WVNG readiness, bring international collaboration to the state, and reinforce West Virginia’s role as a key contributor to national defense and global partnerships.
As preparations continue for the National Jamboree and future joint operations, leaders from both forces expressed confidence that the relationship will continue to grow strengthening security, supporting shared missions, and building lasting ties between the people of Qatar and the State of West Virginia.
“We are grateful for this partnership and for the opportunity to work side by side,” Al-Hajri said. “Together, we strengthen our forces and contribute to stability both at home and abroad.”