State Partnership Program Events

New York Army National Guard Major General Ray Shields (center right) the Adjutant General of New York and NAME AND RANK HERE, (center right) the Brazilian military attache in Washington D.C. take part in a meeting with members of the New York Air and Army National Guard, and U.S. Southern Command and State Department representatives on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019 at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, N.Y. The two-day meeting was held to discuss trainng and exchange opportunities between the New York National Guard and Brazil's military forces as part of a National Guard State Partnership Program agreement. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. William Gizara)

New York Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Thomas Carpenter, second from right, and other Soldiers who graduated from the Jungle Operations International Course conducted by the Brazilian Army Jungle Warfare Training Center, brandish their machetes following a graduation ceremony on Nov. 30, 2019 in Manaus, Brazil. Carpenter was the 30th American Soldier to graduate from the tough, demanding course. (Courtesy photo)

New York National Guard Chaplains Major Timothy Miller (far left) and Lt. Col. Scott Ehler ( left) meet with South African Chief Chaplain Col. R. Stanton, the South African National Defence Force Human Resources Director ( center) and other South African chaplains Lt. Col. S.E.E. Loate and Col. Z.A. Makalima during a meeting in Pretoria, South Africa on Nov. 25, 2019. The New York National Guard and the South African National Defence Force have has a National Guard State Partnership Program relationship since 2003. ( U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Al Phillips)

Firefighters from the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, which is based at Stratton Air National Guard Base near Schenectady, N.Y. training at Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa, on Nov. 20, 2019. The New York National Guard sent 11 firefighters from the 109th to South Africa as part of the State Partnership Program between the New York National Guard and the South African National Defence Force. ( U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Al Phillips)

South African Brig. Gen.Carel Laubscher, (left) the Director Education Training and Development Systems Integrity, of the Human Resources Division, Republic of South Africa Department of Defense receives a gift from New York Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Michel Natali, the Assistant Adjutant General for Army, during the annual Defense Committee Meeting between South African and U.S. officials in Pretoria, South Africa, on Nov. 6, 2019. The New York National Guard has had a State Partnership Program training and exchange relationship with the South African National Defence Force since 2003.

New York Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Mavra throws a practice grenade on the range in Potchefstroom, South Africa, during the South African Military Skills Competition on October 23, 2019. The New York Army and Air National Guard is sending four Soldiers and one Airmen to the 2023 competition that begins on October 25, 2022. The New York National Guard has been linked to the South African National Defence Force through a State Partnership Program since 2003. ( Courtesy Photo)

Lt. Gen. Achilles Furlan Neto, the Brazilian Army's Operations Officer shares a laugh with New York Army National Guard Soldiers while touring a static display of equipment on the parade field at the Camp Smith Training Site in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. on October 8, 2019. Furlan visited New York Army National Guard locations in the Albany area, Camp Smith and New York City during an Oct. 6-11 visit. The New York Army National Guard has had a partnership with Brazil since March of 2019. (New York Army National Guard Sgt. Jonathan Pietrantoni)

Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing pose with members of the Brazilian Air Force's 1st Squadron, 1st Transport Group at Galeao Air Base in Rio de Janerio during a State Partnership Program exchange in September, 2019. The 109th Airlift Wing specializes in flying in the Antarctica and Arctic and discussed Antarctic flying with their Brazilian counterparts. The New York National Guard entered into a state partnership with Brazil in March, 2019. (Courtesy photo)

Leaders from the Ethiopian National Defense Force, the U.S., and other global partners posed for a group photo following the opening ceremony of exercise Justified Accord 2019 at the Peace Support Training Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 15, 2019. JA19 is a U.S. Army Africa-led exercise designed to enhance the capacity and capability of participating international staff and forces in peacekeeping operations in support of the African Union Mission in Somalia. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ian Valley)

New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Brian Cavanaugh, an Air Force fire fighter assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing conducts fire line training with South African fire fighters at the Table Mountain Newlands Fire Base in Cape Town, South Africa on May 2, 2019. Four Airmen spent April 29 to May 5 in Cape Town, South Africa as part of an exchange under the State Partnership Program. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Alvin Phillips)

New York Army National Guard Soldier SSG Norma Saderi, Joint Task Force-Empire Shield, translates from English to Portuguese for a state partnership signing, on the U.S.S. Intrepid, Manhattan, N.Y., March 14, 2019. The State Partnership between the NYNG and Brazil is a Department of Defense joint security cooperation program executed by the State Adjutants General in support of Combatant Commanders and U.S. Chiefs of Mission to help achieve security cooperation objectives and Department of Defense policy goals. (N.Y. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Andrew Valenza)

U.S. Acting Acting Deputy Secretary for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Michelle Lenihan discusses training and exchange highlights with Republic of South Africa Chief Director for Defense Policy Nick Sendall on November 6 during the 2018 Defense Committee meeting with South Africa at Fort Hamilton, N.Y. The group met November 6-8 to plan military exchange opportunities for the coming year. The New York National Guard, as the State Partnership Program partner for South Africa, hosted the event. U.S. National Guard photo by Col. Richard Goldenberg.

New York Army National Guard Master Sgt. Luis Barsallo, a certified hand-to-hand tactics instructor, demonstrates a move to members of the South African National Defense Forces during an exchange visit on October 10, 2018. Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard took part in an exchange program at the South African National Defense Forces Military Police School during an exchange visit there on Oct. 10-11, 2018. Twelve New York Army National Guard experts in civil support operations, military police, law enforcement, and self-defense took part in the exchange visit. ( U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Kristin Ross)

A New York Air National Guard LC-130 Hercules sits as a static display at Waterkloof Air Force Base, South Africa during the African Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, Sept. 22, 2018. The airshow is normally held every two years but was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The New York Air National Guard has sent five aircraft and 60 personnel to participate in the 2022 show. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Julio A. Olivencia Jr.)

LtCol David Panzera, pilot for the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, walks with his son Phillip, a Civil Air Patrol Cadet, after completinghis last landing flying the LC-130 Hercules aicraft July 17th, 2018 at Stratton Air National Guard base, Scotia NY. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. William Gizara)

Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York, meets with cadets at the Military Academy of South Africa in Saldanha, Western Cape Province, South Africa on May 8, 2018. German was speaking at the Academy as part of an exchange program executed as part of the New York National Guard State Partnership Program relationship with the South African National Defense Force. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Major Al Philips.)

Senior Airman Caleb Lapinel, a member of the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing, will represent the New York National Guard and the United States at the Brazilian Army JCenter for Jungle Warfare Instruction in Manaus, Brazil. during the annual International Course which begins on Sept. 26, 2020. (U.S. Air National Guard photo)

Attendees of the 2016 U.S. and Republic of South Africa Bilateral Defense Committee gather for a group photo October 26, 2016 at the conclusion of the meeting. Senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense and South African National Defense Forces discussed bilateral training and exercise opportunities for 2017 at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The meeting was hosted by the New York National Guard, a National Guard Bureau state partner with South Africa since 2003. The State Partnership Program (SPP) is a U.S. Department of Defense program managed by the National Guard that links individual U.S. states with partner countries around the world. (U.S. National Guard photo by Col. Richard Goldenberg)

New York Air National Guard Tech Sgt. Ken Martini (right) speaks to students about the C-17, on Sept. 16, 2016, at the 2016 Africa Aerospace and Defense Airshow and Exhibition at the South Africa National Defense Force’s Waterkloof Air Force Base. Thirty-nine members of the New York National Guard are part of the U.S. military contingent attending the airshow. The African Aerospace & Defense Expo provided a unique opportunity for the U.S. to showcase its military personnel and equipment and promote strong ties with its African partners. (U.S Army National Guard photo by Capt. Jean Marie Kratzer)

New York Army Natonal Guard Majs. Brian Bonanno (left) and Amy Bonanno (right) are among boxes of their household goods at their home in Clifton Park, N.Y., July 20, 2015, as they pack for a move to South Africa. The two veterans, both staff officers in the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, are heading with their two children to Pretoria, South Africa, where Brian will be the liaison officer for the New York Army National Guard and South Africa State Partnership Program. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Raymond Drumsta, New York Army National Guard/ released)

South African Maj. Gen. Wiseman Mbambo(left) and Brig. Gen. Mashoro Phala stand with New York Air National Guard Col. Timothy LaBarge (center), commander of the 105th Airlift Wing, after experiencing a flight in the New York Air National Guard's state of the art C-17 Simulator on Monday, March 2, 2015. Mbomba and Phala visited Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, N.Y., as part of the South African National Defence Force's State Partnership Program relationship with the New York National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michael O'Halloran/ Released)

Members of the South African Defense Force logistics team listen and engage with the New York Army National Guard deputy director of Logistics and Construction Facility manager on how Guard logistics operates at the federal and state level.

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa - New York Army National Guardsmen from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, (Center) based in Gloversville, New York, join South African soldiers in a target shooting competition in November 2010. Five members of the 2-108th Infantry represented the United States Army at the South African National Military Skills Competition November 8-13, 2010. This year ten New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will participate in the 2019 competition.(U.S. Army courtesy photo)