The California National Guard and Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) are adjoined in a new State Partnership Program (SPP) that links the neighboring entities with military forces and defense security support to build upon long-term and mutually beneficial relationships.
The California National Guard announced Monday that it held a signing ceremony Oct. 28 to formalize the SPP. U.S. Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the adjutant general of California, and Maj. Gen. Javier Sandoval Dueñas, deputy chief of military doctrine of the National Defense Joint Headquarters Staff, or EMCDN, signed an official document formalizing the agreement.
SPP is managed and administered by the National Guard Bureau, which for decades has connected U.S.-based entities with other nations worldwide in myriad facets. That includes not only military- and defense-based support mechanisms but broader societal goals leveraging relationships and capabilities to facilitate progress in governmental, economic and social arenas.
“I am extremely pleased that the California National Guard was selected to partner with the Mexican army,” Beevers said in a statement. “This partnership will enhance our homeland defense by fostering strong relationships between California and Mexico, enabling shared training and interoperability, exchanges and collaborative security efforts that ultimately strengthen our national security.”
Relationship Built on Trust, Economics and Diversity
The California-Mexico partnership is the second SPP for U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), which prior to the new agreement had one SPP enacted in 2005 between Rhode Island and the Bahamas. Officials say this new arrangement of sorts “builds upon USNORTHCOM’s already strong defense relationship with the Mexican armed forces” that has been in existence for decades.
A spokesperson for the California Military Department, which includes the California National Guard (Army and Air) and California State Guard, said the SPP provides more guidance and resources to assure long-term stability.
“With Mexico, we will focus on areas where both of us already have significant experience—disaster response, humanitarian assistance, counter-narcotics efforts, and improving interoperability between our forces,” the spokesperson said. “The SPP framework gives us a stable platform for recurring training, exchanges and planning that strengthen our ability to work together when it matters most.”
This specific SPP was facilitated by NORTHCOM, the National Guard Bureau, the State Department, and counterparts in Mexico. The proposal was also supported by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and multiple members of California’s congressional delegation.
California’s proximity and demographic connection to Mexico was also part of the rationale that led to this SPP crossing the finish line.
“Our shared border, deep cultural and economic ties, and long history of cooperation in emergency management and public safety were important factors,” the spokesperson said. “California is Mexico’s largest trading partner in the United States and a significant portion of our National Guard members share Mexican heritage, further strengthening the growing partnership between the California National Guard and Mexico.
“Our shared border, deep cultural and economic ties, and long history of cooperation in emergency management and public safety were important factors.”
“We also face many of the same disaster-response challenges—earthquakes, wildfires, drought, and cross-border impacts that require close coordination. Those shared realities, combined with our experience supporting civil authorities, made this a strong partnership match.”
This is California’s third SPP. The state previously partnered with the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 1993, and the Nigerian Armed Forces in 2006.
Three Decades of Partnerships
The multiple SPPs that currently exist date back to 1991, evolving from a 1991 U.S. European Command decision to set up the Joint Contact Team Program in the Baltic Region with Reserve component soldiers and airmen. SPP started with 13 partnerships in 1993, per the Department of Defense, and as of this year has grown to 116 nations.
The cost-effective partnerships entail multiple aspects of the U.S. military and defense apparatus, from the National Guard’s administration to guidance on foreign policy from the State Department. State adjutants general support such missions that include security cooperation objectives provided by the U.S. Chief of Mission along with policy goals from the Defense Department.
Guard members have conducted about 1,000 training exchanges with foreign counterparts over the course of 30-odd years, officials said. According to online records, SOUTHCOM and EUCOM have the most SPPs with 30 each. That’s followed by AFRICOM (25), INDOPACOM (18), CENTCOM (11) and NORTHCOM (2).
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