CAMP MURRAY, Wash. -- The Department of Defense State Partnership Program (SSP) recently selected the Washington National Guard to serve as the U.S. partner for the country of Malaysia.

"The State Partnership Program allows us to leverage the deep and trusting ties the National Guard has built with a very large group of foreign allies across every combatant command," said Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau. "I know the Washington National Guard and Malaysia will both benefit from the extraordinary skills and experience each will bring to this partnership."

Guided by U.S. Department of State foreign policy goals, the SSP is administered by the National Guard Bureau and supports theater commanders' security cooperation objectives. The program has been successfully building relationships around the globe for more than 20 years. It currently includes 72 partnerships, and will increase to 73 in August, when the SPP agreement with Malaysia is formally signed.

The SSP evolved from a 1991 U.S. European Command decision to set up a Joint Contact Team Program in the Baltic Region with Reserve component Soldiers and Airmen. A subsequent National Guard Bureau proposal paired U.S. states with three nations emerging from the former Soviet Bloc, and the SSP transformed into a key U.S. security cooperation tool, facilitating cooperation across all aspects of international civil-military affairs and encouraging people-to-people ties at the state level.

Through SPP, the National Guard conducts military-to-military engagements in support of defense security goals but also leverages whole-of-society relationships and capabilities to facilitate broader interagency and corollary engagements spanning military, government, economic and social spheres.

Malaysia will be Washington's second state partner. In 2002, Washington formalized a partnership with the Kingdom of Thailand. Since the partnership began, the Washington National Guard has completed more than 100 exchanges ranging from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness to maintenance, emergency management, aviation opportunities and medical response and treatment.

"I am excited that the Washington National Guard was selected for this opportunity to work as the SPP partner with Malaysia," said Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, adjutant general, Washington National Guard. "We look forward to learning from one another and building a relationship that is mutually beneficial."