Vision:
Build long-standing institutional affiliations that promote democracy with nations currently developing democratic civilian and military institutions.
Mission:
The Office of International Affairs provides the Adjutant General and Joint Forces Headquarters staff advice and policy recommendations on international initiatives for the California National Guard. This includes the Security Cooperation components of the National Security Strategy and National Military Strategy aspects of international relations activities conducted by the California National Guard.
The Office of International Affairs manages the State Partnership Program (SPP) with Ukraine. The SPP deploys California National Guard teams to Ukraine and brings Ukrainians to the United States for information sharing to assist Armed Forces of Ukraine in re-structuring, modernizing its forces, and strengthening principles of democracy and free market economies. Exchanges include information about the processes underpinning US military structures that result in subordination to civilian control, consensus building, methodologies for achieving objectives, and interagency coordination of civil/military issues. Future missions for International Relations will include partnerships with other countries to bring the same philosophy to these regions of the world as has been done successfully in the Baltics.
Along with California many other state National Guards are providing bilateral engagement partnerships with their partnered nation. As the program evolves, it is becoming a sophisticated security cooperation tool of US National Security Strategy which brings together civilian expertise, multi-level government agencies, NATO, non-government organizations and commercial interests to address social, economic, military and political issues such as border security, base conversion, emergency response, interagency cooperation, civil-military relations and security cooperation.
Numerous future reciprocal events will continue to strengthen the cooperation and understanding that both governments now enjoy. Of the several benefits SPP provides, one major contribution will continue to be the security and welfare of both our citizens.