Following successes in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, the National Guard's State Partnership Program (SPP) is expanding in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) has endorsed Bangladesh's request for a SPP and asked the National Guard Bureau to nominate a Guard state or territory for this new partnership.

The linkage would bring the number of nations matched with Guard organizations to 59. Five would involve countries from the Pacific Rim or Southeast Asia, a region where Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, NGB chief, predicted much of the SPP's expansion will occur.

"Our nation needs to do this," he said at the first Pacific State Partnership Program Regional Workshop in Honolulu in late January. "It is ... absolutely essential in our international relations in the future."

Foreign military chiefs, adjutants general and others discussed activities that promote mutual security cooperation, stability and progress throughout the 41-country PACOM area of operations.

The area is large and increasingly strategic. Not only does it include 51 percent of the world's surface and 60 percent of its population, the region boasts 25 percent of the world's trade and 50 percent of its oil, PACOM officials said.

Workshop discussions focused on military-to-military, military-to-civilian and civil security cooperation issues as well as funding for SPP events and related topics.

"The potential and the opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region are significant," said Adm. Timothy Keating, PACOM commander, at the event. "Underpinning this potential is the requirement for security and stability, and that's where we all come in."

Keating told attendees that he is a big believer in the program.

"Life is better for hundreds of millions of people throughout the AsiaPacific region," he said, "and a big reason is the effort you're putting forth in the State Partnership Program."

SPP activities include information exchanges on homeland defense, homeland security and military support to civilian authorities, including disaster preparedness, emergency response and consequence management.

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