![Personnel from the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan work together August 16, 2023, during Exercise Regional Cooperation 23 at the Helena Aviation Readiness Center in Helena, Montana. Observers from Turkmenistan attended the exercise. [US Army National Guard]](/ssc/images/2025/06/26/50902-230816-a-sm601-7297b-600_384.webp)
The partnership between the Montana National Guard and Turkmenistan has produced a number of productive exchanges, training workshops and initiatives as bilateral relations between the United States and Turkmenistan are set to improve.
The US Department of Defense's State Partnership Program (SPP) has played a quiet yet impactful role in fostering defense cooperation and bridging the civil-military divide across the globe.
The SPP pairs each state's National Guard with at least one partner nation.
The program emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, uniting National Guard Bureaus with former Soviet republics to promote stability.
Turkmenistan was an early participant in the program and partnered with Nevada from 1996 to 2011.
Partnership revived in 2021
In 2021, the partnership was formally rekindled under the coordination of US Central Command (CENTCOM), the National Guard Bureau and the Turkmen Defense Ministry, this time pairing Turkmenistan with the Montana National Guard.
This renewal marked a reinvigorated effort by Turkmenistan and the United States to expand cooperation across a range of defense and civil preparedness.
Since then, the SPP has facilitated civilian and military exchanges covering topics such as combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, counterterrorism, counter-narcotics trafficking, border security and peacekeeping operations.
It has also overseen workshops that focus on evolving cyber capabilities, disaster preparedness and medical responses to crises.
Major exercise in Montana
In 2023, the Montana National Guard hosted Regional Cooperation 23, which saw more than 230 military personnel from the United States and seven Central and South Asian partner nations -- including Turkmenistan -- gather for a 10-day-long exercise sponsored by CENTCOM.
The exercise featured a specialized workshop that provided instruction on the Military Decision-Making Process (MDMP), a central tenet of US military planning.
This workshop helped ensure all participants had the same baseline understanding of MDMP and carried them though each step, from mission analysis and course of action development, to wargaming, execution and assessment.
