The Texas National Guard’s growing partnership with Egypt reflects a strategic commitment to regional security, interoperability and defense cooperation that is played out in the field in joint training exercises such as Bright Star.

Since formalizing their relationship in 2020 under the US National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP), the Texas National Guard and Egyptian Armed Forces have participated in joint exercises, tactical training and operational exchanges.

The partnership continues to emphasize shared priorities across air, ground and cyber domains, enhancing the US–Egypt defense relationship and strengthening collective readiness.

The biennial Bright Star exercise, co-hosted by Egypt and the United States, is the largest set of multinational army maneuvers in the Middle East.

The upcoming Bright Star 25 drill will integrate a command-post exercise, field training exercise and senior leader seminar to address modern security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.

The exercise will reinforce military-to-military relationships between US forces, Egyptian Armed Forces, and allied participants through combined operations, joint planning and live-fire training scenarios.

Airborne operations

During Bright Star 23, held in August and September, 2023, Egypt and the United States were joined by militaries from 32 other countries.

Approximately 1,500 US service members participated alongside 32 partner nations including Greece, Italy, Cameroon, India, Brazil and South Africa.

Soldiers from the Texas National Guard's 1‑143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, conducted static‑line nighttime airborne operations alongside Egyptian Airborne forces at Mohamed Naguib Military Base.

The unit boarded C‑130J Super Hercules aircraft from the US Air Force's 386th Air Expeditionary Wing and deployed into tactical drop zones.

In addition to airborne insertion, the 1‑143rd provided sniper training for partner‑nation teams and participated in urban warfare exercises conducted jointly with other nations' airborne units.

These training events helped build advanced proficiency in multiple tactical disciplines.

Long-term partnership

In August 2020, officials from Egypt and Texas affirmed their intent to establish a long‑term partnership with a signing ceremony at Camp Mabry in Texas.

In attendance were Texas Secretary of State Ruth R. Hughs; Maj. Gen. Tracy R. Norris, adjutant general of Texas; and Egypt's defense attaché to the United States, Maj. Gen. Abdelraouf A. Moussa.

The collaboration marked the beginning of a long-term relationship built on years of existing military cooperation.

The US Department of Defense launched the SPP 30 years ago to build and strengthen military-to-military and civilian-to-military relationships between US states and partner countries.

The SPP links a unique component of the Department of Defense, a state's National Guard, with the armed forces or equivalent of a partner country in a cooperative, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship.