State Partnership | Utah National Guard

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Program Overview

The State Partnership Program (SPP) links the National Guard of each U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia with partner nations worldwide, fostering mutually beneficial relationships. These partnerships promote security cooperation, enhance military competencies, and build enduring international ties.

Contact Card

State Partnership Program Director

Capt Robert Matheny
[email protected]
801-432-4945

State Partnership Program Coordinator

Master Sgt. Chandler Malichanh
[email protected]
801-878-5606

Address

12953 S Minuteman Drive
Draper, Utah 84020

History of the State Partnership Program

Utah and Morocco: A Historic Partnership

The Utah National Guard proudly partners with the Kingdom of Morocco and its military forces, the Royal Moroccan Forces (FAR). This relationship is rooted in history and with mutual respect. Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States following the Revolutionary War and opened its ports to American ships in 1777. This bond was formalized through the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1786, which remains the longest unbroken relationship in U.S. history. Read more at https://history.state.gov/countries/morocco.

2003: The Utah National Guard was selected as Morocco’s State Partnership Program affiliate, marking the first partnership between a U.S. state and a predominantly Muslim nation in Africa.
2004: The Utah National Guard provided immediate aid following a devastating earthquake in Al Hoceima, exemplifying the strong ties between the two nations. This year also began the first Humanitarian Civic Assistance clinic mission.
2010: Utah Army National Guard Band performs inaugural concert in Morocco, serving as goodwill ambassadors on behalf of the Utah National Guard and State Partnership Program, celebrating the common-shared love of music and how it unites us all.
2019: Utah Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker(s) conducted refueling exercise with the Royal Moroccan Air Force. They refueled Moroccan F-16 aircraft over central Morocco as part of exercise African Lion 2019. This multinational air-to-air refueling training promoted interoperability and enhanced strategic cooperation.
2023: Celebrating 20 years of HCA through jointly operated medical clinics between the Utah National Guard and Royal Moroccan Forces medical personnel, in rural areas throughout Morocco. Utah Air National Guard participates in the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces air show, showcasing interoperability and the strength of the partnership between the two countries.
2024: Marks more than 22 years of collaboration between the Utah National Guard and Kingdom of Morocco, with hundreds of bilateral engagements and exchanges to date and many more planned into the future.

Partnership Focus Areas

The Utah National Guard and the great country of Morocco work together to enhance military and civilian capabilities through these key Lines of Effort (LOEs)

The Utah National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) collaborate closely to enhance disaster response capabilities and humanitarian assistance efforts. Through joint training exercises, real-world deployments, and knowledge exchanges, both forces share best practices in many areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief areas such as: crisis management, emergency medical care, logistics planning, search and rescue, and additional efforts in civil-military coordination. The UTNG brings expertise in large scale disaster response frameworks, while the FAR contributes valuable experience in rapid mobilization, urban search and rescue, and humanitarian operations in austere environments. Together, both nations have responded to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and flooding, and together have conducted humanitarian civic assistance programs that provide critical medical services and infrastructure support to underserved communities. This partnership strengthens bilateral coordination, ensuring that both forces are better prepared to provide lifesaving aid and respond effectively to crises in Morocco, the U.S., and beyond.

In support of Morocco’s national security and intelligence development, the UTNG and the FAR are actively engaged in the establishment of an Intelligence Center of Excellence within Morocco. This initiative focuses on mutual capacity building, advising on training programs, and mutual knowledge transfer to enhance intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination. Both the UTNG and FAR provide subject matter expertise on intelligence operations, information security, and other strategies, ensuring both forces have access to modern methodologies and best practices. By fostering a professional and collaborative intelligence environment, this center will serve as a hub for regional intelligence training, strengthening the ability to address emerging security threats in the region.

The collaboration between the UTNG 19th Special Operations (UTNG SOF) units, and the Royal Moroccan Special Forces (FAR SOF) units are instrumental in establishing a Special Operations Forces Center of Excellence in Morocco. This center is designed to enhance elite military capabilities and advance counterterrorism operations. The UTNG SOF and the FAR SOF collaborate closely to establish this center by providing mutual mentorship, sharing advice on training methods, and operational guidance tailoring this center to the unique needs of FAR SOF units. This collaboration includes developing the specialized tactics, refining command and control structures, and integrating lessons learned from both the FAR SOF and UTNG SOF operations. By UTNG SOF units assisting with the creation of this center, the partnership between these units ensure both the UTNG and FAR special operations forces are equipped with the skills, strategies, and leadership necessary to respond to modern security challenges effectively.

A key pillar of the SPP partnership is enhancing interoperability, modernization and force readiness between the Utah National Guard (UTNG) and Royal Moroccan Forces (FAR). Through joint training exercises, leadership exchanges, and capability assessments both forces enhance their operational effectiveness by learning from each other’s experiences and expertise. The UTNG provides insights into military modernization, equipment integration, and operational planning, while the FAR shares its extensive knowledge in desert warfare, border security, and peacekeeping operations. This collaboration ensures that both partners refine their tactics, techniques, and procedures to improve readiness and alignment with NATO and coalition forces. By leveraging each other’s strengths, this partnership enhances military effectiveness, strengthens regional security , and deepens the longstanding relationship between the two nations.

Major Annual Events

Maroc Mantlet

This exercise is the premier annual disaster planning and preparedness exercise in the Kingdom of Morocco, in which Utah National Guard partners with the Royal Armed Forces and Moroccan civilian agencies in joint training program exercises to prepare for emergency response situations which also fosters interoperability and operational readiness. Maroc Mantlet combines aspects from urban search and rescue, firefighting, emergency medical response training, aquatic rescue which features the use of helicopters, and CBRN response with decontamination efforts.

Humanitarian Civic Assistance

The Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) mission enables the UTNG medical personnel to work with their Moroccan Royal Armed Forces counterparts to provide medical services to civilian populations who may lack ready access to medical and dental care in rural areas, while improving the operational readiness of participating service members. Read more: HCA program details.

Subject Matter Expert Exchanges

Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) are structured engagements where professionals from the UTNG and the FAR collaborate to share knowledge, best practices, and technical expertise. These exchanges enhance interoperability, build capacity, and strengthen long-term partnerships across various military and civilian disciplines. Promoting knowledge sharing in areas like engineering, cybersecurity, and aviation safety. These knowledge-sharing sessions create lasting professional relationships and improve both nations’ capabilities to respond to complex global challenges.

Familiarization Visits

Familiarization (FAM) visits serve as an introduction for Utah National Guard (UTNG) and Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR) leaders and personnel to gain firsthand insights into each other’s operational environments, capabilities, and cultural contexts. These visits are essential for strengthening diplomatic and military ties, fostering trust, and setting the stage for deeper collaboration. Fam visits provide the foundation for more extensive joint exercises, ensuring seamless coordination between UTNG and FAR forces in future engagements.

Women, Peace, and Security

The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Program is a global initiative that recognizes the vital role of women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and security efforts. Signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2017, the Women, Peace, and Security Act made the U.S. the first nation to mandate a comprehensive strategy for advancing women’s meaningful participation in security operations. The Utah National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) actively supports WPS by working alongside the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR) to promote gender integration in planning efforts, leadership development, and increased opportunities for women in both military and peacekeeping roles. Through collaborative training, leadership exchanges, and subject matter expert engagements, both partners share strategies to empower female service members and their contributions to national and regional security. Morocco has made significant decisions through integrating women within its armed forces, and through this partnership, both nations strengthen their commitment to fostering a security environment that leverage the full potential of their forces. By supporting WPS initiatives, the UTNG and FAR contribute to a more resilient, comprehensive, and effective approach to peace and security.

https://2021-2025.state.gov/women-peace-and-security/

U.S. Department of State

Women, Peace, and Security