National Guard State Partnership Program
Gen. Craig R. McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, speaks at the State Partnership Program Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, June 15, saying the program "has matured well" and has grown into solid, long-standing alliances. The U.S. European Command-hosted conference is highlighting many new initiatives, to include SPP partners co-deploying to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and interactive workshops that transform SPP to the next level to ensure it provides comprehensive support for EUCOM's strategy of active security. (Department of Defense photo/Tech. Sgt. Mark Olsen)