At the end of the Cold War, America needed a way to engage with newly emerging democracies then rising from the ruins of the Soviet Union. Out of that need came the State Partnership Program, an initiative I feel Matthew Leatherman, as evidenced by his Dec. 27 Point of View article "The Military, Moldova and N.C.," does not fully understand.
The program, a cooperative effort of the Departments of State and Defense, aimed to enlarge America's circle of friends and promote stable, democratic governments. Planners chose to leverage the power of the National Guard, because the Guard brought to the table citizens in uniform with a grass-roots viewpoint who could provide long-term continuity for the program. Moreover, it brought state government leadership and a civilian constituency, both of which could engage over the life of the effort.
Moldova was indeed paired with North Carolina by planners in Washington, and we cannot now, nor would we want to, trade for a partner with more economic "potential." In any case, SPP is a federal program, not a state initiative where we can pick and choose a partner at will. Further, the aim of the program has never been economic gain but rather the promotion of strong, democratic institutions, something clearly in America's interests.
SPP has arguably prevented conflict, fostered mutually beneficial civilian, military and government relationships and saved lives, and all for pennies on the dollar. In Moldova, it uses a few dozen U.S. military members a year to promote military professionalism and subordination to civilian leadership. And far from replacing state or federal civilian leaders, the Guard works hand-in-hand with U.S. Embassy staff and supports the initiatives of leaders like N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.
Marshall co-chairs the all-volunteer Bilateral Affairs Committee, whose members bring projects from universities, the medical community, business, the arts, agriculture and many more disciplines to fruition, often at their own expense, in what is Europe's poorest nation. The cooperation with North Carolina helps Moldova build the capacity to provide essential services to its citizens, for example in the area of disaster-response planning, thus building public confidence in Moldova's democratic government.
In short, the program, and its civilian-military relationship, is anything but unstable. Indeed, it is an excellent example of public work on very few public dollars for clear public utility. In fact, the North Carolina partnership has so set the standard for success with both unity and economy of effort that the State and Defense Departments have sought out its leaders for advice on how to replicate it in other partner nations.
SPP was a bargain at its inception and continues to serve America's interests in this era of fiscal austerity. The N.C. National Guard is proud to help facilitate this far-reaching and innovative program.
Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk
Adjutant General of N.C.
Raleigh
The length limit was waived to permit a fuller response.
