The enduring relationship between Kazakhstan and Arizona National Guard Bureau has grown from promoting military and civilian relationships to include annual multinational peacekeeping training exercises.

Together, Kazakhstan and the Arizona National Guard Bureau have fostered collaboration and mutual growth across the military and civilian sectors during a relationship forged over 30 years.

The strategic partnership was established in 1993 as one of the 13 original pairings under the State Partnership Program (SPP).

The US Department of Defense launched the SPP initiative to build and strengthen military-to-military and civilian-to-military relationships between US state National Guards and partner countries.

Over the past three decades, the Arizona National Guard has worked closely with Kazakhstan to exchange best practices, develop robust military capabilities and enhance civilian-military relations.

The partnership has fostered numerous exchanges and visits.

Kazakh delegations have come to Arizona for education on military police operations, vehicle maintenance support, aviation operations and aircraft maintenance, as well as non-commissioned officer development.

These visits have provided Kazakhstan's military personnel with insights into the operational standards and practices of the Arizona National Guard, enabling them to enhance their own capabilities.

In June, Kazakh troops took part in Regional Cooperation 25, an annual, multi-national command-post and field training exercise sponsored by US Central Command.

The drill was conducted by National Guard units, in partnership with Central and South Asia nations.

Steppe Eagle

A significant achievement of the Kazakhstan and Arizona National Guard Bureau partnership was the annual multinational training exercise, Steppe Eagle, held from 2003 to 2019.

Focused on peacekeeping and peace support operations, the maneuver was a cornerstone of the collaboration between Arizona and Kazakhstan.

Steppe Eagle brought together troops from US Army Central, the Arizona Army National Guard, the United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye, as well as other countries.

It sought to improve their collective ability to conduct peacekeeping missions, strengthen tactical proficiency in critical mission areas and support long-term regional stability.

The location of the exercise rotated yearly to give partner nations the chance to enhance interoperability.

The exercise grew in scope and complexity over the years, reflecting the evolving security landscape and the increasing importance of multinational cooperation in addressing global challenges.