Ohio National Guard launches new partnership during inaugural visit to Angola

Ohio National Guard Public Affairs:

"LUANDA, Angola — Ohio National Guard leaders traveled to Angola from June 29 to July 3, 2026, for the organization’s first official visit since Ohio and Angola were paired through the State Partnership Program.

The inaugural delegation met with Angolan defense leaders, U.S. diplomats and civilian partners to formalize the relationship, learn Angola’s priorities and establish a foundation for future military and civilian cooperation.

“First, I’d say this is a historic day,” said Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, Ohio adjutant general. “This is really impressive for us to be able to step into the African continent and partner with Angola.”

The visit coincided with the 2026 African Chiefs of Defense Conference, held June 29 to July 1 in Luanda. The conference brought together military leaders from across Africa, the United States and partner nations to discuss shared security challenges, regional stability and opportunities for greater cooperation.

Ohio’s presence at the conference demonstrated the state’s commitment to building the new relationship through direct engagement with Angolan leaders.

“The inaugural visit for the Ohio National Guard with Angola was important because it solidified the signing ceremony that we conducted earlier here in Ohio with the Angolans back in April with Governor DeWine,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Combs, director of strategy, policy, plans and international affairs for the Ohio National Guard. “It was the first time that Ohio sent an entire delegation to the country of Angola, in the capital of Luanda, and so it showed our seriousness and our commitment to the partnership.”

The delegation began its official engagements June 29 with a welcome brief conducted by the U.S. Embassy to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe and the Ohio National Guard. The brief provided information about the U.S. diplomatic mission, Angola’s political and security environment and the objectives guiding the inaugural visit.

“They are the subject matter experts in the area, and so we really rely on them to keep us up to date with the best information, both on what’s going on with the government, with the military in Angola and the domestic situation,” Combs said. “They were more than willing to answer all questions and were extremely helpful in that regard.”

Following the welcome brief, Woodruff and Gen. Altino Carlos José dos Santos, chief of the general staff of the Angolan Armed Forces, participated in a signing ceremony recognizing the formal partnership between the Ohio National Guard and Angolan Armed Forces.

The ceremony followed an initial signing held in Ohio in April and demonstrated both partners’ commitment to developing a lasting relationship based on mutual trust, shared priorities and continued engagement.

“The state of Ohio, through its National Guard, combines security expertise in critical areas such as emergency response, logistics and support, education and training and the integration of military and civilian structures,” said Lúcio Gonçalves Amaral, Angolan defense minister. “These strengths make it an excellent partner for Angola.”

The two signing ceremonies demonstrated political and military support for the partnership. The April ceremony included Ohio and Angolan government leaders, while the ceremony in Luanda formally committed the two military organizations to continued cooperation.

“The signing in Luanda moved the commitment to a more practical military level, where the leaders of the two military organizations completed the signing,” said Simona Václavíková, international affairs advisor for the Ohio National Guard. “It again signaled a commitment to long-term engagement and to continuing to build bridges between the two countries.”

The partnership is expected to include exchanges that allow the Ohio National Guard and Angolan Armed Forces to share knowledge while developing their respective capabilities.

“Together, we will share techniques, tactics, procedures and other opportunities to grow together and increase the capabilities of our armed forces,” Woodruff said.

Holding the ceremony during the African Chiefs of Defense Conference allowed Ohio and Angola to formally launch the partnership in front of senior leaders from across the continent.

“The significance of conducting the signing ceremony on the first day of the African Chiefs of Defense Conference was absolutely purposeful,” Woodruff said. “I think it was important to show the rest of the nations on the African continent the importance and value of the State Partnership Program.”

The State Partnership Program is a U.S. Department of War security cooperation program that pairs U.S. National Guard states with the militaries of foreign partner nations. Managed by the National Guard Bureau and guided by U.S. State Department foreign policy, the program builds long-term, mutually beneficial security relationships around the globe.

The delegation concluded its first day with a tour of the U.S. Embassy in Luanda. Embassy personnel introduced delegates to the mission’s responsibilities, resources and role in coordinating U.S. diplomatic, military and economic engagement in Angola.

The embassy also helped connect the Ohio delegation with U.S. businesses operating in Angola and provided insight into the challenges and opportunities present in the country.

“The U.S. Embassy in Angola is critically important for us because the embassy is that extended arm of the U.S. government,” Václavíková said. “It is full of experts, whether it is in military security, economics, education or public diplomacy. We can learn a lot from their experience.”

Representatives from the embassy’s economic section helped arrange a reception with the American Chamber of Commerce in Angola. The event allowed members of the Ohio delegation to speak with representatives from American companies operating in the country and learn from their experiences.

Ohio National Guard representatives also emphasized that future State Partnership Program activities must support the embassy’s priorities and broader U.S. objectives in Angola.

“We do not want to come into the country and conduct our own separate program,” Václavíková said. “This partnership must support the embassy’s objectives and broader U.S. government objectives.”

On June 30, the delegation met with senior officials at the Social Security Institute of the Angolan Armed Forces, which administers pensions social welfare, and retirement rights for career members of the Angolan Armed Forces. The engagement focused primarily on discussions with the director of defense policy.

The meeting gave Ohio National Guard leaders greater insight into Angola’s defense priorities and created an opportunity to discuss potential training, professional exchanges and areas of mutual interest.

“Angola has been stable and free of conflict for 24 years,” said Lt. Gen. Paulo Manuel Minguito Fancsisco, director of defense policy for the Angolan Armed Forces. “We have a lot to offer and also a lot to work from.”

Angolan leaders’ participation and interest during the visit reinforced their commitment to developing the partnership.

“Their eagerness to have us there really said a lot about them and about how they see this partnership,” Combs said. “That’s very encouraging to see.”

The discussions identified aviation, engineering and sustainment as potential areas for future cooperation. The Ohio National Guard maintains capabilities in each area through its Army and Air National Guard units.

The partnership could also create opportunities to share the Ohio National Guard’s experience developing and empowering noncommissioned officers.

“Wars are won on the backs of enlisted Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines,” said Chief Master Sgt. Edward N. Taylor III, Ohio Air National Guard state command chief master sergeant. “So that emphasis will be paramount in establishing training on enlisted leadership.”

A developed enlisted corps allows senior officers to focus on broader strategic priorities while trusted noncommissioned officers translate commanders’ intent into action.

“A lot of that work has to do with turning it over to a senior enlisted leader and giving him or her the proper resources, training and empowerment to make it happen,” Taylor said.

Angola’s geography could provide Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen with opportunities to train in environments not readily available in Ohio or elsewhere in the United States.

Angola includes an extensive Atlantic coastline, mountain ranges, plateaus, rainforest and savanna. Those environments could challenge Ohio units to adapt their equipment, logistics and operations while learning from Angolan forces familiar with the terrain.

“Angola offers a lot of opportunity for Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen to experience, train in and operate in different environments, especially environments that we are typically not afforded the opportunity to train in,” Combs said.

Future exchanges could focus on coastal security, border security, logistics and other priorities identified by the Angolan Armed Forces. The partnership is not based solely on the Ohio National Guard providing instruction, as Ohio Soldiers and Airmen will also learn from their Angolan counterparts.

“We’ve got a lot that we can provide there, but also a lot that we can learn as well, especially in a part of the world that we are just pretty unfamiliar with,” Combs said.

The Ohio delegation also included civilian representatives from The Ohio State University. Their participation demonstrated how the State Partnership Program can extend beyond military engagements and create connections among academic, government, medical and business institutions.

“The unique nature and strength of the State Partnership Program comes from building relationships,” Václavíková said. “You can build the military partnership, which is great, but you can also add additional depth by opening cooperation from state to state, university to university and government to government.”

The civilian delegation met with representatives from Angola’s ministries of agriculture, education, higher education and foreign affairs. They also visited a teaching hospital and university campus to discuss potential cooperation in healthcare, education and research.

Representatives from Ohio State and its Wexner Medical Center discussed possible medical training, digital platforms and exchanges with Angolan healthcare professionals.

“Healthcare is a vast area for future engagements, so our partners from Ohio State were brought into discussions about concrete cooperation, including sharing digital platforms, helping train medical staff at the hospital and learning from the hospital’s own experience,” Václavíková said.

The university discussions also included academic exchanges, joint research and the development of a potential memorandum of understanding between The Ohio State University and an Angolan university.

The civilian delegation’s schedule was coordinated with support from the Angolan Embassy in Washington, D.C., which helped arrange meetings with government officials, universities, hospitals and other organizations.

“We felt that we arrived as guests and left as partners,” Václavíková said. “A number of ideas were discussed, and we will continue refining those specific opportunities.”

Ohio’s existing partnership with Serbia also played a role in connecting the Ohio National Guard with Angola. Ohio first participated in an engagement in Angola with the Serbian Armed Forces in 2017.

Serbian military representatives encouraged Angola to include the Ohio National Guard in a medical exercise, called PAMBALA 2017, drawing on the trust established through Ohio and Serbia’s longstanding partnership.

“It was the Serbian Armed Forces that essentially told them, ‘The Ohio National Guard is an amazing partner. Let them participate in this exercise and let us show you,’” Václavíková said. “To see that come full circle and return to Angola almost 10 years later, where we were welcomed as a trusted partner and as an organization (that) they want to make a long-term commitment to, was truly significant.”

Delegates participated in a cultural day July 1 that included a tour of Luanda and several historically significant locations. The highlight was the Fortress of São Miguel, which overlooks Luanda and the city’s bay.

The cultural engagement gave delegates a deeper understanding of Angola’s history, traditions and national identity while reinforcing the importance of cultural awareness and mutual respect.

“I think the cultural benefit for our Guard members will be one of the biggest benefits,” Taylor said. “Being in their environment and conducting exercises, whether in the jungles, the desert or another warfighting environment, gives us an opportunity to gain from them.”

The partnership’s early stages will focus on continued senior leader engagement, developing trust and identifying specific activities that benefit both organizations.

“Success starts with relationship building,” Woodruff said. “Relationships then lead to trust. Once we have trust, we can establish exercises and engagements that continue to grow that opportunity.”

Future activities will be developed jointly by the Ohio National Guard and Angolan Armed Forces, based on shared priorities, available capabilities and the needs of both partners. Civilian cooperation could also expand through targeted visits involving educators, healthcare professionals, government officials and businesses.

“We will need to conduct many more visits, have many more conversations and continue building trust,” Václavíková said. “However, I am very optimistic based on this first visit.”

The long-term goal is to develop a partnership in which Ohio and Angola can rely on each other’s strengths during training, military operations, civilian exchanges and other shared challenges.

The delegation remained in Luanda through July 3 and joined U.S. Embassy personnel and guests for a celebration marking America’s 250th birthday.

“We would not be here as America, 250 years later, if we had not had … relationships with nations that were friendly to us,” Taylor said, reflecting on the international relationships that contributed to the U.S.’s development as a nation. “We can do the same for them.”