DEFENDER is the Army’s largest annual opportunity to exercise moving personnel and equipment into theater across modes for initial and follow-on operations critical to Large Scale Combat Operations. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the exercise focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stock and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with Allies and partners

DEFENDER 25 Outreach tour
DEFENDER 25 Infographic

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Video by Staff Sgt. Sydney Mariette
Minnesota National Guard to Add New Partner in State Partnership Program
Minnesota National Guard
Feb. 8, 2023 | 5:41
Maj. Gen. Elizabeth Michelsen, Chief of the Norwegian Home Guard, reads the Letter of Intent for Norway and the Minnesota to become official partners in the State Partnership Program during a signing ceremony at the Minnesota State Capitol on Feb. 4, 2023, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The official State Partnership Program signing ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 15 in Trondheim, Norway.

The Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program pairs the National Guard of a U.S. state or territory with a partner nation’s military, security forces, and government agencies responsible for emergency response and disaster response and began in 1993 with 13 partners.

The Minnesota Guard has shared a partnership with Croatia for 27 years, and Norway will become another partner through this program.
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enlightenedTo find information about filing a claim related to exercise DEFENDER activities, visit Claims Information and select your country.