The commanding general of the Rhode Island National Guard visited The Bahamas in January 2026 to deepen ties with a long-standing partner, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Chevalier, Rhode Island’s adjutant general, met with RBDF Commodore Floyd Moxey at the RBDF’s Coral Harbour base where they discussed bolstering security cooperation and the State Partnership Program, a more than 30-year-old United States initiative to partner National Guard units with the military forces of allies and partners, according to an RBDF news release. “Both parties emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation in addressing shared security challenges,” the release stated.
The January 15 visit was the latest in a long history of close collaboration between the Rhode Island National Guard and the RBDF. As part of the State Partnership Program (SPP), overseen by U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the two entities have shared best practices, expertise and training opportunities since 2005. Aside from exchanging tokens and reaffirming the partnership, the two leaders discussed “regional security cooperation, professional military development, disaster response coordination, and continued collaboration under the State Partnership Program. Both parties emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation in addressing shared security challenges,” the release stated.
The U.S. Department of Defense, now called the Department of War, created the SPP after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. Initially focused on Baltic nations that were emerging from decades of domination by the Soviet Union, the SPP quickly spread around the world. Currently, 116 nations and all 50 state National Guards participate in the program. USNORTHCOM administers two SPP programs. In addition to Rhode Island’s partnership with the RBDF, California signed an SPP agreement with Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense in 2025. The $55 million program conducts more than 1,000 training exercises with partner organizations each year.
In recent years, the Rhode Island National Guard has collaborated with the RBDF on training in search and rescue, military justice and ethics, and other issues. Both nations have benefited from the exchanges, leaders have said. “The Royal Bahamas Defence Force under Commodore Moxey’s leadership is optimizing excellence by bridging generations and embracing modernization. As such, we reaffirm our commitment to the enduring relationship with the Rhode Island National Guard which enhances the effectiveness and capabilities of our personnel, assets and operational readiness,” the RBDF release stated.