Last month, Sweden officially joined the United States and 30 other allied countries as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). ​The United States and our Commonwealth share robust historical and cultural ties with Sweden, dating back to 1638 when Swedes first settled in Pennsylvania along the Delaware River. As chairmen of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, we are proud to offer our full, bipartisan support for the bid of the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) to begin a State Partnership Program (SPP) with Sweden.
 
The Pennsylvania National Guard has a track record of success in its 31-year SPP with Lithuania and has demonstrated that it is uniquely situated for additional partnerships with NATO allies, including its newest member: Sweden. Partnering with Sweden would provide strategic opportunities to the PNG to train with allies on unfamiliar soil while simultaneously bolstering the security of the Baltic region and the entire NATO alliance.

For these reasons, we will be introducing a resolution urging the National Guard Bureau to select the Pennsylvania National Guard as Sweden’s state partner. We hope you will join us as a co-sponsor of this legislation to mark this pivotal moment in Sweden’s defense policy and support this commitment to collective security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.