January 23, 2026

During Official European Visit, Duckworth Celebrates Illinois National Guard’s Work to Support Our Allies & Partners in Poland and Portugal

 

[LISBON, PORTUGAL] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week traveled to Poland and Portugal to reinforce support for the Illinois National Guard’s State Partnership Programs (SPP) with our European allies and underscore America’s bipartisan support for NATO. Duckworth first visited Poland and met with defense and foreign affairs officials to discuss the success of ILNG’s longstanding SPP that dates back to 1993. Duckworth then traveled to Portugal to meet with defense and legislative leaders to celebrate ILNG’s new SPP, which was signed into effect earlier this month. Photos from Duckworth’s visit are available on the Senator’s website.

“The work of the Illinois National Guard is vital to our strength and safety both at home and abroad,” Duckworth said. “With decades of a strong and successful State Partnership Program with Poland, I’m proud to see the Illinois National Guard expanding and adding a new State Partnership Program with Portugal. This is exactly the kind of work our Illinois National Guard Members have trained for and enlisted to do. After a week of great meeting with defense leaders to ensure these partnerships can be as strong and beneficial as possible, I look forward to seeing the longterm efforts of our Guard members working to keep our allies safe.”

Duckworth led a series of engagements in Poland including:

  • Meeting with in-country Illinois National Guard Battalion Leadership. The 232nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion is currently stationed in Forward Operating Site Karliki, Poland. 65-66 personnel were mobilized from Springfield last June.
  • Meeting with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski
  • Meeting with Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Kupiecki
  • Meeting with Major General Ronald Ragin, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Europe-Africa, and Brigadier General John B. Mountford, Deputy Commanding General for Readiness, U.S. Army V Corps
  • Visiting the Ukraine-Poland border region to reinforce support for the people of Ukraine and our NATO Allies

Duckworth led a series of engagements in Portugal including:

  • Meeting with Assembly of the Portuguese Republic Members Pedro Pessanha and Jose Cesario
  • Meeting with Vice Chief of Defense, Air Force Lieutenant General Rui Freitas
  • Meeting with Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Major General Joao Goncalves.
  • Meeting with Director-Coordinator of the Army General Staff Major-General António José Ruivo Grilo
  • Meeting with Ministry of Defense State Secretary Nuno Pinheiro Torres

The work of the Illinois National Guard to train and mentor foreign troops is a critical effort in helping allies and partners develop stronger, more capable militaries. Since 1993, Illinois National Guard has facilitated a State Partnership Program with the Polish Armed Forces and now is expanding their successful work with the new partnership program in Portugal.

Duckworth is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She is an Iraq War Veteran who served in the Reserved Forces for 23 years before retiring from military service in 2014 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

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