Washington National Guard and Malaysia deepen security partnership at summit

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear experts from the Washington National Guard and the National Guard Bureau supported the 3rd Indo-Pacific Health Alliance for Security summit June 7-8 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, an event focused on strengthening civil-military collaboration for regional resilience.

At the center of the engagement was a tabletop exercise on responding to a radiological emergency. The National Guard Bureau’s liaison officer to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command helped design the scenario over several months with INDOPACOM and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aligning with a priority training area identified by the Malaysian government.

A specialized team deployed under the State Partnership Program between the Washington National Guard and Malaysia, including four soldiers from the Guard’s 420th Chemical Battalion. During the summit, the National Guard Bureau representative facilitated one of the exercise tables, guiding Malaysian and international participants through complex scenarios. The 420th Chemical Battalion soldiers served as subject matter experts across the event, providing a reachback capability for highly technical questions as participants worked through a radiological port scenario. Their contributions advanced interoperability and addressed a specific request from Malaysia.

“This mission was the culmination of months of planning and work from a lot of participants who helped design and plan, to in-person execution,” said Maj. Luis Torres, National Guard Bureau liaison officer to INDOPACOM. “Being on the ground to help facilitate this exercise allows us to build on our strong partnership with Malaysia and directly addresses a critical training need they requested.”

The summit convened military leaders and civilian representatives from more than 21 nations to discuss pressing health security challenges, with a particular focus on CBRN threats.

Beyond the exercise, the National Guard team joined a high-level meeting with Lt. Gen. Datuk Dr. Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh, director-general of Malaysian Armed Forces Health Services, alongside senior INDOPACOM leaders. The discussion explored future opportunities for CBRN training and collaboration and concluded with plans for a meeting in July to further define Malaysia’s specific training needs.

As the first subject matter expert exchange of its kind for this partnership, the Washington National Guard and the Malaysian Armed Forces plan to continue developing the exchange in support of U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur, INDOPACOM and broader regional security goals. The engagement advances the National Guard’s objectives to build and sustain international partnerships and underscores its commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.