Hawaiʻi National Guard Collaborates on Chaplain Subject Matter Expert Exchange with the Armed Forces of the Philippines

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Virgenes speaks to fellow chaplains from the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces during a Subject Matter Expert Exchange. Photo courtesy: U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Orlando Corpuz

Religious and legal leaders from the Hawaiʻi National Guard joined counterparts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a subject matter expert exchange from Feb. 18–21 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, strengthening alliance cooperation and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific.

Conducted under the National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP), the engagement brought together chaplains, judge advocates general, officers and noncommissioned officers to share professional expertise and reinforce long-standing security ties between the partner forces. The SPP links U.S. states and territories with partner nations to build long-term, mutually beneficial security relationships.

“The Indo-Pacific is a geographic area that the Philippines and Hawaiʻi call home,” said Chaplain Christopher Guadiz, Hawaiʻi National Guard command chaplain. “We are all stakeholders in ensuring we can achieve peace through our collective strength.”

The exchange highlighted the complementary roles of legal and religious advisors, who traditionally serve on a commander’s special staff and provide guidance on ethical, legal and spiritual matters. “Historically, ethical military leaders have relied upon these two specialty branches of the military for advice and counsel,” said Guadiz.

Training blocks focused on practical skills that directly support mission readiness and ethical leadership. Judge advocate teams discussed maritime law and the legal considerations involved in maritime military and law enforcement operations, while chaplains collaborated on doctrine and solution-focused counseling techniques intended to improve service member care and resilience.

Beyond technical training, attendees highlighted the importance of professional relationships and cultural connections among the forces. Many participating Guard personnel share Filipino heritage, reinforcing personal ties alongside military cooperation.

“As a proud Filipino American, it’s been a true honor to be part of such an endeavor, the cultural ties that the Hawaiʻi National Guard share with the Philippines cannot be overlooked,” Guadiz said.

By the end of the four-day exchange, participants identified practical tools they could apply in their respective commands and reaffirmed their commitment to collective defense and cooperation.