Assignment Security Cooperation: Joint FAOs at the Tip of the Spear
By Colonel Jeffrey T. Wyatt, Sr. U.S. Army - Retired, and Colonel John E. Chere Jr., U.S. Army - Retired
Disclaimer: The authors contributed this article in their personal and professional capacities. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Defense Security Cooperation University, or the United States Government. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect official policy of the Department of Defense.
One of the most exciting and rewarding jobs you will ever have as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) is an assignment to an Embassy or a Major Command as a Security Cooperation (SC) practitioner. As such, these positions are highly coveted; therefore, it is strongly recommended you hone and develop the required military and SC-specific skills to further your SC certification and make you competitive for selection as a Security Cooperation Officer (SCO).
As a FAO, regardless of your assignment, it is important to understand the definition of Security Cooperation as it applies to your profession. The Department of Defense (DoD) Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM) C1.1.1., C1.1.2.2. defines SC as the following:
Security Cooperation (SC); Definition and Purpose. SC comprises all activities undertaken by the Department of Defense (DOD) to encourage and enable international partners to work with the United States to achieve strategic objectives. It includes all DOD interactions with foreign defense and security establishments, including all DOD-administered Security Assistance (SA) programs, that build defense and security relationships; promote specific U.S. security interests, including all international armaments cooperation activities and SA activities; develop allied and friendly military capabilities for self-defense and multinational operations; and provide U.S. forces with peacetime and contingency access to host nations.
New Realities in Security Cooperation
Due to legal and legislative changes, Great Power Competition (GPC), and the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, FAOs embarking on SC assignments are entering an international environment that is significantly different and even more complex than what it was only two years ago. Your ability to engage, assess, communicate ideas, plan, develop, execute, and monitor programs in a highly competitive space will be more important than ever. You truly will be on the front lines as a Strategic Scout.
Following the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2017, there have been sweeping changes to the profession of security cooperation. Of note, Congress directed tThe Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA to create a professional security cooperation workforce development (SCWD) program and career paths for thousands of DOD civilian and military employees supporting security cooperation programs and activities. As a result, DSCA established the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) in September 2019. The new University was accredited on 1 January 2020 as a teaching institution and the SCWD Office was officially launched to begin the tracking and certification of all personnel working in security cooperation positions, including identifying the requisite education and training for the associated billets at Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Executive levels. DSCU currently has campuses in the National Capital Region and Ohio. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, DSCU adapted many of the in-residence courses to Distance Learning (DL), which are listed on the DSCU Home Page. Courses that require in-person education and exercises, including selected SCO and Advanced curriculum, will be offered as resident courses and will re-open based on health threat levels in 2021.
LTG(R) Charles Hooper, the former Director of DSCA, and former U.S. Army Senior FAO, stated the importance of changes in the Security Cooperation field on 2 January 2020 ,on the commemorationng of the start of the Security Cooperation Workforce Program certification.
'We are proud to elevate security cooperation as a profession through the new Security Cooperation Workforce Certification Program. Security cooperation is the effort to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges. That effort involves, among other things, building and maintaining military-to-military relationships. As the program matures, we look forward to offering DOD professionals new career path opportunities in the important field of security cooperation.’
Several additional significant changes are pending, including a streamlined Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process, a Significant Security Cooperation Initiative (SSCI) planning process, and an associated Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation (AM&E) program. The rationale for change aims to improve the track record of our security cooperation efforts in recent decades, which have not produced our desired results. Reform was needed and significant changes are now occurring across the board.
FAO Assignments in SC
Each military service has a specific organization to manage and guide its SC contributions: the United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC), the Department of the Navy International Programs Office (NAVY-IPO), and the Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF-IA). FAOs from all four servicesincluding are assigned to joint security cooperation billets in 154 countries U.S. around the globe. These billets are, usually determined and managed by the respective Regional Combatant Commands and DSCA. FAOs in those billets are truly at the “pointy end of the spear” for SC and make daily critical contributions to relationship building and implementing our national and regional strategies and priorities.
In addition to in-country U.S. E SC assignments, there are a myriad of other opportunities for FAOs who want to practice SC. A variety of organizations employ FAOs, including geographic combatant and service component commands,, OUSD(P), the Joint Staff, Service SC Organizations and Service Headquarters Staffs, the Political-Military Bureau at DoS, DSCA, National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), and DSCU and Service College Instructor positions, among others. As a rule, demand for FAOs across the services and Interagency far exceeds the available supply.
There are -FAO SC assignments that are organized differently. U.S. Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group – Thailand (JUSMAG-TH), Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group – Philippines (JUSMAG-PH), U.S. Military Training Mission (USMTM) and Office of The Program Manager Saudi Arabia National Guard (OPM-SANG) – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and CSTC-A Afghanistan are a few examples of this type. They all have positions for FAOs. Some of these billets are short-term, unaccompanied, or filled by Worldwide Individual Augmentation System (WIAS) assignments.
The Practice of SC as a FAO
The world of SC is complex with numerous stakeholders in government and industry, many of whom think you work directly for them. In reality, our SCOs/FAOs in-country work for the Senior Defense Official (SDO), the Combatant Command SC Directorate, and the Ambassador in country. However, even with a clearly defined chain of command the FAO must skillfully and diplomatically negotiate around all the many players that make up the SC Enterprise to successfully execute SC and SA programs. You will also have other DOD elements as part of your Country Team. ,--The most important reason we send a FAO to SC jobs is to work and develop relationships with our ally and partner nation military and security force counterparts.
Even if this is your first assignment to SC, many FAOs are already familiar with the embassy environment and the other resident DOD organizations, having done In-Country Training (ICT) in their geographical region and understand the nuances of working in an interagency embassy environment. Additionally, while a highly personal choice for a variety of reasons, bringing families, when authorized, is still an important part of the FAO business, and it is highly encouraged families accompany FAOs on assignments abroad. The family will help you integrate into both the U.S. and local communities and will further help keep you from falling into the trap of hiding in your U.S.-only umbrella via the embassy and not benefit from your local surroundings. Relationship building is a “total package effort” and is the essence of why we do SC.
Training for FAOs heading to a traditional SC billet at the embassy requires attending the SCO Operations Course at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to become certified as a SC practitioner at the intermediate level. Currently, this course is conducted as a 19-day Distance Learning (DL) course. A 4.5-day Plans, Oversight, and Execution (POE) course is also offered for SC planners and desk officers heading to assignments at the CCMDs, Joint Staff, and other staff assignments. An additional three-day course is conducted in the National Capitol Region (NCR) for select SCOs occupying key positions. New SCO courses for Basic and Intermediate qualification have been developed and an Advanced Course, SC-301, is in development in 2021 to address advanced training for several SC functional areas, including SCO operations. These educational opportunities will be a combination of DL and in-residence courses for SC practitioners. For those who have taken previous courses with DSCU (previously under DISAM or DISCS), there have been significant changes in the course content post-NDAA 2017, and it is worth revisiting the updated courses currently offered on the DSCU home page. A Spouse Course was also recently added to the DSCU SCO Course curriculum focused on spouses accompanying their partners to SC assignments worldwide.
Other specialized FAO/SCO training will depend on the country of assignment and may include counterintelligence, combating terrorism, evasive driving, and advanced self-defense training, or pilot qualification, if assigned to a C-12 aircraft as part of the DAO office. Depending on the position at the SCO, training requirements may also include a visit to Washington, D.C. for further consultations in the NCR and at the Geographic Combatant Command to in-process and receive specific guidance from your senior rater.
The Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT) is the designated single Defense Representative to the U.S. Ambassador, Country Team, and the Partner Nation, and is in charge of both Security Cooperation and Attaché functions at the Embassy, in addition to having coordination authority over all other DOD elements in country (IAW Department of Defense Directive 5205.75). As part of his/her directed training, SDOs will attend the Joint Military Attaché School (JMAS), in addition to the DSCU SCO Course. Depending on the size of the embassy and the associated relationship with the partner nation, the structure of DOD elements may vary, with two distinct deputies under the SDO; one for SC and one for Attaché Operations. Where very robust cooperation relationships exist, General Officers may be appointed as the SDO, and for the most part, SDO/DATTs are experienced FAOs with multiple tours in an embassy environment. While there have been growing pains in the implementation of the SDO program since its implementation in 2008, today there is no longer an issue in recognizing the SDO/DATT’s responsibility for both Attaché and Security Cooperation operations with a well-established track record of successful engagement.
Tips for the FAO SC Practitioner
If time and the situation permits prior to departure, schedule an office call with the military office at the foreign embassy in Washington D.C. to introduce yourself. Normally, you will interact with these folks when they return home to visit their headquarters and when you are in Washington D.C., possibly for bi-lateral or multilateral (BILAT/MULTILAT) engagements or other Case Management Reviews (CMRs).
Some of our partners do business directly with our U.S. Military Departments and Security Cooperation Agencies. It is highly encouraged they inform you about their SC business activities, but it does not always happen unprompted. An effective business practice is to also inform them about what is happening regarding SC in their own country, and do not assume they always know what is occurring as it relates to SC programs. Often, they are unaware of developments within their military departments because of different protocol and flow of information, plus the enormity of work they perform in the U.S.
Once again, the FAO is positioned to be at the center of relationship building. Following training, you will be officially “coded” into the SC Workforce. It is still undetermined what that may mean for the Service FAO Proponents and personnel managers and the guidance for desired future repetitive assignments. The goal, however, is not to lose the important experience you gained as an operational SCO and SC practitioner, but at the same, time balance your professional development for advancement as a fully qualified FAO. Ms. Heidi Grant, the current Director of DSCA, writes about the contributions of FAOs:
FAOs are an invaluable part and often on the front lines of our 20,000-person Security Cooperation workforce, and I want to set them up for success. To do that, we need to give them the right tools and the right training, including the knowledge of how to use the holistic suite of Security Cooperation tools to include Foreign Military Sales, Building Partner Capacity programs, & industry engagements. FAOs serve as our regionally-focused experts in political-military operations and work with our foreign partners to forge the critical relationships required to successfully execute our national security policies and objectives . Whether serving as a Defense Attaché or Security Cooperation Officer, we are all working towards the same goal of strengthening alliances and attracting new partners. In today’s global operating environment, FAOs are critical to mission success.
Duties of the SCO are wide and varied and mostly tied to the scale, size, and quality of the partner-nation relationship. These factors weigh heavily on the type and frequency of SC activities in country. One of the benefits common to all SCOs, however, is that, unlike other DOD entities on station, you normally ARE the focal point of engagement. This is one of the main reasons many of us chose to become a FAO. Utilizing our specialized skills to apply the art and science of security cooperation in building relationships, designing and implementing programs, and gaining and maintaining access to partner nations ,is key to our strategic success. assess, plan, execute, monitor and share our experiences in training, exercises, and operational deployments is what some call the pure “military-to-military” side of SC. Doing it in battle dress with an energized foreign partner is icing on the FAO cake.
Other duties may not be as exciting but are equally important. Codified in U.S. law, Section 515 of the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA), states that all SCOs are to perform T, the Seven Legislative Functions: 1) Case Management 2) Training management, 3) Program Monitoring, 4) Evaluation and Planning, 5) Administrative Support, 6) Promote rationalization, standardization, interoperability, and other defense cooperation measures, and 7) Liaison functions exclusive of advising and training.
There are also a multitude of additional duties that will be required or offered to you as being part of the embassy country team and it is not by accident that embassies want military personnel as their prime candidates. For example, many mid-career officers and non-commissioned officers are asked to be on the Embassy Housing Board, the Embassy Awards Board, or perhaps the Embassy representative to the International School Board. These are great opportunities to engage and build relationships within the country team, but be careful not to accept too many responsibilities or bask in your newly found popularity. Always keep your many SC priorities in focus. You will not have time to do everything.
Additionally, do not forget your military professionalism and the ethical values that are part of the profession of arms. That professionalism may not be as obvious an obligation among some members of the embassy team who do not share our unique military culture. However, SC must understand that all members have the same goal of accomplishing our nation’s objectives.
SCO offices are also inherently different from traditional military organizations. You will find yourself leading or serving in an organization that comprises Joint, Civilian, and Local Employed Staff (LES). This unique structure is further compounded with a requirement to manage multiple money streams, each with its own authorities and rules for utilization and budget management. As a SCO, you are a practitioner of all things and in many instances a master of none given the multitude of diverse tasks. Hence, the requirement to seek out all available pre-deployment SC training. Never hesitate to ask for assistance from the myriad of desk officers at all the SC stakeholder commands available to assist you.
Additionally, as a general rule, always keep everyone in the SC Enterprise who has a need-to-know informed of your activities, and if ever in doubt about something, ASK before executing! Also, do not be surprised if the senior military leadership from the CCMD or the Joint Staff/OSD reaches out to you directly. You are expected to be the subject matter expert on your country and many leaders want to hear ground truth from the source. Ensure those conversations are shared with others in the chain of command. Lastly, your military experience and career success are your bona fides and credentials to provide relevant, unique insights to the partner nation and the Country Team. In this way you serve as the anchor to balance dilemmas in ethics and professional judgment.
The practice of Security Cooperation today requires a solid foundation of understanding the methodologies used in the art and science of assessing, creating, designing, developing, implementing, and monitoring SC programs. Accompanying the science, is a new vernacular with a long list of SC-specific acronyms. However, it is not sufficient to understand just the science without being able to apply the requisite art. The inherent FAO skills of language, culture, and military expertise, combined with SC science and a dose of creativity, are what allow the SC practitioner to become a true artist able to balance and synchronize a multitude of SC activities. Possessing these traits are even more important today given heightened Congressional scrutiny on resources, ongoing challenges of GPC, and gaining and maintaining access to our partners during a global pandemic.
That access further places you, as a SCO, in a unique position because the SCO can truly touch and see the full depth and breadth of SC activities occurring in a particular country. As that Strategic Scout, you have the critical task of comprehending all of the aspects of the mission by engaging all of the stakeholders to see, anticipate, and keep plans synchronized and on track. The SC stakeholders may see the same SC common operating picture (or Line of Effort) as the SCO, but usually only from the confines of the individual programs they are responsible for managing.
Integrating a capability into a country almost always involves achieving an objective through a combination of multiple activities, events, and funding sources spanning multiple years. For example, if a Joint Exercise is to occur in country X, it may be only one of those multiple activities that the SCO monitors in a Building Partner Capacity (BPC) line of effort (LOE). However, in execution, the joint exercise usually requires further synchronization with other activities such as: providing trained host- nation personnel; the timely arrival of equipment to the partner nation; and executing several bi-lateral or multi-lateral planning coordination meetings. The joint exercise planner is typically focused on his/her event and usually does not “see” the other events occurring outside of his/her purview. Only the SCO has the situational awareness surrounding ALL the other associated events in the LOE to ensure the right results, at the right time, are achieved and resources and time are not squandered.
Maestro in the “SC orchestra”? Yes! Is the SCO alone? No, but the SCO remains that critical node in the planning through execution and monitoring phases of any SC LOE. This is no easy task and it is further compounded because many SCO organizations are not adequately manned, nor trained to address many of the new requirements. Furthermore, every two or three years, a new SCO rotates into country and must hit the ground running and able to rapidly digest and keep programs on track. This aspect of engagement is what makes the job both challenging and rewarding. You will find yourself wanting to go the extra mile to accomplish U.S. interests as well as supporting partner nation’s interests.
One final point of emphasis is that FAOs are specially equipped, through their expertise and training, to be very effective in the art and science of Security Cooperation, hence their supply never matches the demand for their skill set across the SC stakeholder arena. This is an area where you, individually, can truly make a difference in achieving our national security objectives. Take the reins and accept the challenge when you are offered that SC practitioner assignment. You and our nation will be better for it! Strategic Scouts Out!
About the Authors:
Colonel (R) Jeffrey T. Wyatt, Sr. is currently an Instructor of Security Cooperation Operations at the Defense Security Cooperation University and is a former U.S. Army Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Foreign Area Officer. He has held positions across the spectrum of the Security Cooperation workforce, to include U.S. Army Central Security Cooperation Division Chief, Defense and Army Attaché, Iraq; Chief, Office of Security Cooperation, Morocco; Chief, Arabian Peninsula Branch, U.S. Army Central; Training and Programs Officer, United States Liaison Office, UAE; as well as the Branch Chief and Career Manager for U.S Army FAOs assigned to the MENA and Asia-Pacific Theaters. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies and History from the University of South Carolina.
Colonel (R) John E. Chere Jr. is currently an Assistant Professor at DSCU and an Adjunct Instructor at the Joint Special Operations University, Security Cooperation Course, USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida. Prior to that, he served as a full-time Instructor for two years at the Defense Institute for Security Cooperation Studies in Dayton, Ohio. Colonel Chere retired in 2014 after 31 years active duty as an Infantry Officer and Middle East Foreign Area Officer, which included tours in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Israel, Iraq, and on the USCENTCOM staff in Tampa.