The annual security cooperation report

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1. One report, country by country

Much of what the Defense Department does with foreign partners under chapter 16 of title 10 is brought together in a single annual report. By March 31 each year, the Secretary of Defense must send the appropriate congressional committees a country-by-country overview of security cooperation activities. It covers activities under the authorities the section lists, carried out in the fiscal year in which the report is submitted (10 U.S.C. 386(a)). For each country, the report covers the whole period in four parts: a narrative, a table of dollar amounts, a table of counts, and detailed tables for individual activities (10 U.S.C. 386(b)).

The report is therefore a map of the chapter. It names the authorities that matter most in practice, and it shows what the Department counts for each one. The committees receiving it are the Armed Services, Foreign Relations or Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations Committees of both houses (10 U.S.C. 301).

2. The narrative

Each country entry opens with a narrative summary (10 U.S.C. 386(b)(1)). It gives a brief overview of the primary security cooperation objectives for the activities covered. It also describes how those activities advance the theater security cooperation strategy of the relevant geographic combatant command. The narrative explains why, and the tables that follow show how much and how many.

3. The dollar table

The second part is a table of aggregated amounts, one for each of nine authorities (10 U.S.C. 386(b)(2)). Each is measured in its own way.

• Support for operations: the value of logistic support, supplies and services requiring notice under section 331.
• Ministry of defense advisors: the Department’s cost to provide its personnel as advisors under section 332(a).
• Training for ministry staff: the incremental execution costs of activities under section 332(b).
• Capacity building: the value of all programs requiring notice under section 333.
• The Colombian training program: the total cost of funding attendance at training that began in the period, under section 335.
• State partnerships: manpower and travel costs of engagements with the partner country under section 341.
• Regional centers: the travel costs of foreign partners the Department funded to attend activities that began in the period, under section 342.
• The fellowship program: the estimated cost to complete all training that began in the period, under section 345.
• Humanitarian assistance: the planned cost of completing activities approved for the period under section 2561.

The nine measures are not alike, and the differences matter when reading the figures. Some are values of what was notified to Congress, as for operational support and capacity building programs. Some are costs the Department actually incurred, such as advisor costs, partnership manpower and travel, and funded travel to regional centers. Others are forward-looking estimates of the cost to complete activities that began or were approved in the period, as for the fellowship program and humanitarian assistance. A total across the table would add unlike amounts together.

4. The table of counts

The third part counts people, programs and events for eleven items (10 U.S.C. 386(b)(3)). It gives the number of partner personnel assigned to Defense Department organizations under the exchange authority in section 311. It counts new programs that needed notice under section 331 and under section 333. It gives the number of Department personnel serving as ministry advisors under section 332(a), and of activities conducted under section 332(b).

The remaining counts cover education and engagement. They give the number of partner officials trained in the Colombian program under section 335, and the number of state partnership engagements that began under section 341. They count partner officials who attended regional center activities under section 342, and partner personnel who began training under the institutes and programs in sections 343, 345, 348, 349, 350 and 352. They record partner cadets enrolled in the service academies under section 347, and new humanitarian projects approved and funded through the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid account.

5. The detailed tables

The fourth part goes down to individual people and activities (10 U.S.C. 386(b)(4)). For each exchanged partner person, it states whether that person is military or civilian, the rank if any, and the Defense Department component and location of assignment. For each ministry advisor, it describes the Department’s objective and names the ministry or regional organization. For each activity under section 332(b), it gives the ministry or organization supported, the Department component involved, the duration and the objective.

For each program notified under the capacity building authority, the table identifies the partner units assisted and the type of operational capability. It also describes the assistance and gives the estimated cost from the notice. For each Colombian training activity with funded participants, it names the partner units, the Colombian units that ran the training, its duration and its objective.

State partnership activities are described with their duration and the numbers of Guard and foreign participants. Each regional center activity is described with the sponsoring center, location, duration and the number of officials who took part. Each training event under the institute and fellowship authorities is described with its location, duration and the number trained. Each new humanitarian project is listed with its title, a description of the assistance and its anticipated cost.

6. Reading the report

The report does not add new obligations of its own. Because every table runs country by country, it also shows which authorities a given partner relationship relies on. Its value is that it links each activity to the authority behind it and to the combatant command’s strategy, country by country. The table of counts also brings together the authorities that move people: exchanges, advisors, regional centers, fellowship training and service academy places.

The authorities it draws on are covered in other pieces. They include personnel exchanges and liaison officers, operational support and ministry of defense advisors, the regional centers for security studies and what OHDACA funds. The management and budget rules around the report are covered in how Defense Department security cooperation is managed.

Key terms

Country-by-country report	The annual report due by March 31 on Defense Department security cooperation with each partner.
Narrative summary	Each country entry’s overview of objectives and link to the combatant command’s strategy.
Aggregated amounts table	The table giving a dollar figure for each of nine authorities.
Aggregated totals table	The table counting people, programs and events under eleven items.

Every statement above links to the document behind it. The full source list for this piece is on the sources page.

This page describes public United States government programs for general information. It is not legal, regulatory or procurement advice, and it does not address the facts of any particular case.

How Sentfore supports this

Activities reported to Congress each year are delivered by people and logistics on the ground. Sentfore works at the delivery end of defense programs in difficult environments, providing secure movement, protective security, facilities and life support. Requirements can be sent through the contact page.