Security Assistance Team

PM/PPA's Security Assistance Team develops military assistance policy and manages security assistance funding through three programs: Foreign Military Financing (FMF), International Military Education and Training (IMET), and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). The Security Assistance Team, in close cooperation with the Director of Foreign Assistance, regional bureaus, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and U.S. regional combatant commanders, determines military assistance policy, develops and manages the programs' budgets, provides notifications to Congress, supports determinations made to waive legislative constraints on security assistance funding, distributes funds, and provides program oversight. Additionally, PM/PPA coordinates and implements State Department participation in the new Defense Department authority (section 1206) that provides DoD resources to build the capacity of global partners to respond to emergent needs and challenges.

• Foreign Military Financing (FMF)

Foreign Military Financing is a critical foreign policy tool for promoting U.S. interests around the world by ensuring that coalition partners and friendly foreign governments are equipped and trained to pursue common security objectives and share burdens in joint missions. By providing grants for the acquisition of U.S. military equipment, services, and training, FMF promotes U.S. national security by contributing to regional and global stability, strengthening military support for democratically-elected governments, fighting the War on Terror, and containing other transnational threats including trafficking in narcotics, weapons and persons.

These grants enable the United States to foster closer military relationships and build stronger multilateral coalitions with key allies and friends by improving their defense capabilities and enhancing interoperability. By increasing demand for U.S. systems, FMF also contributes to a strong U.S. defense industrial base, an important element of U.S. national defense strategy that reduces costs for Department of Defense acquisitions and secures more jobs for American workers. 

• International Military Education and Training (IMET)

The International Military Education and Training program is an instrument of U.S. national security and foreign policy and a key component of U.S. security assistance that provides training on a grant basis to students from allied and friendly nations. In addition to improving defense capabilities and contributing to the professionalization of foreign militaries, IMET facilitates the development of important relationships that have proven useful in providing U.S. access and influence in a critical sector of society that often plays a pivotal role in supporting or transitioning to democratic governments. 

• Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)

In addition to UN missions, the U.S. has a strong interest in supporting peacekeeping activities that are not UN mandated or funded. PKO funding provides support to regionall peace support operations for which neighboring countries take primary responsibility. PKO funds are also used to support implementation of peace agreements and enhance the capability of other nations to participate in voluntary peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and humanitarian operations in order to reduce the burden on U.S. military personnel and resources. 

• Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

The NDAA authorized the use of DoD funds to build the capacity of a foreign country's national military forces in order for that country to conduct counterterrorist operations or participate in or support military or stability operations in which U.S. Armed Forces are a participant. Since FY 2006, the State Department and Defense Department have been working to jointly develop and implement programs under 1206 authority.

• American Servicemembers' Protection Act (ASPA)

The American Servicemembers' Protection Act prohibits the provision of certain military assistance to countries that are parties to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC), and which are not NATO member countries, major non-NATO allies, or Taiwan. Major non-NATO allies include Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. The President may waive this prohibition with respect to a country that has entered into an Article 98 agreement with the United State or where he determines it is in the national interest of the United States to do so.

U.S. military assistance, as defined by the ASPA, means assistance under Chapter 2 of Part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended. Assistance is comprised of excess defense articles, military assistance drawdowns, and any remaining MAP funds, or defense articles or defense services furnished with financial assistance from the U.S. Government, including through loans and guarantees, under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), i.e., Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, to include assistance through the former Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities (EIPC) program. On October 17, 2006, section 1222 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364) removed International Military Education and Training (IMET) as one of the types of military assistance prohibited pursuant to section 2007 of the American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-206).

For purposes of the ASPA prohibition, parties to the Rome Statute are those countries that have deposited, among other things, instruments of ratification of or accession to the Rome Statute. Any country that has signed but not yet ratified the Rome Statute is not subject to this ASPA prohibition until it deposits its instrument of ratification of the Rome Statute.