Security Cooperation Review of Staffing Requirements

Over the past two years, we have worked hard to match the demand for foreign military sales with the supply of personnel in our implementing agencies. As a result, we increased funding for Army, Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard and Air Force personnel working on Foreign Military Sales. This increased resourcing was critical for the community given our 300-400 percent growth in sales since the 2000 time frame. Now, as our security cooperation enterprise expands and our business continues to grow, it's imperative we review our worldwide staffing requirements. The emergence of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) alone highlights the need to assess, evaluate and redefine the personnel requirements. We are in the end game of selecting the team to conduct the study effort and plan to have the study and analysis complete in less than a year.

In parallel, we need to watch the State Department Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review process carefully. The direct relationship between the Embassy support staffing and our country team staffing means that the outcome of this review will affect our world-wide staffing requirements. My goal is that there will be sufficient State Department support staff to allow us to meet our mission requirements.

In summary, I look at it in four ways. First it's about the money. We will ensure we have the financial resources available to support our personnel costs. Second, it's about the people and the correct worldwide mix, which will be covered by the staffing review. The third and fourth elements are experience and training. I'll discuss the last two in a future blog.