The recent establishment of the Defense Security Cooperation Service marked a fundamental shift in how the Defense Department will organize, train and equip the security cooperation workforce, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Wednesday.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting and exposition in Washington, Michael F. Miller outlined how his agency’s focus on the workforce will shape security cooperation for years to come.
“It’s truly a change in how we’ve done this work,” Miller said. “I think it will make us more responsive. “It will give us an opportunity to really get our arms around this community, to make sure we know what challenges they’re facing, where the opportunities are for better engagement and where we need to … move resources where required.”
The Pentagon officially established the DCSC earlier this month in order to provide DOD with comprehensive oversight and management of the security cooperation workforce.
The creation of the new component under the DSCA is the result of a rigorous review co-led by the DOD acquisition and sustainment and policy officials in response to a directive from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. Congress codified the creation of the new service in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
The new service consolidates the infrastructure supporting DOD’s security cooperation workforce into a single organization designed to ensure appropriate allocation of personnel resources to meet global demand.
DSCS will provide the department with comprehensive oversight, management and analysis of security cooperation workforce staffing levels and assignments throughout the world while maintaining operational control of highly trained security cooperation specialists at the combatant command level.
That workforce has been at the forefront of the increasing cooperation among the U.S. and its worldwide network of partners.
In announcing the creation of the DSCS earlier this month, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks noted that, since 1950 the defense security cooperation enterprise has spearheaded foreign military sales and other forms of assistance totaling over $1.2 trillion.
In recent years, the demand for security assistance from U.S. allies and partners has skyrocketed. The U.S. provided $50 billion in security assistance in fiscal year 2020. In fiscal year 2024, which ended on September 30, the U.S. provided more than $100 billion in security assistance.
Miller said that in addition to the DSCS reaching initial operating capability earlier this month, the DSCA has also begun a phased launch of its security cooperation workforce training program.
He added that DSCA remains focused on continuing that momentum as the new component reaches full operational capability.
“We really have cut ourselves out … a tremendous amount of work to get done and to iterate upon, and make sure we’re successful in supporting the security cooperation workforce,” Miller said. “Because at the end of the day, we want them to have the same level of support, mentorship, development and the rest for themselves.”
Miller added that his agency is also focused on supporting the families of defense security cooperation personnel when they are deployed.
“We take this charge exceptionally seriously, and we’re just getting it underway,” he said.
