Army International Affairs (DAMO-SSR)
The International Affairs Division serves as the
HQDA integrator and innovator for Army International Affairs, serving as the
primary Army coordinator with OSD and Joint Staff for regional and bilateral
policy issues with Army equities. The division is the primary interface for Army regional and bilateral
international activities with US Army
South,
USARPAC,
ARCENT,
USAREUR,
ARNORTH,
FORSCOM,
and TRADOC, as well as
Joint Staff J5 (Politico-Military Affairs) and OSD (International
Security Policy & International Security Affairs).
Additionally, the division is the primary interface with foreign army
attaches, US Army attaches, and Army sections in Security Assistance Offices
(SAOs, MILGROUPS, and ODCs) on Army-wide
policy issues.
Chief among
many tasks, the division has responsibility for planning, supporting, and
orchestrating the CSA’s Counterpart Visit program as well as coordinating
and preparing office calls by high-level visitors. The International Affairs
Division manages the Army’s Bilateral Staff Talks Program with key allies
and is ther DoD executive agent for policy oversight of the Western
Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC)
. Additionally, the division
administers to the Secretary of the Army’s Latin America Cooperative Fund
(LATAM COOP). The division publishes a weekly
Significant Activities Report (AKO login required).
Country desk officers are active duty Foreign Area Officers (FAOs), GS Foreign Affairs
Specialists, or contract international affairs specialists. Country desk
officers represent HQDA and the Army in selected joint, interagency, and
international meetings and conferences.
The division is organized into the following four regional branches:
Asia-Pacific,
Europe/Eurasia/NATO, Latin America, Middle
East and Africa, and one functional branch:
Staff Talks.
In addition to providing political-military assessments
to senior Army leadership, the Asia-Pacific Branch (Asia-Pac)
-- in close coordination with US Army Pacific (USARPAC)
-- provides key support to several major
multi-lateral security cooperation events in the region including the annual Pacific
Armies Management Seminar (PAMS) and CSA's participation in the
biennial Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (PACC). Asia-Pac Branch also provides Army
political-military review of major security cooperation and security
assistance initiatives, including major alliance relationship developments
with the five major treaty allies in the region, as well as Requests for
Exceptions to National Disclosure Policy (E/NDP) actions.
The Europe/Eurasia/NATO Branch supports
Army Security Cooperation initiatives throughout Europe, the former
Soviet Union, and Canada enhancing bi-lateral and multi-lateral
army-to-army relationships with traditional
NATO allies,
Partnership for Peace (PfP) members, and new and emerging partner
nations. In close coordination with US Army Europe (USAREUR),
Europe/Eurasia/NATO Branch serves as the HQDA action agent for a number
of annual multi-lateral security cooperation events to include CSA’s
participation in NATO’s Army Chiefs of Staff Talks (ACAST) and CG
USAREUR’s Conference of European Armies (CEA). Europe/Eurasia/NATO Branch
is also the HQDA proponent for the Joint Contact Team Program (JCTP)
and prepares the Army representative for participation in the semi-annual
meetings of the Canada-US Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD) and the
Military Cooperation Committee (MCC).
In addition to the division's standard responsibilities
associated with regional assessments, the Latin America Branch
includes several unique assets: Management of the Secretary of the Army's
Latin American Cooperation (LATAM Coop) fund which provides a critical
resource for Army-to-Army engagement with our Latin American counterparts; a
Liaison Officer from the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security
Cooperation (WHINSEC), a
DOD-level educational and training institute that teaches Latin American
militaries, law enforcement and government civilians courses that range from
the Rule of Law to Counter Drug to Civil Affairs; and participation in the
Inter-American Defense Board, an
Organization of American States (OAS) sponsored
organization based here in Washington, DC. The branch directly
supports CSA's participation in the biennial
Conference of
American Armies (CAA).
The Middle East and Africa Branch
represents the Army in OSD and Joint level bilateral meetings with foreign
countries, discussing issues that encompass security assistance, exercises,
training, and defense industrial cooperation. The Middle East and Africa
Branch also provides historical overviews and background information of
Middle Eastern and African culture and political-military implications of
current events to the CSA and senior Army leaders. In coordination
with OSD, the Joint Staff, CENTCOM,
EUCOM,
ARCENT,
USAREUR,
the Services, defense attaches, and Mil Groups in the AOR, the Middle East
and Africa Branch builds relationships in support of OEF/OIF, develops and
executes Counterpart Visits and provides guidance for senior Army leadership
in meetings with foreign dignitaries. The branch directly supports CSA's
participation in ARCENT's annual Land Forces Symposium. The Middle
East and
Africa Branch also provides historical overviews and background information
of Middle Eastern and African culture and political-military implications
of current events to CSA and senior Army leaders.
Bilateral Army Staff Talks
The Bilateral Army Staff Talks program
is a senior security cooperation forum designed to bring together the
U.S. Army and the Armies of its primary strategic partners. Staff Talks
are the only forum that covers the full spectrum of Security Cooperation
issues and are the primary Army medium for the development of
interoperability with our closest allies. The Chief of Staff of the Army
has designated the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 as the proponent for
the development and prioritization of the staff talk program. The
Mission of the Staff Talks is: Synchronize all Army-to-Army activities
with key partners across the DOTMLPF spectrum and coordinate HQDA
initiatives with regional Army Component Command activities. Staff Talks
enhance the potential for interoperability; improve the understanding and
harmonization of concepts, doctrine, training, operational procedures,
and requirements; promote bilateral efforts and; explore and pursue
cooperative materiel development between the U.S. Army and the Armies of
selected allied and friendly nations.
Army International
Affairs organizations:
Army International Affairs
Multinational
Strategy and Programs