THE VIEW FROM THE FOXHOLE
U.S. to build allied and partner capacity, promote interoperability and share the burden of our global security responsi- bilities with partners and allies.
Te scope of security assistance across
DOD and within the Army is wide and deep. Under the guidance of
the U.S.
Department of State and oversight of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), DOD security assistance com- prises a group of programs, authorized under Title 22 authorities, by which the United States provides defense articles (such as munitions, technology and sensi- tive data), military education and training and other defense-related services by grant, loan, credit, cash sale or lease to foreign partners and allies in furtherance of national policies and objectives.
Te ASAE consists 3,000 personnel
of approximately in dozens of organiza-
tions throughout HQDA; U.S. Army Materiel Command; U.S. Training and Doctrine Command; U.S. Army Medi- cal Command; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and direct
reporting units.
Understanding the entire ASAE and all the processes, policies, funding sources and authorities cans be a challenge for even a seasoned professional. Subject matter experts rarely get an opportunity to see a different side of DOD security assistance, but they can better under- stand and appreciate how the pieces fit together by participating in the Rota- tional Assignment Program (RAP).
ASAE organizations create temporary positions for RAP, interested individuals apply, and selected participants are placed in assignments lasting between three and six months. Eighteen people are partici- pating in the FY17 program; Curry, April Miller, Jennifer Griffin, Freeman Nlandu and Alisha Wade have been placed with DASA(DE&C).
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BROADENING EXPERIENCE
RAP participants, from left, Freeman Nlandu, April Miller, Nick Curry and Jennifer Griffin all are working on six-month temporary assignments with the DASA(DE&C). They will return to their home organizations within the Army security assistance enterprise after completing the RAP.
With support from their leadership and the hosting organization, participants get out from behind their desks, away from their regular duties, and broaden their knowledge of security assistance. Griffin, like Curry a logistics manage- ment specialist with AMCOM SAMD, said that the opportunity to learn some- thing new encouraged her to apply. “I’ve never worked in security assistance policy before. I’m getting on-the-job training in an entirely new discipline and get to take it back to my organization.”
In addition to being an excellent per- sonal broadening opportunity, the RAP allows participants to build relationships and open new lines of communication across the enterprise. “A lot of the time, we [AMCOM SAMD] don’t know what goes on here [at DASA(DE&C)],” said Curry. “We’re sending documents or information to what can seem like a black hole … wondering if they are open to
communicating. Being here,
ing the need to communicate has been beneficial, and I have been able to reach
back to my home organization with hot items,
like a piece of critical
informa-
tion or an important contact within the organization.” Miller added, “When we are developing an FMS [foreign mili- tary sales] case at our level, sometimes the process can seem a little slower than we might like. But with the connec- tions I’ve developed at DASA(DE&C), I think we’ll be able to move our cases along a little faster.”
see-
In a large, matrixed organization like ASAE, it can be difficult to convey the overall vision to personnel three or four layers removed from HQDA. “Tere is a gap,” said Nlandu, branch chief for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command regional operations with the U.S. Army Security Assistance Training Management Organization. “Tere are the senior leaders and then the person in the foxhole. When you are in the foxhole, you want to know what to do and who to call. [Te RAP] is about letting the peo- ple in the foxhole know how their work contributes to the big picture.”
Army AL&T Magazine
July-September 2017
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