 Ms Sandy Long |
 SCO personnel engage with SAF/IA’s Acting Director for Regional Affairs, Colonel Joey Laws. |
Posted on: 8/3/2023
From July 24-26, 2023, Defense Security Cooperation University’ Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) department executed the fourth National Capitol Region (NCR)-based SCO Operational Engagements Course (Briefings and Consultations) in Fiscal Year 2023. Forty-one SCO personnel participated in the course, which marks a key transition point from students to members of their respective SCOs.
This course and the six-week Fundamentals and Application of SCO Operations Course ensure future SCO personnel are prepared to represent the Department of Defense to allies and partners on Security Cooperation and Assistance programs. The NCR course focuses on relationship building for in-country SCO assignments, where SCO personnel are the vital link between U.S. whole-of-government Security Cooperation efforts and Partner Nations.
On the first day, Dr. Celeste Gventer welcomed the students and discussed National Defense Strategy Security Cooperation workforce initiatives to include the forthcoming Defense Security Cooperation Service. This was followed by discussions with their respective Defense Security Cooperation Agency Country Portfolio and Financial counterparts.
During the second day visit to the State Department, students met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security, DAS Mira Resnick and members from the Bureau of Political Military Affairs to include the Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers (RSAT) and the Office of Security Assistance. Based on previous feedback, students spent more time with their desk officers.
The final day at the Pentagon and Navy Yard consisted of meetings with Joint Staff (J-5) members, leadership and desk officers from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation (DASA (DE&C)), the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs (SAF/IA), and the Navy International Programs Office (NIPO). Beyond meeting with their respective desk officers, SCO students met with Ms. Sandy Long, the Senior Advisor for Defense Exports at DASA(DE&C) and SAF/IA’s Acting Director for Regional Affairs, Colonel Joey Laws.