PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Commanders may pay for costs when U.S. special operations forces train with the armed or security forces of friendly foreign countries. Payments can cover the training itself, travel to the training, and, when the partner is a friendly developing country, the extra costs that country has because of the training. The main goal must be to train U.S. special operations forces. The Secretary of Defense must write rules for how this works, require prior approval before the training happens, and set accounting steps to make sure money is spent properly. Definitions: “special operations forces” includes civil affairs and military information support units; “incremental expenses” means reasonable costs like food, fuel, training ammunition, transport, and similar goods and services, but not the host country’s regular pay or allowances. By April 1 each year, the Secretary must report to Congress on the previous fiscal year’s covered training, listing the countries, type and length of training (including whether it was counter-narcotics or counter-terrorism), numbers and costs, foreign participation and host contributions, how it relates to other U.S. training programs, total spending, and the special training benefit to U.S. forces.

Title 10, §322

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority To Pay Training Expenses.—

Under regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (c), the commander of the special operations command established pursuant to section 167 of this title and the commander of any other unified or specified combatant command may pay, or authorize payment for, any of the following expenses:

(1)Expenses of training special operations forces assigned to that command in conjunction with training, and training with, armed forces and other security forces of a friendly foreign country.

(2)Expenses of deploying such special operations forces for that training.

(3)In the case of training in conjunction with a friendly developing country, the incremental expenses incurred by that country as the direct result of such training.

(b)Purpose of Training.—

The primary purpose of the training for which payment may be made under subsection (a) shall be to train the special operations forces of the combatant command.

(c)Regulations.—

The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section. The regulations shall require that training activities may be carried out under this section only with the prior approval of the Secretary of Defense. The regulations shall establish accounting procedures to ensure that the expenditures pursuant to this section are appropriate.

(d)Definitions.—

In this section: (1)

(2)The term “incremental expenses”, with respect to a developing country, means the reasonable and proper cost of rations, fuel, training ammunition, transportation, and other goods and services consumed by such country, except that the term does not include pay, allowances, and other normal costs of such country’s personnel.

(e)Reports.—

Not later than April 1 of each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report regarding training during the preceding fiscal year for which expenses were paid under this section. Each report shall specify the following:

(1)All countries in which that training was conducted.

(2)The type of training conducted, including whether such training was related to counter-narcotics or counter-terrorism activities, the duration of that training, the number of members of the armed forces involved, and expenses paid.

(3)The extent of participation by foreign military forces, including the number and service affiliation of foreign military personnel involved and physical and financial contribution of each host nation to the training effort.

(4)The relationship of that training to other overseas training programs conducted by the armed forces, such as military exercise programs sponsored by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military exercise programs sponsored by a combatant command, and military training activities sponsored by a military department (including deployments for training, short duration exercises, and other similar unit training events).

(5)A summary of the expenditures under this section resulting from the training for which expenses were paid under this section.

(6)A discussion of the unique military training benefit to United States special operations forces derived from the training activities for which expenses were paid under this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 renumbered section 2011 of this title as this section. 2011—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 112–81 substituted “military information support operations” for “psychological operations”. 1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–261, § 1062(a), inserted after first sentence “The

Regulations

shall require that training activities may be carried out under this section only with the prior approval of the Secretary of Defense.” Subsec. (e)(5), (6). Pub. L. 105–261, § 1062(b), added pars. (5) and (6). 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–106 substituted “To” for “to” in heading.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective Dec. 31, 2021, of provisions in subsec. (e) of this section requiring submittal of annual report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title. Training of General Purpose Forces of the United States Armed Forces With Military and Other Security Forces of Friendly Foreign Countries Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title XII, § 1203, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 894, related to the training of general purpose forces of the armed forces of the United States with military and other security forces of friendly foreign countries, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1244(c), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2518.

§322 Special Operations Forces: Training with Friendly Foreign Forces