§409 Center for Complex Operations

Summary

The Secretary of Defense may create a Center for Complex Operations. The Center’s job is to help prepare Department of Defense and other U.S. government people for difficult missions, to promote teamwork with other U.S. agencies, foreign governments and militaries, international organizations and NGOs, and domestic NGOs, to do research and share lessons and best practices, and to find and help fix gaps in training. The Secretary of Defense must get the Secretary of State’s agreement when the Center’s work involves foreign governments or international organizations. Other federal agencies may give personnel, services, or money to help the Center. The Secretary may accept gifts or donations from state or local governments, foreign governments, foundations or charities, and private sources, but must not take anything that would harm fairness or the integrity of Department programs. The Secretary must write rules for deciding whether a gift is acceptable. Money given or transferred for the Center is added to the Center’s Defense budget and stays available until spent. “Complex operation” means stability operations, security operations, transition and reconstruction operations, counterinsurgency operations, or irregular warfare. “Gift or donation” means money, materials (including research), property, or services (including lectures or faculty work).