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U.S. Marine Corps security cooperation.

Article Excerpt
Overview

Undeniably, the most visible elements of U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) security cooperation are the deployed Marines assisting partner nations in building or strengthening their desired capabilities. These Marines build partner capacity across the continuum of operations, from military-to-military contacts and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief operations in Phase Zero to transition teams providing training in support of current operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. These efforts, led by the Regional Marine Component Commands, support their respective Combatant Commander's objectives for each geographic region.

While overseas advisory or training assistance are the most prolific aspects of Marine Corps security cooperation, with hundreds of Marines deployed in these roles around the world, it's far from the entire story.

The Marine Corps employs a coordinated approach to security cooperation. Currently this approach is guided by the Secretary of Defense's Security Cooperation Guidance. Based on that guidance, the Commandant of the Marine Corps publishes an Implementation Strategy that compliments and supports the Theater Security Cooperation Plans published by the Geographic Combatant Commanders. With the recent publication of the Guidance for Employment of the Force, the Marine Corps is now developing its Campaign Support Plan to support the Campaign Plans these Geographic Combatant Commanders will use as their guides to security cooperation in the future.

Even though the Regional Marine Component Commands remain the focal point for execution of security cooperation within their regions, the cohesiveness and unity of purpose of the Corps overall security cooperation effort is achieved through the communication and integration of efforts of three major security cooperation organizations within the National Capital Region--the International Issues Branch, Strategies and Plans Division, Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations, located at Headquarters, Marine Corps; the Security Cooperation Education and Training Center, Training and Education Command located in Quantico, VA; and International Programs, Marine Corps Systems Command also located in Quantico, VA.

The International Issues Branch (PLU) acts on behalf of the Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations as the coordinating and oversight authority for implementing Marine Corps policy in security cooperation and technology transfer matters, thereby ensuring Marine Corps security cooperation efforts are consistent with U.S. strategic plans. The Branch develops Marine Corps recommendations to the Joint Staff on policy and program aspects of security cooperation and is the author of the Commandant's Security Cooperation Implementation Strategy and pending Security Cooperation Campaign Support Plan.

To facilitate communication and integration, PLU hosts monthly sessions with the other Marine Corps security cooperation organizations within the region and annually sponsors the Marine Corps Security Cooperation Conference that brings together all Marine Corps security cooperation personnel for a plenary and planning session. As a part of the Branch's policy development role, personnel from PLU support various DoD and Joint Staff working groups on a variety of building partner capacity issues including the Train, Advise, and Assist Working Group; the Building...

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