According to Denecke, funding for Global Train and Equip programs has remained constant over the last several years. This consistency is, in part, the result of the fact that they include funding stability operations. Since 2010, the main focus of these has been on partners participating in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

Stability operations funding accounts for up to $100 million of the Section 1206 program budget. In total, the 1206 program has received $350 million per year for the last several years. Denecke says that the 1206 authority is extended through 2017 at the same $350 million level.

As we’ve observed, the Global Train and Equip program is just one of 15 BPC programs that DSCA administers. The most recently added BPC programs are the Global Security Contingency Fund (Section 1207) and the Counterterrorism Assistance for East Africa and Yemen (Section 1203) programs. Both programs are managed by DSCA through broadly similar processes to those described above.

“We try to highlight the things that are going well. We try to make sure OSD/DoD understand the difficulty in provisioning certain things for certain countries. Ultimately, the entire SC team works very hard, and is very successful in delivering the goods and services required to achieve the capability that we were asked to provide.”

The Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF) originated in FY 12 as a four-year pilot program expiring in FY 15. It authorizes DoD and DoS to provide assistance to enhance the capabilities of a partner country’s national military forces and security forces that conduct border and maritime security, internal defense, and counterterrorism operations.

GSCF program funds may also be used to provide assistance for a partner country’s justice sector (including law enforcement and prisons), rule of law programs, and stabilization efforts. GSCF assistance must include elements that promote observance of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and respect for legitimate civilian authority within the partner country.

As with other BPC programs, if GSCF requires DoD goods or services, DSCA will coordinate planning and delivery efforts, collaborate with other agencies, and provide support to the GSCF program office.

McGaughey calls GSCF a “new breed” of BPC program. It is jointly funded and approved by the DoS and DoD. Under the authorization, DoD may contribute up to $200 million and DoS may contribute up to $50 million to the fund. In addition, the funding is pooled for each separate program, with DoD providing not more than 80 percent of the required funding and DoS providing not less than 20 percent of the required funding. Although DoS provides the overall program lead, each department must agree on every program to be funded with GSCF.

In December 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry announced a $40 million GSCF program for the Philippines. The joint DoD-State effort will be used to improve maritime security and maritime domain awareness, and to provide assistance for law enforcement counterterrorism capacity building in the southern Philippines in line with the country’s 2011 Internal Peace and Security Plan.

DSCA has also been at work standing up the Counterterrorism Assistance for East Africa and Yemen program. Authorized under Section 1203 of the FY 13 NDAA, East Africa and Yemen assistance is funded by DoD appropriations.

Through Section 1203, DoD, with DoS concurrence, may provide equipment, supplies, training, and minor military construction. The purpose of this program is to enhance the ability of the Yemeni Ministry of Interior Counterterrorism Forces. It is also intended to enhance the capacity of the national military forces, security agencies, counterterrorism forces, and border security forces of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and national military forces participating in the African Union Mission in Somalia to conduct counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda, al Qaeda affiliates, and al Shabaab.

Section 1203 is not unlike Section 1206, Denecke explained, though it is currently funded only for FY 14 at $150 million. Given the limited appropriation time frame, DSCA essentially regards 1203 as a supplement to 1206 and its management will reflect what has been learned from the latter.

Leveraging lessons learned is an ongoing process for DSCA. With BPC programs under way all over the world, there are always new challenges and examples of how to do something better. The funds which U.S. taxpayers provide to other countries ultimately reinforce our security here and build goodwill that generally provides long-term benefits.

Through its management of BPC programs, DSCA advances U.S. national security policy in low-cost, subtle, yet effective ways, McGaughey acknowledged.

“We try to highlight the things that are going well. We try to make sure OSD/DoD understand the difficulty in provisioning certain things for certain countries. Ultimately, the entire SC team works very hard, and is very successful in delivering the goods and services required to achieve the capability that we were asked to provide.”

DSCA Building Partnership Capacity Programs include the following:

• Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (ASFF)

• Coalition Readiness Support Program (CRSP)

• DoD Counternarcotics (CN)

• Iraq Security Forces Fund (ISFF)

• Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund/Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCF/PCCF)

• Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) and Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI)

• Section 1203, Counterterrorism Assistance for East Africa and Yemen Fund

• Section 1206, Global Train and Equip

• Section 1207, Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF)

• Other non-DoD programs