DSCA’s Institutional Programs

Defense Institution Building and Humanitarian Assistance – DSCA’s Institutional Programs

By Jan Tegler - September 15, 2014

Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, addresses the Fellows of Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC) attending the ASC course at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 16, 2014. The course was designed to advance knowledge, skills, and networks related to multilateral security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region among mid-career security practitioners. Photo courtesy of APCSS

The Mine Action Program is distinct from the “counter-mine” or operational mine action efforts DoD forces execute in a combat scenario. The purpose of the Mine Action Program is primarily to ensure that foreign partners are trained to repatriate land and water – ports in some cases – so that they can be used for farming or traversed for access to medical treatment and other basic humanitarian needs.

“Every disaster response comes through here at DSCA …

“We teach mine risk education, training DoD personnel, usually military (special forces, civil affairs, and others), how to teach foreign nationals, civilian or military, what to look for in terms of mines and explosive remnants of war. Again, this is a humanitarian effort, an access and influence kind of program. Congress expanded our authority to deal with physical security and stockpiled munitions (PSSM). We are not allowed to do any of the de-mining or physical security ourselves, but we teach it. We train the trainers.”

The Foreign Disaster Relief/Emergency Response Program enables rapid response from GCCs to address a range of crises. Approximately $20 million of HA’s budget is set aside on an annual basis for the mission to provide logistics management, airlift, search and rescue, humanitarian daily rations, and emergency supplies such as plastic sheeting, tents, bedding, water.

Recent operations include the November 2013 typhoon in the Philippines, and the Malaysian Airlines and Korean ferry tragedies of 2014.

“These are 24/7 operations,” Halvorsen stressed. “We do the resource conference calls, making sure everyone is tied in and knows what’s going on, working with GCCs, OSD Policy, Joint Staff, DoD Comptroller, OMB [Office of Management and Budget], USAID’s OFDA [Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance] and the State Department who formally requests DoD assistance.” If disaster responses exceed available funding, we also work with Congressional committees to coordinate reprogramming of funds into the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance and Civic Aid appropriation to cover the resourcing costs.

“Every disaster response comes through here at DSCA and is assigned a code and then tracked. Our job is to make sure that the responding GCC is financially resourced and that they’re using the money in accordance with the fiscal and legal constraints. We also ensure that the money’s being used in the context of the GCCs’ larger global programs.”

This article first appeared in the U.S. Department of Defense Defense Security Cooperation Agency – Defense Solutions for America’s Global Partners 2014.