Impacting Culture Through Security Cooperation

Abstract

JP 3-20 defines Security Cooperation (SC) as all Department of Defense DOD) interactions, programs, and activities with foreign security forces (FSF) and their institutions to build relationships that help promote US interests; enable partner nations (PNs) to provide the US access to territory, infrastructure, information, and resources; and/or to build and apply their capacity and capabilities consistent with US defense objectives. This essay examines security cooperation, how security cooperation works and the impact the US Security Cooperation (SC) program has on culture. In order to do this, we examine activities inherent in Security Cooperation and how the entire process works, including key driving doctrine, from end state to genesis. After we examine activities inherent in Security Cooperation and how the entire process works, we then assess impact
by examining aspects such as: how we measure success; regional access gained; partnerships; doctrine and intent. This essay takes a unique approach in that it works backwards from end state objectives of noted action on the ground to genesis with the President’s National Security Strategy guided by the National Intelligence Estimate and National Security Council, concluding with my overall assessment of the impact of the program.
Keywords: Security Cooperation, Theater Strategies, Theater Campaign Plan, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP), Strategic Direction, National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Strategy (NDS), Comprehensive Joint Assessment (CJA), Joint Strategy Review