
The Commander of the Army Materiel Command, Gen. Ed Daly promised the AMC security assistance enterprise “4-star concurrence” to make any changes necessary to win.
This pledge was offered during the closing remarks of the AMC Security Assistance Enterprise Senior Leader Forum, moderated by Security Assistance Command’s Commander Brig. General Brad Nicholson, December 13-15.
The forum’s theme, “Foreign Military Sales in Today’s Competitive Environment,” was addressed by representatives from the Department of Defense, Army and AMC levels on the first, second and third days of the gathering.
Daly’s message to workers is that to maintain a strategic advantage, business must streamline processes to be more responsive, and prioritize security assistance and foreign military sales cases with the greatest potential. impact and most important capability. He emphasizes a shared vision and flat communication across the business along with proactive collaboration.
Daly, the 20th commanding general of the AMC, also discussed the organizations and structures that are key to the development of the process. USASAC’s Security Assistance Training Management Organization can achieve greater impact with better manning, resourcing and more agile deployment, Daly explained, as it moves toward SATMO 2030. Daly also asked the Security Assistance Management Directorates, which part of AMC’s Life Cycle Management Commands, to state any deficiencies they see when working with their LCMCs and Program Executive Offices.
He also emphasized the importance of the “connective tissue” of the State Partnership Program and the Security Force Assistance Brigades in security assistance and foreign military sales for the training of allies and partners, and how SATMO working with SFABs can provide an additional strategic presence.
He concluded his speech by asking the audience to continue to focus on maintaining allies and partner equipment because it ensures the ability to fight in a coalition environment. He noted that trust and credibility come to the business by holding oneself accountable for delivery timelines and using the Commander’s Critical Information Requirements process to communicate and resolve issues affecting delivery. USASAC’s G-3 followed Daly with an overview of the CCIR reporting mechanism on foreign military sales and how it includes recipients and timelines.
Nicholson emphasized relationships as he opened the forum, which is designed to provide greater understanding of the current operating environment, and strategic focus, perspectives and issues of stakeholders.
Alex Kleckner, chief, Security Cooperation Program Branch, US Northern Command, emphasized the need to be more agile and responsive to partner countries in a competitive environment, and the importance of remaining a partner of choice.
Jeff Hughes, deputy director, US Southern Command, J5, recommended better communication to help manage the partner countries’ expectations, but noted that moderate investment in this resource-limited region could be outsized return on investment.
Col. Dan Oh, chief, Internal Military Affairs, G-3, Security Cooperation Division, US Army Pacific Command, described the importance of the army as the stabilizing institution in the Indo-Pacific, and it requires maintaining a continuity of presence in the region. Oh also noted the importance of using exercises to demonstrate the capabilities of Army and USASAC equipment using key leadership engagements for the corresponding foreign military trade interests.
Army stakeholder perspectives include the Chief of Army G-3/5/7’s Chief of International Affairs Col. Jonathan Dunn, who summarized how the Army is breaking new ground by synchronizing Title 10 and Title 22 security cooperation tools through its allies and partner doctrine in support of the National Defense Strategy and Army Campaign Plan 23-30. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation also advocated greater integration of Title 10 and Title 22 programs.
Other Army stakeholder presentations and discussions included Security Force Assistance Command, Corps of Engineers, and Security Assistance Training Field Activity.
The final discussions focused on AMC security assistance business challenges and solutions and codifying the fiscal year 2023 AMC security assistance business strategy. Marv Whitaker, director, USASAC Strategy, Integration, Policy and Analysis, explains how the current AMC campaign plan has been restructured to better align with Army Campaign Plan 23-30 and the previous 38 AMC initiative was cut to 18. Foreign military sales and building partner The current capacity is set as one of 18, according to Whitaker.
The Army’s security assistance fiscal strategy 2023, and the three Lines of Effort (People First, Implement the Comprehensive Security Assistance Program, and Modernize the AMC Security Assistance Enterprise for the Future) and the corresponding purpose was the final point of discussion led by USASAC’s SiPA, along with improving the foreign military sales process (led by USASAC’s G-9 director).
Nicholson closed the forum with final words emphasizing transparency and communication and how he can help. He stated that while he talks with his USASAC directors every day, he also talks with the COCOMs, ASCC, ASAALT (Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), DASA-DEC and DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) and encouraged everyone to raise issues and ideas to him. His last instruction, “Tell your people what they are doing that makes a difference every day.”