The Roles and Functions of Overseas Security Assistance Offices Need To Be Clarified

Highlights

A study was conducted to determine the activities of the overseas Security Assistance Offices. An examination was made of the need to change a section of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to better recognize what these offices actually do. The role of the Unified Commands in the security assistance management process was reviewed, and the reasons for and against consolidating the security assistance function with the defense attache function in overseas missions were weighed.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Department of Defense	The Secretaries of State and Defense should decide what the roles, missions, and functions of SAO's should be on a country-by-country basis and determine the numbers of U.S. personnel needed to perform such functions.	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of State	The Secretaries of State and Defense should decide what the roles, missions, and functions of SAO's should be on a country-by-country basis and determine the numbers of U.S. personnel needed to perform such functions.	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Defense	The Secretaries of State and Defense should provide information to Congress about the functions of SAO's and the numbers of U.S. personnel needed. They should also recommend changes to section 515 of the Foreign Assistance Act necessary to better recognize the appropriate functions of SAO's.	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of State	The Secretaries of State and Defense should provide information to Congress about the functions of SAO's and the numbers of U.S. personnel needed. They should also recommend changes to section 515 of the Foreign Assistance Act necessary to better recognize the appropriate functions of SAO's.	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Defense	The Secretaries of State and Defense should each provide details, on both the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating the security assistance functions, to the authorizing committees prior to any further consolidations of the functions	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of State	The Secretaries of State and Defense should each provide details, on both the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating the security assistance functions, to the authorizing committees prior to any further consolidations of the functions	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Defense	The Secretary of Defense should independently examine the Unified Commands' current security assistance organizational structure and staff levels to determine if staff reductions are possible and, if so, to reassign staff appropriately.	Closed GAO has no information on the actions taken in response to this recommendation.

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International Affairs

Foreign military assistanceInternational relationsMilitary trainingProgram evaluationRetireesForeign assistanceProgram managementInternational organizationsLogisticsMilitary assistance