The fourth iteration of the Defense Security Cooperation University’s (DSCU) Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) Operations Course recently concluded with the graduation of 41 SCO professionals. The course included five weeks of academic instruction at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio, followed by four days at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC), Indiana, and concluded with four days of briefings and consultations in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The SCO Operations Course extensive curriculum includes introduction to security cooperation Policy & Strategy, regional security studies, foreign military sales and financing processes, international training management, Department of Defense security cooperation planning, and practical applications of SCO operations overseas. The in-residence portion concluded in a one-week Capstone Exercise in which students applied classroom learning and interacted with former U.S. Ambassador Liliana Ayalde and faculty.
At MUTC, students completed the 40-hour block of instruction to fulfill the U.S. Department of State-mandated Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) Course equivalency training. This included training on a variety of safety-related topics including driver’s training and tactical medical care.
The course culminated in a series of briefings and consultations with numerous security cooperation stakeholders in the NCR. This final phase focused on forging key relationships for the students’ in-country assignments, empowering them to be that vital link between U.S. whole-of-government security cooperation efforts and Partner Nations.
Integral to the SCO Operations Course experience is the formal SCO Spouse Course. In this course, SCO spouse students participate in a 3-week virtual-based course followed by a one-week residency with their service members.
The SCO Spouse Course provides foundational information to enable SCO mission success and family safety. The in-residence training consists of group lessons and practical exercises designed to equip and integrate family members and SCO students into the embassy and foreign community and prepare them to represent the United States as an overall team. Additionally, this course provides information on the resources available while overseas and builds the SCO Teams’ support network worldwide.
Following the fifth and final iteration of the SCO Operations Course in September 2024, SCO training and education will transition to DSCU’s NCR campus. In October 2024, the course will evolve to the SCO Qualification Course and will mark the official establishment of DSCU’s Defense SCO Institute (DSI).
DSCU’s DSI in the NCR will serve as the DOD SCO schoolhouse, providing tailored preparation and training essential for SCO personnel to be mission ready day one of their assignments. DSI is an important step in implementation of NDAA mandates and National Defense Strategy initiatives, and DSCU’s commitment to the SCO workforce.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2024 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 479099 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fourth SCO Operations Course of FY24 Concludes, by Mallory Thornton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
