Defense Attaches and Theater Security Cooperation: Bringing Military Diplomacy into the 21st Century

摘要

Defense attach s are critical to execution of Regional Combatant Commander's (RCC) Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) strategies and should be reassigned from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to the RCC in order to maximize cooperation with interagency members of the Ambassador's Country Team. The current command and control structure for the Defense Attach Office (DAO) was ideal when the office was focused on Cold War intelligence collection, but is inadequate in a modern context. This paper examines the historical role of the DAO and outlines the current command and control structure of the Defense Attach System (DAS). It explains the strategic importance of TSC in the Long War, and outlines the need for interagency cooperation if TSC plans are to be effective in a resource-constrained environment. Finally, the paper puts forth recommendations for the reformation of the DAS in order to make defense attach s more effective in implementing the RCC's TSC.