The Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF) is a fund that was established under the United States
National Defense Authorization Act
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is any of a series of United States federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. The first NDAA was passed in 1961. The U.S. Congress oversees the de ...
for fiscal year 2012 in section 1207.
"The FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 112-81), Section 1207, created a new
Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF) as a four-year pilot project to be jointly administered
and funded by the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...
(DOD) and the
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...
. The purpose of the fund is to carry out security and counterterrorism training, and rule of law programs. (There also
are three one-year transitional authorities for assistance to Africa and Yemen.) The GSCF is placed
under the State Department budget. Although decisions are to be jointly made by the Secretaries of
State and Defense, the mandated mechanism puts the Secretary of State in the lead"
Purpose
"This new Fund follows from
Secretary f Defense RobertGates’ proposal in December 2009 that State and DoD adopt a "pooled resources" approach like that used in the United Kingdom to strengthen their abilities to respond to situations where their missions overlap."
Admiral Michael Mullen (
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...
at the time) stated in a congressional hearing that, "
he GSCFwill buy us an agile and cost-effective way to better respond to unforeseen needs and take advantage of emerging opportunities for partners to secure their own territories and regions." The Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF) is intended for either DOD or DOS to provide assistance to countries designated by
Secretary of State, with the concurrence of
Secretary of Defense
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
, for the following purposes.
* To enhance the capabilities of a country's national military and other national security forces that conduct border and maritime, internal defense, and
counterterrorism
Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...
operations, as well as the government agencies responsible for such forces, to:
# Conduct border and maritime security, internal defense, and counterterrorism operations, and
# Participate in or support military, stability, or peace support operations consistent with US foreign policy and national security interests.
* For the justice sector (including law enforcement and prisons), rule of law programs, and stabilization efforts in a country. In cases in which SecState, in consultation with SecDef, determines that conflict or instability in a country or region challenges the existing capability of civilian providers to deliver such assistance.
Any such assistance programs are to be jointly formulated by DOD and DOS with the approval of SecState and the concurrence of SecDef. Any provided assistance may include equipment, supplies, and training.
References
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United States Department of State
United States Department of Defense