BUILDING PARTNER 

CAPACITY

DOD Is Meeting Most 

Targets for Colombia’s 

Regional Helicopter 

Training Center but 

Should Track 

Graduates

Report to Congressional Committees

July 2013

GAO-13-674

United States Government Accountability Office
United States Government Accountability Office

Highlights of GAO-13-674, a report to 

congressional committees

July 2013

BUILDING PARTNER CAPACITY

DOD Is Meeting Most Targets for Colombia’s

Regional Helicopter Training Center but Should

Track Graduates

Why GAO Did This Study

U.S. national security is inextricably 

tied to the effectiveness of U.S. efforts 

to help foreign partners build their own 

security capacity. The United States 

has had a long-standing partnership 

with Colombia, a key part of which has 

been U.S. assistance to Colombia’s 

aviation unit in counternarcotics efforts. 

RHTC is one of DOD’s priority security 

cooperation programs. The Senate 

Committee on Armed Services has 

recognized that many security 

cooperation programs are key to U.S. 

military-to-military relations with foreign 

partners. Because of concerns 

regarding DOD’s ability to assess the 

impact of these programs, the 

committee mandated GAO to assess 

their effectiveness, efficiency, and 

medium- and long-term results. 

In this review, GAO assesses (1) U.S. 

government allocations, obligations, 

and disbursements for RHTC in fiscal 

year 2009 through May 2013; (2) the 

extent to which DOD has achieved its 

goal and targets for RHTC; and (3) 

DOD’s progress, if any, in 

implementing its plans to nationalize 

RHTC (i.e., fully transfer the program’s 

financial responsibility to Colombia).

GAO interviewed DOD, State, and 

Colombian officials in Washington, 

D.C.; Alabama; Virginia; and Colombia. 

GAO also reviewed DOD documents 

and funding data.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is recommending that DOD work 

with the government of Colombia to 

take steps to obtain information on

Colombian graduates’ use of skills

obtained at RHTC in subsequent 

military assignments for at least 2 

years after graduation. DOD 

concurred.

What GAO Found

In fiscal year 2009 through May 2013, the Department of Defense (DOD) 

allocated approximately $73.9 million from its Counternarcotics Central Transfer 

Account to the Regional Helicopter Training Center (RHTC) in Colombia. As of 

May 2013, about $47.0 million of this funding had been disbursed. Most of this 

funding was allocated to RHTC helicopter maintenance, including approximately 

$31.1 million (42 percent) to a maintenance contract and about $12.0 million (16 

percent) for parts and tools. As of June 2013, the Department of State (State) 

had also allocated approximately $382,000 from its Foreign Military Financing 

(FMF) account toward training of helicopter mechanics for RHTC. 

DOD has largely achieved its goal and targets for RHTC but does not collect any 

information on RHTC’s longer-term results that would allow DOD to evaluate the 

extent to which RHTC helps to meet Colombia’s counternarcotics aviation needs. 

For example, DOD has, for the most part, met its goal of providing RHTC training 

in accordance with DOD standards by providing training similar to that provided 

by the U.S. Army. Furthermore, DOD has met one of its two targets related to the 

number of students enrolled at RHTC—it has met its target for the number of 

Mexican students enrolled each year but has not met its target for the number of 

Colombian students enrolled each year because of insufficient capacity to 

accommodate more students. Moreover, DOD has generally exceeded its target 

of an 85 percent graduation rate for students at RHTC. However, DOD does not 

track any information on whether RHTC pilot graduates use their skills obtained 

at RHTC in subsequent military assignments. Colombia committed to retain 

personnel in assignments related to their training for a minimum of 2 years after 

graduation and to provide data on these personnel to DOD. According to DOD 

officials, they have requested but not received these data for pilot graduates. 

DOD began to track the personnel assignments of mechanics trained at RHTC in 

January 2013 because DOD prioritized obtaining these data to ensure sufficient 

mechanics for future work at RHTC. 

DOD has made some progress in its plans to nationalize RHTC, but it has also 

extended the timeline for nationalization and faces challenges in meeting the 

revised timeline. The United States and Colombia initially planned to fully 

nationalize Colombia’s basic helicopter training school by July 2009. After they 

agreed in 2009 to expand the school into RHTC, DOD began to plan for a

projected nationalization date of 2016. Subsequently, DOD extended it to 2018 

because DOD recognized that Colombia would not be ready to take over 

financial responsibility for the facility as originally planned. DOD’s current plans 

for full nationalization in 2018 include separate timelines for certain components, 

including (1) ground instruction and helicopter simulators; (2) helicopters, parts, 

and tools; and (3) helicopter maintenance and mechanics training. DOD is on 

target to first nationalize RHTC ground instruction at the end of fiscal year 2013, 

but nationalization of some other components, such as simulator maintenance 

and parts and tools, is now scheduled for later than DOD had planned. Under 

current plans, State will provide FMF funds to cover the costs of these delays. 

Some uncertainties may affect DOD’s ability to adhere to the current 

nationalization timeline, including unclear commitment from Colombia to RHTC 

nationalization and uncertainty regarding future U.S. funding for the program. 

View GAO-13-674. For more information, 

contact Charles Michael Johnson, Jr. at (202) 

512-7331 or johnsoncm@gao.gov.
Page i GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

Letter 1

Results 3

Conclusions 5

Recommendation for Executive Action 5

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 6

Appendix I Briefing for Congressional Committees 7

Appendix II Priorities of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 

Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict 35

Appendix III Comments from the Department of Defense 37

Appendix IV GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 39

Abbreviations

DOD Department of Defense

FMF Foreign Military Financing

IERW Initial Entry Rotary Wing

RHTC Regional Helicopter Training Center

SO/LIC Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 

Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict

State Department of State

Contents

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Page 1 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

441 G St. N.W.

Washington, DC 20548

July 24, 2013

The Honorable Carl Levin

Chairman

The Honorable James M. Inhofe

Ranking Member

Committee on Armed Services

United States Senate

The Honorable Howard P. “Buck” McKeon

Chairman

The Honorable Adam Smith

Ranking Member

Committee on Armed Services

House of Representatives

The United States’ national security is inextricably tied to the 

effectiveness of U.S. efforts to help foreign partners and allies build their 

own security capacity, which is an important aspect of sharing the costs 

and responsibilities of global leadership.1 The United States has had a 

long-standing partnership with Colombia aimed at reducing the flow of 

illegal drugs from that country. As part of its efforts to support Colombia’s 

counternarcotics efforts, the United States has helped Colombia build an 

army aviation brigade to conduct counternarcotics operations, in part by 

funding a basic helicopter training facility in Melgar, Colombia.2 In 2009, 

the Department of Defense (DOD) began to assist Colombia in 

transforming this facility into the Regional Helicopter Training Center 

(RHTC).3

 1

Department of Defense, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century 

Defense (Washington, D.C., January 2012).

DOD’s goal for RHTC is to meet Colombia’s needs for training 

helicopter pilots, while also training as many as 24 third-country student 

pilots annually, primarily from Mexico, in accordance with DOD 

2

In this report, “basic helicopter training” refers to Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) 

training, an introduction to helicopter flight training. In IERW, student pilots learn the 

basics of flight over several months: how to start the engine of the aircraft, take off, hover, 

and land safely. Student pilots also learn other basic skills, such as instrument flight and 

use of night-vision goggles. IERW training prepares student pilots for advanced courses in 

military aircraft. 

3

In Colombia, RHTC is known as the Escuela de Helicópteros de la Fuerza Pública.
Page 2 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

standards.4

In a committee report accompanying the National Defense Authorization 

Act for Fiscal Year 2013, the Senate Committee on Armed Services 

recognized that many security cooperation programs are key to our 

military-to-military relations with allies and partners around the world. 

Because of issues regarding DOD’s ability to assess the impact of these 

programs, GAO was mandated to examine selected U.S. security 

cooperation programs’ effectiveness, efficiency, and medium- and longterm results.

DOD has also set targets for RHTC, including annual targets 

for the number of Mexican and Colombian students enrolled and for 

graduation rates. DOD and Colombia are planning to nationalize RHTC 

(i.e., fully transfer the program’s financial responsibility to Colombia) in 

2018.

5

To address our reporting objectives, we identified the priority security 

cooperation programs of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 

Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict. We also obtained and analyzed 

relevant U.S. funding data and, to assess the reliability of the data, we 

performed cross-checks of the data by comparing internal and external 

For this review, we assessed (1) U.S. government 

allocations, obligations, and disbursements for RHTC in fiscal year 2009 

through May 2013; (2) the extent to which DOD has achieved its goal and 

targets related to transforming the Colombian basic helicopter school into 

a regional facility capable of providing basic helicopter training for 

Colombia, Mexico, and other countries in accordance with DOD 

standards; and (3) DOD’s progress, if any, in implementing its plans to 

nationalize RHTC. The attached briefing slides provide the detailed 

results of our review (see app. I).

 4

A U.S.-Mexico counternarcotics and anticrime initiative, the Mérida Initiative, resulted in 

DOD agreeing to train Mexican helicopter pilots to support counternarcotics efforts. Since 

the number of Mexican pilots to be trained exceeded the number that could be 

accommodated at Fort Rucker, the U.S. Army center that is the DOD standard for basic 

helicopter training, Colombia agreed that Mexican pilots could also train in Melgar, 

Colombia, transforming the existing helicopter school into RHTC. 

5

See Senate Report 112-173 accompanying its version of the National Defense 

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. No. 112-239). We consulted with DOD’s 

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict on priority 

security cooperation programs. (See app. II for a discussion of the priority areas.) After 

those consultations and using our own selection methodology, we identified RHTC as the 

focus of this review. This review is the second in a series of reviews in response to the 

direction from the Senate Committee on Armed Services. We completed the first review in 

May 2013 as a classified briefing on another security cooperation program.
Page 3 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

budget reports, such as congressional budget justification documents. We 

also interviewed officials from DOD, the Department of State (State), and 

the Colombian Ministry of Defense in Colombia; DOD officials at Fort 

Rucker, Alabama, and at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and DOD 

and State officials in Washington, D.C. We also reviewed, among other 

items, U.S. and Colombian documents prepared for semiannual program 

management reviews of RHTC; plans of instruction for the Army Aviation 

Center of Excellence and RHTC; DOD’s security cooperation plan for 

Colombia; and U.S. technical assistance agreements with Colombia and

Mexico. A more detailed description of our scope and methodology is 

included in the briefing slides in appendix I.

We conducted this performance audit from August 2012 through July 

2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to 

obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for 

our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe 

that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings 

and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

• RHTC funding: In fiscal year 2009 through May 2013, DOD allocated 

approximately $73.9 million for RHTC from DOD’s Counternarcotics 

Central Transfer Account. As of May 2013, about $47.0 million of the 

DOD funding had been disbursed.6

 6

Of the approximately $73.9 million allocated from the DOD Counternarcotics Central 

Transfer Account, about $18.3 million remained as unliquidated obligations and about 

$8.6 million remained as unobligated balances as of May 2013. The majority of the 

unobligated balances were allocated in fiscal year 2013. 

Most of the DOD funding was 

allocated to maintaining RHTC helicopters: about $31.1 million (42 

percent) to a maintenance contract and approximately $12.0 million 

(16 percent) for parts and tools. The remainder was allocated for 

helicopter refurbishment, such as converting excess U.S. Army 

helicopters to serve as training helicopters; infrastructure 

improvements at the training center; and other types of support, such 

as fuel and ground instructors. As of June 2013, State had also 

allocated approximately $382,000 in funding from its Foreign Military 

Financing (FMF) account to training helicopter mechanics for RHTC in

Results
Page 4 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

Fort Eustis, Virginia. Mechanics for RHTC can receive training at 

either RHTC or Fort Eustis.

• Achievement of training goals and targets: DOD has largely achieved 

its goal and targets for the helicopter training center, but does not 

track any information on RHTC’s longer-term results. First, DOD has, 

for the most part, met its goal of providing training at RHTC in 

accordance with DOD standards, since the training at RHTC generally 

follows the same key standards as the Spanish language basic 

helicopter training provided by the U.S. Army at Fort Rucker. Second, 

DOD has met one of its two targets related to the number of students 

enrolled at the center. Since 2009, RHTC has met targets for the 

number of Mexican students, but it has not met targets for the number 

of Colombian students because of insufficient capacity to 

accommodate more students. Third, DOD has met or exceeded its 

target of an 85 percent graduation rate for enrolled students at RHTC 

each year. However, DOD does not track any information on the 

longer-term results of the pilot training provided at RHTC that would 

allow DOD to evaluate the extent to which RHTC helps to meet 

Colombia’s and Mexico’s counternarcotics aviation needs. Although 

Colombia committed to retain personnel in assignments related to 

their training for a minimum of 2 years after graduation from RHTC 

and to provide information about these personnel to DOD, DOD 

officials have not obtained these data from Colombia for pilot 

graduates.7

• Nationalization of RHTC: DOD has made some progress in its plans 

to nationalize RHTC, but it has extended the nationalization timeline 

and faces challenges in meeting the current timeline. The United 

States and Colombia initially planned for nationalization of Colombia’s 

basic helicopter training school to be completed by July 2009. After 

DOD began to track the personnel assignments of 

mechanics trained at RHTC in January 2013 because DOD prioritized 

obtaining these data to ensure sufficient mechanics for future work at 

RHTC. The Mexican government has not committed to providing such 

data to the United States. However, DOD officials stated that they 

have requested and continue to pursue data from Mexico to show 

whether Mexican pilots who graduated from RHTC have used their 

training in subsequent assignments.

 7

Tracking such data is a best practice for training because doing so allows the training 

provider to know whether trainees are using what they learned as intended. 
Page 5 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

the decision to expand the school into RHTC, DOD began to plan for 

a projected nationalization date of 2016. Subsequently, DOD 

extended it to 2018 because DOD recognized that Colombia would 

not be ready to take over financial responsibility for RHTC by the 

previously planned date. DOD’s current plans for full nationalization in

2018 include separate timelines for certain components, including (1) 

ground instruction and helicopter simulators; (2) helicopters, parts, 

and tools; and (3) helicopter maintenance and mechanics training. 

DOD is on target to first nationalize RHTC ground instruction at the 

end of fiscal year 2013. However, nationalization of some other RHTC 

components, such as simulator maintenance and parts and tools, is 

now scheduled to occur later than planned. Under current plans, State 

will provide funds from its FMF account to cover the costs of these 

delays. After RHTC is fully nationalized, DOD plans to continue 

providing tuition for third-country students. Some uncertainties may 

affect DOD’s ability to adhere to the current nationalization plan: 

(1) Colombia’s financial commitment to RHTC nationalization is 

unclear; and (2) future U.S. funding for the program is uncertain.

The United States has allocated over $73 million to support a regional 

helicopter training center in Colombia. DOD has provided basic helicopter 

training for Colombians and Mexicans at RHTC at a level broadly 

comparable with DOD standards and has tracked some short-term 

performance measures, such as numbers of students trained. However, 

DOD does not collect information that it needs to assess the pilot 

training’s longer-term outcomes despite the Colombian government’s 

proven ability to track graduates of mechanics training. The data currently 

collected for student pilot graduation rates do not indicate whether 

Colombian pilot graduates successfully participated in Colombia’s 

counternarcotics aviation efforts. DOD has requested, but has not 

received, information from the Colombian government on the continuing 

careers of RHTC’s Colombian pilot graduates. Without evidence of RHTC 

pilot graduates’ ability to use their training to help meet their countries’

counternarcotics aviation needs, DOD has limited ability to demonstrate 

RHTC’s longer-term outcomes.

To better enable DOD to assess the longer-term outcomes of its 

investment in RHTC, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense work 

with the government of Colombia to obtain information about whether 

RHTC’s Colombian graduates use their skills obtained at RHTC in 

subsequent military assignments for a minimum of 2 years after they 

complete RHTC training.

Conclusions

Recommendation for 

Executive Action
 

Page 6 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

We provided DOD and State copies of this report for their review and 

comment. In response, DOD provided formal comments, which are 

reprinted in appendix III, and technical comments that we incorporated, 

as appropriate. DOD concurred with our recommendation. DOD agreed 

that tracking student assignments after training is a best practice and will 

discuss tracking RHTC graduates with Colombian senior defense 

partners. State provided no comments. 

We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional 

committees, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State. We will 

also provide copies to others on request. In addition, the report will be 

available at no charge on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov. 

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact 

me at (202) 512-7331 or johnsoncm@gao.gov. Contact points for our 

Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on 

the last page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this 

report are listed in appendix IV.

Charles Michael Johnson, Jr.

Director, International Affairs and Trade

Agency Comments 

and Our Evaluation
Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees
Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix I: Briefing for Congressional 

Committees

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Appendix II: Priorities of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict

Page 35 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

This appendix provides information on the priorities of the Assistant Secretary of 

Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) for their security 

cooperation activities, as of March 2013, according to Department of Defense (DOD) 

officials.

SO/LIC is responsible for the management of a portion of DOD’s security 

cooperation programs throughout the world.1

1. Afghanistan and Pakistan: Capacity-building efforts for U.S. partners 

conducting counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda in the region. Priority 

activities in this region include:

In the management of these programs, 

SO/LIC has identified its priorities in building partner capacity and security 

cooperation by region, and then identified the most pertinent activities conducted 

within those regions. These priorities include:

• Section 1206 programs2

• Ministry of Defense Advisor Program for Afghanistan;

for partner nations contributing troops to the 

International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan;

• Defense Institution Reform Initiative (DIRI) for Afghanistan; and

• Section 10043 and Section 10334 counternarcotics projects in the 

Afghanistan/Pakistan region.

 1

SO/LIC is divided into three areas of responsibility: (1) Counternarcotics and Global Threats; (2) 

Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations; and (3) Special Operations and Combating Terrorism. 

2

Section 1206 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Pub. L. 106-193, 

established this program, also known as the Global Train and Equip Program, which is used to build the 

capacity of foreign military forces through the provision of training, equipment, and small-scale military 

construction activities.

3

Section 1004 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991, Pub. L. 101-510, as 

amended, is used, among other things, to support counternarcotics activities of foreign law enforcement 

agencies.

4

Section 1033 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998, Pub. L. 105-85, as 

amended, is used to equip specific foreign partners to support their counternarcotics activities.

Appendix II: Priorities of the Assistant 

Secretary of Defense for Special 

Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict
Appendix II: Priorities of the Assistant Secretary of Defense 

for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict

Page 36 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

2. Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula: Capacity-building efforts for U.S. partners 

conducting counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda in the region. Priority 

activities in this region include:

• 1206 and 1207(n)5

3. Somalia and the Horn of Africa: Capacity-building efforts for our partners 

conducting counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda affiliates. Priority 

activities in this region include:

programs in Yemen.

• 1206 Programs and 1207(n) programs in Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya.

4. North and West Africa: Capacity-building efforts for our partners conducting 

counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda affiliates. Priority activities in this 

region include:

• 1206 programs in Mauritania and Burkina Faso;

• Section 1004 and Section 10226

• Section 1033 projects in Nigeria.

projects in Cape Verde, Chad, Gambia, 

Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, and the Trans-Sahel region; and

5. Western Hemisphere: Capacity-building efforts for our partners countering drug 

trafficking organizations and other networks. Priority activities in this region 

include:

• DIRI for Colombia; and

• Section 1004 and Section 1033 projects in Mexico, Colombia, and Central 

America.

6. Asia: Capacity-building efforts for our partners countering violent extremist 

organizations and other networks. Priority activities in this region include:

• 1206 programs in the Philippines and Bangladesh; and

• Section 1004 projects in Indonesia and Vietnam.

 5

Section 1207(n) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, Pub. L. 112-81, 

authorized the Secretary of Defense, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to provide 

equipment, supplies, training, and minor construction to enhance the counterterrorism operations 

capacity of the national military forces, security agencies serving a similar defense function, and border 

security forces in East Africa and Yemen. Section 1203 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2013, Pub. L. 112-239, authorized similar assistance for Fiscal Year 2013.

6

Section 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, Pub. L. 108-136, as 

amended, is used to provide support to law enforcement agencies conducting counternarcotics and 

counterterrorism activities.
Appendix III: Comments from the Department 

of Defense

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Appendix III: Comments from the 

Department of Defense
Appendix III: Comments from the Department 

of Defense

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Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments

Page 39 GAO-13-674 Building Partner Capacity

Charles Michael Johnson, Jr., (202) 512-7331 or johnsoncm@gao.gov

In addition to the contact named above, Judy McCloskey (Assistant 

Director), Eugene Beye, Martin De Alteriis, Michael Kniss, Heather Latta, 

Celia Mendive, and Pierre Toureille made key contributions to this report. 

Mark Dowling, Etana Finkler, Reid Lowe, and Christopher J. Mulkins 

provided technical assistance. 

Appendix IV: GAO Contact and Staff 

Acknowledgments 

GAO Contact

Staff 

Acknowledgments 

(320932)
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