Skip to main content    

                                - Search 

                                - Home
                                - About DSCA                                   - Mission, Vision, Values
                                  - Offices and Directorates
                                  - Leadership                                     - Mr. James Hursch
                                    - Mr. Michael F. Miller
                                    - Chief Master Sergeant Mikael “Mack” Sundin
                                    - Mr. J. Aaron Harding
                                    - Mr. Robert Helfant
                                    - Mr. Alan G. Gorowitz
                                    - Mr. David Ferrari
                                    - Ms. Heather Meyer
                                    - Dr. Celeste Ward Gventer
                                  - Employment
                                  - Contact Us
                                  - DSCA 50th Anniversary                                     - Security Cooperation History
                                    - Defense Trade and Arms Transfers
                                    - Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
                                    - Institutional Capacity Building
                                    - International Military Training & Education Programs
                                    - DSCU: Academic Center for Security Cooperation
                                    - DSCA’S COMPONENTS AND THE DOD REGIONAL CENTERS
                                    - The Security Cooperation Enterprise
                                    - DSCA Historical Timeline
                                - Press & Media                                   - Major Arms Sales
                                - E-SAMM
                                - Programs                                   - Defense Trade and Arms Transfers                                     - Foreign Military Sales
                                    - Foreign Military Financing
                                    - Excess Defense Articles
                                  - Golden Sentry End Use Monitoring
                                  - Global Train and Equip                                     - Section 333 Authority to Build Capacity
                                    - Section 1263 Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative (MSI)
                                  - Institutional Capacity Building                                     - Government Civilian Ministerial Advising Deployment Opportunities
                                    - Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS)
                                    - DOD Regional Centers
                                    - Partner Outreach and Collaboration Support
                                    - Institute for Security Governance
                                  - International Education & Training                                     - Combating Terrorism and Irregular Warfare Fellowship Program (CTIWFP)
                                    - International Military Education & Training
                                  - Humanitarian Assistance                                     - Humanitarian Assistance (HA) Program
                                    - Humanitarian Assistance Transportation Programs (HATP)
                                    - Excess Property (EP) Program
                                    - Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Program
                                    - Foreign Disaster Relief (FDR)
                                - Resources                                   - Publications
                                  - SC Stakeholders
                                  - Foreign Military Sales FAQ
                                  - Trade Shows
                                  - Reports
                                - Videos 

                            -     

# DSCA Celebrates 50th Anniversary

On September 1, 1971, the Department of Defense (DoD) established a small agency, the Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA), to direct, administer, and supervise Title 22 security assistance programs for the transfer of defense articles and services to other countries.  Among its initial four programs were the International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs, which still exist today.  The staff comprised only 94 people and was headquartered in the Pentagon.

Across the subsequent five decades, DSAA, now known as the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), has transformed considerably.  Not only does DSCA manage and execute additional Title 22 security assistance programs under the authority of the Department of State, such as the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programs, it now also oversees a number of Department of Defense Title 10 Security Cooperation programs and initiatives, such as Global Train and Equip,Institutional Capacity Building, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.  In 2019, DSCA also stood up the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU), a milestone that recognizes Security Cooperation as a true profession.  DSCU now oversees the education, training, and certification of the entire Security Cooperation workforce, which numbers almost 20,000 personnel.

DSCA’s staff has also grown more than tenfold to over 1,000 people.  In addition to its headquarters staff located in Arlington, VA, DSCA has dedicated professionals working at other components such as DSCU West in Ohio, the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) in Rhode Island, and the Institute of Security Governance (ISG) in California. DSCA now also serves as the executive agent for the five DoD Regional Centers for Security Studies in Washington, DC, Hawaii, and Germany. 

DSCA’s Security Cooperation mission directly supports U.S. national security and foreign policy.  In FY 2020, the agency cooperated with over 160 countries, oversaw over 15,000 FMS cases worth more than half a trillion dollars, and executed over $50 billion in FMS sales. 

DSCA also:
                                - Trained over 27,000 foreign military students;  	 
                                - Under DIILS, conducted over 90 advisory, training, and education events with over 900 international participants from 63 partner-nation militaries;  	 
                                - Under ISG, conducted over 200 institutional capacity building advisory activities delivered by 179 U.S. faculty and subject matter experts as part of ongoing multi-year programs with 38 priority allies and partner-nations involving more than 5,500 ministerial and military personnel, as well as education events with almost 400 international students from 70 countries;  	 
                                - Deployed 43 Ministry of Defense Advisors in 15 countries;  	 
                                - Oversaw dozens of international competitions of various types; and  	 
                                - Under DSCU, registered approximately 18,000 security cooperation personnel for online courses.

Please continue to visit this website over the coming months as DSCA showcases its history and recognizes the achievements of our “security cooperators” from over the past 50 years. DSCA is proud to lead the Security Cooperation community into the next 50 years and will continue to demonstrate why the United States remains the global partner of choice in an increasingly competitive environment. 

## DSCA at 50

-  DSCA Celebrates 50th Anniversary 
-  Security Cooperation History 
-  Defense Trade and Arms Transfers 
-  Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief  
-  Institutional Capacity Building 
-  International Military Training & Education Programs 
-  DSCU: Academic Center for Security Cooperation 
-  DSCA’s Components and the DoD Regional Centers 
-  The Security Cooperation Enterprise 
-  DSCA Historical Timeline 

## Breadcrumb

-                   Home              
-                   DSCA Celebrates 50th Anniversary              

## Call to action2

## Learn More About Us.

Click Here

#### Follow Us On Social Media

                            - *linkedin*
                            - *youtube*
                            - *vimeo*
                            - *RSS*

## About DSCA

Mission, Vision, ValuesLeadershipDirectories and Divisions

Press & MediaMajor Arms Sales

#### E-SAMM

## Programs

Civilian Harm MitigationDefense Trade and Arms TransfersGolden Sentry End Use MonitoringGlobal Train & EquipInstitutional Capacity BuildingInternational Education & TrainingHumanitarian Assistance

## Resources

PublicationsSC StakeholdersForeign Military Sales FAQTrade Shows

## Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Contact UsFor DSCA Public Affairs Queries

## Subfooter

-  Accessibility/Section 508 
-  External Link Disclaimer 
-  Privacy & Security 
-  USA.gov 
-  DoDIG Hotline 
-  FOIA 
-  No Fear Act 
-  EEO