I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9947 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to design and implement a foreign military 
officer subject matter expert exchange program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 8, 2024 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. NUNN of Iowa, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. TRONE, 
Mrs. WAGNER, and Mrs. RODGERS of Washington) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to design and implement 
a foreign military officer subject matter expert exchange 
program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Learning Integrated 
National Knowledge for the Abraham Accords Act of 
2024’’ or the ‘‘LINK Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. KEY PARTNERS FOR MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL INTE-
GRATION MILITARY SUBJECT MATTER EX-
PERT EXCHANGE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, using 
existing authorities, including section 311 of title 10, 
United States Code, as applicable, and in consultation 
with the head of any other Federal agency, as appropriate, 
shall design and implement a foreign military officer sub-
ject matter expert exchange program to be known as the 
‘‘ Middle East Regional Integration Military Subject Mat-
ter Expert Exchange Program’’ (referred to in this section 
as the ‘‘exchange program’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the exchange pro-
gram shall be to facilitate interaction, cultural exchange, 
and mutual learning of members of participating militaries 
in support of Middle East regional integration in order 
to deepen and expand such integration. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The exchange program 
shall be composed of members of the Armed Forces 
of participating militaries in support of Middle East 
regional integration and members of the Armed 
Forces of the United States. 
(2) SUBJECT MATTER.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall select exchange program participants 
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with a wide range of experiences collectively 
covering the tactical, operational, and strategic 
levels. 
(B) PARTICIPANT PAY GRADE LEVELS.— 
The Secretary of Defense shall include in the 
exchange program participants at each of the 
following military pay grades, or equivalent for-
eign military pay grades: 
(i) E–7 through E–9. 
(ii) CW–3 through CW–5. 
(iii) O–3 through O–9. 
(iv) Such other pay grade levels at the 
discretion of the Secretary of Defense. 
(C) EXPERTISE.—A participant in the ex-
change program shall have expertise in one or 
more of the following subject matter areas: 
(i) Strategic doctrine. 
(ii) Defense planning. 
(iii) Civilian and military relations. 
(iv) Military law. 
(v) Public affairs. 
(vi) Civil affairs. 
(vii) Military budgeting and acquisi-
tion. 
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(viii) Integrated air and missile de-
fense. 
(ix) 
Integrated 
maritime 
domain 
awareness and interdiction. 
(x) Cyber resilience and defense. 
(xi) Counterterrorism. 
(xii) Defense information sharing. 
(xiii) Any other subject matter area 
that the Secretary of Defense determines 
to be appropriate. 
(d) EXCHANGE PROGRAM CONTENT.—The exchange 
program— 
(1) shall include learning modalities and meth-
ods, as determined by the Exchange Program Coor-
dinator; 
(2) may include separate agendas and experi-
ences for participants in order to— 
(A) facilitate interaction on particular top-
ics; 
(B) cater to participant backgrounds or 
rank levels; or 
(C) achieve other pedagogical ends as de-
termined by the Exchange Program Coordi-
nator; and 
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(3) may include discussion, comparison, and in-
formation regarding the development of— 
(A) defense doctrine; 
(B) exercise development; 
(C) budget planning; 
(D) military law and law of armed conflict; 
(E) military cooperation with civilian agen-
cies; 
(F) standard operating procedures; 
(G) operational plans and the operational 
art; 
(H) gaps and opportunities for improve-
ment in existing procedures and plans; 
(I) existing technical challenges; 
(J) emerging technical challenges; 
(K) the current and future threat environ-
ment; 
(L) trust and capacity for multilateral 
sharing of information; 
(M) additional mechanisms and ideas for 
integrated cooperation; 
(N) ways to promote the meaningful par-
ticipation of women in matters of peace and se-
curity; and 
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(O) other content, as appropriate, devel-
oped to advance integration and tactical, oper-
ational, and strategic proficiency. 
(e) MEETINGS.—Participants in the exchange pro-
gram shall meet in-person not less frequently than quar-
terly. 
(f) EXCHANGE PROGRAM COORDINATOR.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall designate an Exchange Program Coordinator, 
who shall be assigned to a Department of Defense 
School, to oversee the exchange program. 
(2) DUTIES.—(2) The Exchange Program Co-
ordinator shall— 
(A) design the exchange program; 
(B) ensure that the exchange program 
complies with the requirements of this section; 
(C) provide to the Secretary of Defense re-
ports on developments, insights, and progress of 
the exchange program; and 
(D) notify the Secretary of Defense of any 
failures of the exchange program to comply 
with the in-person requirements of subsection 
(e). 
(3) NOTIFICATION
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 15 days after receiving a notification under 
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paragraph (2)(D), the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives a report describing— 
(A) the reasons an in-person meeting did 
not occur during such quarter; and 
(B) any measures taken to ensure that an 
in-person meeting occurs during the following 
quarter. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary of Defense shall 
submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives a report that includes— 
(A) a summary of the activities of the ex-
change program during the prior year, includ-
ing— 
(i) the countries participating; 
(ii) the subject matter covered; 
(iii) 
developments, 
insights, 
and 
progress achieved through the program; 
and 
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(iv) any new topics added to the ex-
change as well as a justification for adding 
the new topic; 
(B) an assessment of the effectiveness of 
the exchange program; and 
(C) recommendations on further improve-
ments to the exchange program. 
(2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 
(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 
include a classified annex. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SCHOOL.—The 
term ‘‘Department of Defense school’’ means any in-
stitution listed in section 1595(c) or section 2162(d) 
of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) PARTICIPATING MILITARIES IN SUPPORT OF 
MIDDLE EAST REGIONAL INTEGRATION.—The term 
‘‘participating militaries in support of Middle East 
regional integration’’ means military allies and part-
ner forces of the United States working to advance 
regional integration in the Middle East. 
Æ 
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