R 120347Z FEB 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI

UNCLAS STATE 012933 
 
 
FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION FROM U/S FOR MANAGEMENT 
PATRICK F. KENNEDY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AFIN AMGT ASEC ODIP
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE FOR POSTS ON DoD'S TRANSITION TO A SENIOR 
DEFENSE OFFICIAL/DEFENSE ATTACHE (SDO/DATT) 
 
REF: 08 STATE 017502 
 
 
¶1.  This message constitutes the U.S. Department of State's 
guidance to posts on the implementation of the DoD 
Directive 5105.75, Department of Defense Operations at 
U.S. Embassies, and DoD Instruction, C-5105.81, 
Implementing Instructions for DoD Operations at all U.S 
Embassies.  The Department of State supports this 
initiative and provides the following clarifying/amplifying 
information. 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
¶2.  The Directive and Instruction provide the SDO/DATT with 
direct supervisory responsibility over the Defense Attachi 
Office (DAO) and Security Assistance Organization (SAO) 
functions and coordinating authority for all other DoD 
elements under COM authority present in country, with the 
exception of Marine Security Guards (MSG) and Seabees.  The 
DoD Directive and Instruction in no way supersedes the 
President's Letter of Instruction to the Chief of Mission. 
It is important to reemphasize that there has been no 
change to the command relationships and lines of authority 
at post as set forth in the President's Letter of 
Instruction to Chiefs of Mission or interagency agreements, 
including International Cooperative Administrative Support 
Services (ICASS) and the recently concluded State-USMC 
Memorandum of Agreement on MSG and the State-USN Agreement 
on Seabees who also remain under State's operational 
control as before. 
 
DoD UNITS AT POST 
 
¶3.  The SDO/DATT is the principal military advisor to the 
COM on defense and national security issues, the senior 
diplomatically accredited DoD military officer assigned to 
a U.S. diplomatic mission and the single point of contact 
for all DoD matters involving the embassy or DoD elements 
assigned to or working in the embassy, with the exception 
of the Seabees and MSG Detachments as discussed in 
paragraph 6.  Arrangements with respect to Force Protection 
Detachments are discussed in paragraph 7. 
 
¶4.  The SAO and DAO are meant to remain separate offices 
and operate as separate entities under the overall 
management of the SDO/DATT.  Their personnel, funds and 
other resources should not be commingled.  In the 
SDO/DATT's absence, the DAO and SAO will operate separately 
except at posts where a single office is responsible for 
both functions.  Responsibilities unique to the SDO/DATT 
cannot be delegated. 
 
¶5.  The SDO/DATT also exercises coordinating authority over 
all other DoD elements assigned to, attached to or 
operating from the embassy, subject to the exceptions noted 
in paragraph 6.  Coordinating authority requires all DoD 
elements other than those discussed in paragraph 6 to 
inform the SDO/DATT of activities and issues affecting them 
so the SDO/DATT can fulfill responsibilities in 
representing DoD to the COM and the host country. 
Paragraph 7 discusses arrangements with respect to Force 
Protection Detachments. 
 
MARINE SECURITY GUARDS AND SEABEES 
 
¶6.  The SDO/DATT initiative, as outlined in the DoD 
Directive and Instruction cited in paragraph 1, has no 
impact on, or makes no changes to, previously established 
command relationships and lines of authority at any post, 
specifically operational control of Marine Detachments and 
Seabees who are assigned to the Department and working on 
State Department missions.  The DoD Directive and 
Instruction in no way supersedes the MOAs between the U.S. 
State Department and the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. 
Navy.  COMs and RSOs should review the status of these 
units with SDO/DATTs in order to avoid misunderstanding. 
It does however significantly change the relationships 
between the SAO, the DAO, DIA, the Combatant Commands and 
all other DoD activities in country under COM authority. 
Chiefs of mission should be certain they understand the 
distinctions in these new relationships. 
 
FORCE PROTECTION DETACHMENTS 
 
¶7.  The MOU between DS and the former DoD 
Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) regarding Force 
Protection Detachments, Section II, provides that members 
of the FPD are under Chief of Mission (COM) authority and 
the COM may direct the FPD in all matters other than 
theater-military force protection operational priorities. 
Operational priorities will be established by the 
geographical Combatant Commanders (COCOM) in coordination 
with the Regional Security Officer (RSO).  The COM shall 
ensure that the RSO clarifies to the FPD the methods 
whereby agencies will share information concerning 
contacts, sources and methods of collection.  The RSO is 
responsible for oversight, i.e. to ensure the FPD operates 
within the security guidelines and procedures established 
by the Department of State and the COM.  The RSO has 
tasking authority over the FPD for the purpose of 
requesting incidental force protection/security support. 
CIFA was disestablished in 2008, and its missions and 
authorities transferred to DIA. 
 
¶8.  According to the MOU between DIA and Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, 
and Intelligence Security and Information Operations 
Counterintelligence on the Interaction of Defense Attachi 
Offices and FPD dated 10/9/02, Force Protection Detachments 
abroad will also coordinate force protection matters with 
the DAO and will remain under administrative control of 
their service CI component.  Further, per DoD Directive 
5105.75 and DoD Instruction 5105.81, the SDO/DATT has 
coordinating authority over the Force Protection 
Detachment. 
 
HOUSING 
 
¶9.  The Foreign Affairs Manual authorizes the assignment of 
Government Owned (GO) or Long Terms Leased (LTL) housing to 
DIA personnel assigned to Embassies and Consulates (15 FAM 
260 (2) and 15 FAM 261.4).  The establishment of the 
SDO/DATT does not change or expand this entitlement which 
is based on long-standing legislative and budgetary 
processes.  Any and all SDO/DATT personnel who are assigned 
from the various military commands or any DoD unit other 
than DIA are not/not entitled to GO or LTL housing.  Only 
DIA personnel are entitled to Housing Board assignment to 
GO or LTL units. 
 
¶10.  Post housing may be affected in cases where there is a 
GO/LTL "DATT House" and the Security Assistance Officer is 
becoming SDO/DATT.  Any current "DATT House" should be 
returned to the housing pool upon the departure of the 
current DIA-sourced incumbent, since Security Assistance 
personnel do not have access to GO/LTL Housing.  Posts 
should handle requests for housing, changes to office 
space, ICASS and other administrative matters in the usual 
prescribed manners. 
 
GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES 
 
¶11.  The SDO/DATT and all DoD elements under COM authority 
in country remain subject to all post-wide and interagency 
policies and procedure.  Posts should handle requests for 
changes to office space, ICASS and other administrative 
matters in the usual prescribed manners. 
 
COORDINATION WITH THE HOST GOVERNMENT 
 
¶12.  The purpose of this DoD reorganization is to clarify 
lines of communication between DoD and its elements in 
country, giving the COM and foreign counterparts a senior 
Mission single point of contact for all DoD activities 
under his or her responsibility.  The SDO/DATT is the COM's 
principal military advisor on defense and national security 
issues, the senior diplomatically accredited DoD military 
officer assigned to a U.S. diplomatic mission, and the 
single point of contact for all DoD matters involving the 
embassy or DoD elements assigned to or working from the 
embassy. 
 
¶13.  DoD plans to give each SDO/DATT a Letter of 
Instruction from SECDEF and a Letter of Introduction to the 
host country's MINDEF explaining the SDO/DATT's change in 
responsibilities.  Posts must ensure that the SDO/DATT 
reorganization is presented to the host government within 
the overall context of Chief of Mission authority.  In 
addition, Posts must ensure that agreement from the host 
country, and when appropriate, NSDD-38 approval and 
diplomatic status for the SDO/DATT have been obtained 
before the SDO/DATT is formally introduced as such to the 
host country's government. 
 
IMPLEMENTATION 
 
¶14.  This ALDAC precedes the issuance of DoD's first 
Letters of Instruction to SDO/DATTs.  Post-specific cables 
will be transmitted soon to posts that will transition to 
SDO/DATT this year.  Posts transitioning later will receive 
information from the Department closer to the time of their 
transition.  DoD anticipates transition to the SDO/DATT 
model will be completed by late 2010 with the possible 
exception of a few posts with unique local conditions.  DoD 
has advised the Department of its transition schedule. 
This is largely driven by personnel and training 
requirements and, as such, is subject to change.  All 
SDO/DATTs will have training in both Security Assistance 
and Defense Attachi areas of responsibility. 
 
NSDD-38 APPLICABILTY 
 
¶15.  For the larger group of posts converting to SDO/DATT 
this year there will be no need for NSDD-38 action as the 
DATT is already responsible for SAO activities in country. 
However, posts transitioning to the SDO/DATT model whose 
DATT will be sourced from the SAO billet will require an 
NSDD-38 action as the transition to SDO/DATT constitutes a 
significant substantive change in the SAO and DAO 
positions.  M will provide a streamlined NSDD-38 process to 
assist these posts.  The Department will provide specific 
information to posts via SEPTELs. 
 
VIENNA CONVENTION - AGREEMENT - TITLE AND RANK 
 
¶16.  In addition, under Article 7 of the Vienna Convention 
on Diplomatic Relations, a receiving State may require 
agreement in the case of Defense Attaches, so posts will 
need to inquire whether the host country so requires and 
request agreement even if the SDO/DATT is currently in 
country.  The one exception to this is the case where the 
DATT position already handles post's security assistance 
portfolio and so has neither a change in diplomatic status 
nor a change in function.  A diplomatic title will be 
necessary in all cases where the Security Assistance 
Officer becomes the SDO/DATT.  Posts that have problems 
adding the SDO/DATT's position to the diplomatic list 
should advise the Department and DIA immediately.  Note 
that diplomatic agent status is needed only for the 
SDO/DATT position and all other accredited military 
attaches.  The diplomatic status of the rest of the SAO 
will remain unchanged.  Diplomatic titles can only be 
authorized by the Department of State, so requests will 
have to be sent through the Title and Rank Office at State 
and approved before any notification can be sent to the 
Host Government. 
 
FURTHER INFORMATION 
 
¶17.  DoDD 5105.75, "Department of Defense Operations at 
U.S. Embassies," promulgates policy and assigns 
responsibilities for the operation of DoD elements at U.S. 
embassies.  Copies of this document and its implementing 
instructions are available on the PM website.  At DoD's 
invitation, PM has been participating in a DoD working 
group on the SDO/DATT transition for the past several 
months. 
 
¶18.  The Department's Point of Contact for SDO/DATT issues 
is Tim Sears (PM/ISO) at 202-736-7742.  Comments or 
questions may also be submitted to the Regional Bureau EX 
offices which are working closely with PM/ISO on this 
issue. 
 
¶19.  This message has been cleared by DIA, DSCA and OSD(I). 
 
¶20.  Minimize considered. 
 
 
CLINTON