Browsing by Author "Manchester, Steven"

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    Development of the United States Marine Corps International Affairs Personnel Education and Training Program
    Manchester, Steven (Virginia Tech, 2016-05-22)
    The United States Marine Corps (USMC) International Programs Office is a unique organization, in the way of mission and responsibilities compared to other Department of Defense agencies and offices that work in International Programs. International Programs’ relevance continues to grow as part of the United States Government National Security and National Military Strategies. Being unique and streamlined working at a military Service level has tremendous benefits in executing International Programs for the USMC. Personnel in international programs perform at high levels on behalf of the US Government and are responsible for a multitude of functions and expertise to execute their jobs. The expertise required spans across many disciplines from International Affairs to acquisition and procurement of weapon systems and services for our friends, allies, and partner nations. Through investigation of current Department of Defense (DoD) Certifications there is no certification or training criteria to capture all functions in which the USMC International Programs Office is responsible. For International Affairs the Defense Security Cooperation Agency manages International Affairs (IA) certification for the Department of Defense; whereas, the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics manages International Acquisition (IA) certification. Based on the above the USMC international Programs Office personnel do not seamlessly fit into the current DoD education and certification model. Taking that into consideration and the fact that USMC International Programs personnel do not have a formalized certification, education, and training program; it is critical to develop a service level International Affairs Personnel Training and Education Program in order to provide the tools, skills, and training to ensure employees are prepared to execute their jobs. This project will research and analyze current Department of Defense International Affairs and Acquisition certification criteria and develop an education and training program for USMC International Programs personnel. Keywords: training, education, certification, mission