The regional centers for security studies

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1. What a regional center is

The Defense Department runs a small set of institutions for studying security in particular parts of the world. The statute directs the Secretary of Defense to administer them "as international venues for bilateral and multilateral research, communication, exchange of ideas, and training involving military and civilian participants" (10 U.S.C. 342(a)). A regional center is an institution the Secretary operates and designates to study the security issues of a specified geographic region (10 U.S.C. 342(b)).

The Security Assistance Management Manual adds how that works in practice. Each center covers a geographical area based on the Unified Command Plan. Through classroom-based activities, research and outreach, the centers build partner capacity, both human and institutional, consistent with American policy goals (SAMM C10.16.1).

2. The six centers

The statute names six centers, with the year each was established and its location (10 U.S.C. 342(b)).

• The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, 1993, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
• The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, 1995, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• The William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, 1997, Washington, D.C.
• The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 1999, Washington, D.C.
• The Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, 2000, Washington, D.C.
• The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, 2021, Anchorage, Alaska.

The list is closed. No other institution or element of the Department may be designated a regional center for security studies under the section (10 U.S.C. 342(b)). The manual’s table of center websites also shows additional locations for two of them, in Ethiopia and Senegal for the Africa Center and in Bahrain for the Near East South Asia Center (SAMM C10.16.1).

3. Direction and support

The centers operate under regulations the Secretary prescribes. Those regulations must prioritize three functional areas within each center’s focus: territorial and maritime security, transnational and asymmetric threats, and defense sector governance (10 U.S.C. 342(c)). Each year the Secretary reviews each center’s program and structure for alignment with the Department’s strategic priorities and the relevant geographic combatant commands, and may revise them (10 U.S.C. 342(j)).

Day to day, the centers develop and carry out activities under policy guidance and oversight from the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, implemented by the combatant commands. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency supports them with programming, budgeting, financial management of operation and maintenance costs, human resources services and personnel management (SAMM C10.16.4). The Under Secretary assigns each center its regions of primary interest, but a center may engage participants from outside its region when outside actors strongly influence the region or the subject benefits from them (SAMM C10.16.3).

4. Who attends

Participants may include American and foreign military, civilian and nongovernmental personnel (10 U.S.C. 342(d)). The manual describes the usual audience. It is typically mid-to-high-level civilian government officials, military officers, parliamentarians, academics, and leaders of nongovernmental and international organizations (SAMM C10.16.5.1). They are current or future leaders serving in defense, security, foreign affairs, disaster management or counterterrorism positions.

5. Who pays

The default is that participants pay. Participation is on a reimbursable basis, or by payment in advance, unless reimbursement is waived (10 U.S.C. 342(f)(1)). For a foreign national, the costs may be paid by the participant, by the participant’s government, or by a federal department or agency other than the Defense Department. They may also be met by a gift or donation accepted for one or more centers on behalf of the participant’s government (10 U.S.C. 342(f)(2)).

Two waivers exist. The Secretary may waive reimbursement for foreign military officers and foreign defense and security personnel if their attendance without reimbursement is in the national security interest, with the costs then paid from the centers’ appropriations (10 U.S.C. 342(f)(3)). With the Secretary of State’s concurrence, the Secretary may also waive reimbursement for personnel of nongovernmental and international organizations whose participation enhances their cooperation with American forces. That second waiver is capped at $1,000,000 in any fiscal year.

The manual fills in the funding picture. Grant training money under International Military Education and Training, including the expanded program, is not available for the centers (SAMM C10.16.5). Funding can instead be sought from sources such as the Regional Defense Fellowship Program, Warsaw Initiative Funds and combatant command initiative funds. A country may also use the Foreign Military Sales process to pay travel, lodging and per diem for its participants.

Money that comes in stays with the center that incurred the cost. Payments are credited to the appropriation then available for that center, merged with it, and available for the same purposes and period (10 U.S.C. 342(f)(4)). Funds for foreign personnel expenses under section 312 may also pay operating costs, and activities may run across the end of a fiscal year to the extent appropriations Acts allow (10 U.S.C. 342(f)(5) and 10 U.S.C. 342(f)(6)). A center’s director may also sell its services to the military departments, Defense Agencies and, with the Secretary’s concurrence, other agencies, which pay the full cost (10 U.S.C. 342(g)).

6. Rules for two named centers

The Marshall Center has provisions of its own (10 U.S.C. 342(h)). A European or Eurasian country may take part in its programs if the Secretary, after consulting the Secretary of State, finds that in the national interest. Members of its Board of Visitors serving without compensation may have financial disclosure requirements waived. A member does not have to register as an agent of a foreign government solely because of board service. The Secretary may waive reimbursement for officials from Europe or the former Soviet Union where attendance is in the national security interest.

A similar waiver exists for foreign officers and officials attending conferences, seminars, courses and similar activities of the Inouye Center, with the costs paid from the center’s appropriations (10 U.S.C. 342(i)).

7. Health insurance for participants

Participants traveling to a regional center event are responsible for meeting any healthcare coverage requirements of the country where it is held, and the host center advises them of those requirements (SAMM C10.16.6). The manual encourages attendees to hold medical insurance for themselves and any family member who accompanies them (SAMM C10.16.6.1).

Other education institutions in the same subchapter are covered in the Western Hemisphere Institute and the Irregular Warfare Center and fellowship program.

Key terms

Regional center	One of six named Defense Department institutions for the study of security issues in a specified region.
Reimbursable basis	The default rule that participation is paid for, in arrears or in advance, unless waived.
Reimbursement waiver	A national security interest determination letting foreign or organizational participants attend without paying.
Board of Visitors	The Marshall Center board, whose unpaid members may have disclosure requirements waived.

Every statement above links to the document behind it. The full source list for this piece is on the sources page.

This page describes public United States government programs for general information. It is not legal, regulatory or procurement advice, and it does not address the facts of any particular case.

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