DOD aims to finish security cooperation workforce reforms by FY 2028

GAO reports that, as of May 2026, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has completed work on 46 of the 66 provisions identified in the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, is in progress on 15, and has not started on the remaining five. DSCA expects to finish implementation of all provisions by the end of fiscal year 2028.

Five DSCA teams are responsible for the provisions. The Human Capital Initiative has completed 23 provisions and is in progress on 11, including the identification and coding of security cooperation workforce positions and the development of a management information system for qualifications, assignments, and tenure. The Defense Security Cooperation Service has completed two of four provisions related to staffing its workforce offices with qualified personnel.

DSCA officials cite a federal civilian hiring freeze that began in January 2025 as a factor limiting new hires for the Human Capital Initiative. To mitigate the shortfall, they are reassigning key tasks to existing staff and leveraging other DSCA expertise. The agency also faces challenges integrating disparate data systems; until a unified management information system is operational, workforce position data analysis is performed manually.

The security cooperation workforce supports activities valued at $104.4 billion in FY 2025, including training and foreign military sales that build partner nations' security capacity. GAO's review involved analysis of DSCA documents and interviews with officials responsible for the implementation effort.