The Defense and State Departments have agreed on a new personnel-sharing agreement that State officials called the most “significant formal exchange of personnel” in the history of both departments.

The new Memorandum of Understanding on the Non-Reimbursable Exchange of Personnel expands the number of defense personnel working under the auspices of the State Department to 98. It had previously been capped at 50.

Similarly, the number of State personnel serving with senior military commanders under the Foreign Policy Advisor — or POLAD — program has expanded to nearly 90 positions.

POLADs now serve alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all the service headquarters and every Unified Combatant Command, according to a State Department release.

The new agreement will also increase the presence of State Department personnel at military service academies.

“The expansion of personnel exchanges between departments will offer more opportunities for both State and Defense personnel to gain a greater understanding of the shared missions, furthering the ability to collaborate effectively in support of U.S. national security,” a State Department release states.

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