State, DoD establish personnel exchange program

Federal Drive

State, DoD establish personnel exchange program

Andrew Shapiro, the assistant Secretary of State for political and military affairs, explained the significance of the MOU.

Federal News Network Staff

February 2, 2012 9:02 am

< a min read

wfedstaff | June 4, 2015 5:03 pm

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The diplomats and the shooters have always had different but interdependent jobs to do supporting the nation’s foreign policy.

Now the State and Defense Departments are working more closely together. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have signed a memorandum of understanding for a personnel exchange agreement.

According to a State release:

This new agreement formalizes the reciprocal exchange of personnel between the two Departments. The number of Department of Defense personnel assigned to various positions in the State Department has increased from 50 to 98. Additionally, the number of diplomats serving on the staffs of senior military commanders under the Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) program, managed by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, has doubled to nearly 90 personnel over the past four years.

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Andrew Shapiro, the assistant Secretary of State for political and military affairs, explained the significance of the MOU in an interview with The Federal Drive with Tom Temin.