§ 321. Training and exercises with friendly foreign countries: payment of training and exercise expenses

1,684 words·~8 min read·/usc/title-10/section-321

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(a)Training Authorized.—

(1)Training with foreign forces generally.— The armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense may train with the military forces, or other national security forces that perform a similar function, of a friendly foreign country if the Secretary determines that it is in the national security interest of the United States to do so.

(2)Training to support mission essential tasks.— Any training conducted pursuant to paragraph

(1)shall, to the maximum extent practicable, support the mission essential tasks for which the unit of the United States armed forces participating in such training is responsible.

(3)Elements of training.— Any training conducted pursuant to paragraph

(1)shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include elements that promote—

(A)observance of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and

(B)respect for legitimate civilian authority within the foreign country concerned.

(b)Authority To Pay Training and Exercise Expenses.— Under regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (f), the Secretary of a military department or the commander of a combatant command may pay, or authorize payment for, any of the following expenses:

(1)Expenses of forces assigned or allocated to that command in conjunction with training and exercises conducted pursuant to this section.

(2)The incremental expenses of a friendly foreign country as the direct result of participating in training and exercises conducted pursuant to this section.

(3)Small-scale construction that is directly related to the effective accomplishment of the training and exercises conducted pursuant to this section.

(c)Purpose of Training and Exercises.—

(1)In general.— The primary purpose of the training and exercises for which payment may be made under subsection

(b)shall be to train United States forces.

(2)Selection of foreign partners.— Training and exercises with friendly foreign countries under subsection

(a)should be planned and prioritized consistent with applicable guidance relating to the security cooperation programs and activities of the Department of Defense.

(d)Availability of Funds for Activities That Cross Fiscal Years.— Amounts available for the authority to pay expenses in subsection

(b)for a fiscal year may be used to pay expenses under that subsection for training and exercises that begin in such fiscal year but end in the next fiscal year.

(e)Quarterly Report.— Not less frequently than quarterly, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on training and exercises conducted pursuant to this section during the preceding 90-day period.

(f)Regulations.—

(1)In general.— The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section. The Secretary shall submit the regulations to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

(2)Elements.— The regulations required under this section shall provide the following:

(A)A requirement that training and exercise activities may be carried out under this section only with the prior approval of the Secretary.

(B)Accounting procedures to ensure that the expenditures pursuant to this section are appropriate.

(C)Procedures to limit the payment of incremental expenses to friendly foreign countries only to developing countries, except in the case of exceptional circumstances as specified in the regulations.

(Added Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title XIII, § 1321(a)(1), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3988, § 2010; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(35), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1902; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title XII, § 1203(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4622; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1061(12), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1583; renumbered § 321 and amended Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1244(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2516; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XII, § 1204(c)(1)(B), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2017; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XII, § 1201(a)(1)–(4)(A), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1080, 1081.)

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