Guide

Who works in Foreign Military Sales, and how are they trained and certified?

Updated 20 September 2026

Foreign Military Sales is run by the security cooperation workforce — the military and civilian personnel of the implementing agencies in the three military departments and the defense agencies, the security cooperation organizations in U.S. embassies, and the program offices that buy for a partner alongside their own service — with U.S. industry on the other side of most contracts. The Defense Security Cooperation University trains and certifies that workforce: certification is a condition of employment for civilians and an order for service members, at proficiency levels that are currently Level 1 Foundational, Level 2 Practitioner, Level 3 Expert, and Level 4 Executive (as of 20 September 2026).

In this guide

What does a Foreign Military Sales case manager do?
The title differs by organization — Country Manager, Command Country Manager, Security Assistance Program Manager and others — but all perform case management, with a role in each major element of the case: acquisition, programming, logistics and finance.
Who trains the Foreign Military Sales workforce?
The Defense Security Cooperation University is the center for training, education and certification of the security cooperation workforce, and the workforce's training status is kept in a shared database.
How do I get FMS certified?
Organizations must ensure that individuals assigned as case managers receive training, and the manual lists the courses required for security cooperation certification.
Which organizations are the Foreign Military Sales implementing agencies?
Each military department runs Foreign Military Sales through a headquarters element and the commands that prepare and manage cases; a small share of cases belongs to defense agencies that receive Letters of Request and manage cases for their own products and services.
Who does the acquisition work in a Foreign Military Sale?
When the United States agrees to sell a system through Foreign Military Sales, the acquisition is carried out with the support of the same program management office that manages the system for the United States.
How does the security cooperation office support U.S. defense companies?
The security cooperation organization is the principal point of contact in a U.S. mission for defense industry representatives. It supports the marketing efforts of U.S. companies while maintaining strict neutrality between U.S. firms competing for the same sale.

Who works in Foreign Military Sales, and how are they trained and certified?

The increasing scope of SC activities to include all DOD international programs and those FAA/AECA-authorized programs administered by DSCA is a testament to increased DOD policy responsibilities and the imperative to develop the SC workforce. Execution of foreign policy in terms of SC reaches from the Secretary of Defense through DSCA to the CCMD, and finally to the in-country SDO/DATT, DAO, and SCO. Increasingly, almost every community within DOD and its respective leadership recognize the role they play in SC and the pivotal role SC plays in achieving U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.

The three MILDEPs manage approximately 95 percent of FMS and Building Partner Capacity (BPC) cases. Accordingly, the offices that support Security Assistance, for the most part, overlay the existing domestic infrastructure. As one might expect from such an arrangement, the policies, databases, and organizational elements used to manage FMS vary among MILDEPs. Still, the MILDEP FMS organizations are similar in that each has the following:

A dedicated FMS headquarters element
An International Logistics Control Office (ILCO) that is responsible for support equipment, spare parts, and repair services
An FMS training activity that manages both stand-alone schoolhouse training, such as Professional Military Education (PME), and training in support of systems sales

Fundamentally, the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process is an acquisition process. Under FMS, a foreign government or international organization identifies a need for a military-related requirement (material item, service, and/or training) and chooses to have the U.S. Government (USG) acquire it for them. The agreement governing the FMS acquisition is the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). To fulfill the LOA requirements, the USG may supply items or services from on-hand Department of Defense (DOD) resources, or the USG may purchase from industry for subsequent delivery to the international partner.

References

Drawn exclusively from publicly available authorities.

SAMM

SAMM C2.2 — Department of Defense – Case Managers
SAMM C2.1.8 — Security Cooperation Organization Support to Industry.
SAMM C1.3.2.6 — Implementing Agencies.
SAMM C13.3.6 — Education, Training, and Workforce

Public authorities

10 U.S.C. §384
Defense Security Cooperation University, Security Cooperation Workforce Certification 2.0 Program — DSCU Certification 2.0
Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), 10 U.S.C. ch. 87 — DAWIA

Facts referenced

Status of security cooperation workforce certification for civilians and service members — a condition of employment for civilians and an order for service members (as of 20 September 2026)
Security Cooperation Workforce Certification 2.0 proficiency levels — Level 1 Foundational, Level 2 Practitioner, Level 3 Expert, and Level 4 Executive (as of 20 September 2026)

RoleUSASAC Central Case Manager RoleUSASAC Country Program Manager RoleAFSAC Command Country Manager RoleNIPO Country Director RoleSAF/IA Country Director RoleWeapon System Program Office RoleEmbassy SCO Chief (ODC / OSC)RoleIndustry Business Development

Who works in Foreign Military Sales, and how are they trained and certified?

Who works in Foreign Military Sales, and how are they trained and certified?

References

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