Organization

The School of Security Cooperation Studies (SSCS) of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) was founded in 1977 as the Defense Institute of Security Assistance
Management (DISAM) as the central school dedicated to instruction in Security Assistance and Security Cooperation matters within the Department of Defense (DoD). In 2016, the institute was renamed the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies (DISCS) to better reflect the mission of educating a wide audience on Security Cooperation. In 2021, the school evolved as part of the new Defense Security Cooperation University--the center of excellence in Security Cooperation education and training for the DoD. DoD Security Cooperation encompasses security cooperation planning to support national objectives, the many policies and actions that surround the transfer of military articles and services to foreign countries as an element of U.S. foreign policy, as well as capacity building programs with international partners. DSCU serves a community, and therefore a student body, made up primarily of military and civilian employees of the Departments of Defense and State, U.S. and international industry, and international purchasers and partners. The SSCS service area is global with resident classes at Wright-Patterson Air Forces Base and the National Capital Region (NCR), with mobile training teams conducting classes at stakeholder locations in the U.S. and abroad, and with online courses available worldwide.