U.S. Government Agencies & Military

USAID works closely with the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury and Justice, and other government agencies to carry out development programming around the world. The Quadrennial Development and Diplomacy Review (QDDR) and the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development set a clear framework for interagency coordination and have elevated the importance of international development and poverty alleviation as a pillar of U.S. national security.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, USAID works to implement the President’s foreign policy and shape a freer, more secure and prosperous world. Together we are working on momentous initiatives such as Feed the Future, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Health Initiative, and the Global Climate Change Initiative, which will make profound differences in the lives of people across the globe.

USAID coordinates with the Department of Defense (DoD) to address complex challenges in fragile states, particularly in conflict situations, to ensure that diplomatic, development and defense efforts are mutually reinforcing. Through a robust personnel exchange, the Agency hosts military officers at our headquarters, while USAID Foreign Service Officers are embedded at the Unified Combatant Commands and the Pentagon. USAID also staffs civilian Humanitarian Assistance Advisors at each of the Unified Combatant Commands and within the Joint Staff.

USAID coordinates with a number of other U.S. Government agencies in an effort to bring a “whole-of-government” approach to its work. By cooperating with agencies that have specific areas of expertise, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, we can increase the impact we have in promoting both sustainable economic development and thriving, democratic societies.

Examples of our work with partner agencies and the U.S. military include:

• USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance provides extensive training to DoD staff through the Joint Humanitarian Operations Course (JHOC), which was developed to teach key U.S. military personnel how the U.S. Government responds to international disasters. Of the 70 foreign disasters USAID responds to on average every year, about 10 percent involve support from DoD. USAID may request U.S. military assistance to meet a specific need, such as deploying helicopters to transport emergency relief commodities within a disaster-stricken area. USAID/BHA conducts monthly open enrollment JHOCs that are offered virtually and in-person in Washington, DC. For more information about the JHOC, including registration information, please contact JHOC@usaid.gov.
• USAID is collaborating with the Millennium Challenge Corporation and other government agencies on the Partnership for Growth Initiative to accelerate and sustain broad-based economic growth among a select group of high performing developing countries.
• Together with the U.S. Peace Corps, we support community-level development projects in sectors ranging from health to agriculture to small enterprise development.
• USAID is working with the U.S. Geological Survey on the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program, which seeks to save lives by monitoring volcanic activity and helping communities around the world prepare for future eruptions.
• USAID’s Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation facilitates Agency oversight on key DoD doctrine and plans, such as the Guidance of the Employment of the Force, the Quadrennial Defense Review and theater campaign and contingency plans.

Through closer collaboration with federal agencies and the U.S. military, USAID is working to cooperatively and efficiently maximize the U.S. Government’s collective impact.