The Administration is currently finalizing the Department of Defense portion of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) request consistent with the President’s decision on troop levels in Afghanistan. This request will include funding for the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan and DOD’s supporting presence in the broader region in FY 2015, and it will reflect a continued downward trajectory of war-related spending.
The request will fully support the Administration’s plan for Afghanistan. In FY 2015, this includes funding for the U.S. advisory and counterterrorism mission, support for our NATO allies in Afghanistan, and an increasingly consolidated U.S. military presence described by the President in his May 27 remarks in the Rose Garden. It also includes continued material and financial assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces.
In addition, OCO funding in FY 2015 will continue to support a significant portion of our military presence in the region, from which DOD supports the mission in Afghanistan and other important missions. As the President will state in his West Point speech today, this year’s OCO request will also include transition funding to support our ability to enable partners to counter terrorism globally.
Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund
In his West Point speech, the President will announce that he would ask Congress to support a new Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund (CTPF), which will provide the flexibility and resources required to respond to emerging needs as terrorist threats around the world continue to evolve. The CTPF will build on existing tools and authorities to allow the Administration to respond to evolving terrorist threats. It will allow us to pursue a more sustainable and effective approach to combating terrorism that focuses on empowering and enabling our partners around the globe. In support of these counterterrorism capacity-building efforts, the Administration will also request funding for expanded or enhanced DOD activities, such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance; Special Operations; and other activities. To achieve these objectives, the Administration will seek up to $5 billion in the FY 2015 OCO request.
In partnership with other government agencies, this fund will allow DOD to:
- Conduct expanded train and equip activities;
- More effectively facilitate and enable the counterterrorism efforts of our partners on the front lines; and,
- Together with the State Department, provide security and stabilization assistance, as well as support efforts to counter violent extremism and terrorist ideology.