U.S. Code > Title 10 Armed Forces > Subtitle A—General Military Law (§§ 101—2925) > PART I—ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS (§§ 101—490) > CHAPTER 6—COMBATANT COMMANDS (§§ 161—168) > § 168. Military-to-military contacts and comparable activities

§ 168. Military-to-military contacts and comparable activities

(a) Program Authority.— The Secretary of Defense may conduct military-to-military contacts and comparable activities that are designed to encourage a democratic orientation of defense establishments and military forces of other countries.
(b) Administration.— The Secretary may provide funds appropriated for carrying out subsection (a) to the following officials for use as provided in subsection (c):
(1) The commander of a combatant command, upon the request of the commander.
(2) An officer designated by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with respect to an area or areas not under the area of responsibility of a commander of a combatant command.
(3) The head of any Department of Defense component.
(c) Authorized Activities.— An official provided funds under subsection (b) may use those funds for the following activities and expenses:
(1) The activities of traveling contact teams, including any transportation expense, translation services expense, or administrative expense that is related to such activities.
(2) The activities of military liaison teams.
(3) Exchanges of civilian or military personnel between the Department of Defense and defense ministries of foreign governments.
(4) Exchanges of military personnel between units of the armed forces and units of foreign armed forces.
(5) Seminars and conferences held primarily in a theater of operations.
(6) Distribution of publications primarily in a theater of operations.
(7) Personnel expenses for Department of Defense civilian and military personnel to the extent that those expenses relate to participation in an activity described in paragraph (3), (4), (5), or (6).
(8) Reimbursement of military personnel appropriations accounts for the pay and allowances paid to reserve component personnel for service while engaged in any activity referred to in another paragraph of this subsection.
(9) The assignment of personnel described in paragraph (3) or (4) on a non-reciprocal basis if the Secretary of Defense determines that such an assignment, rather than an exchange of personnel, is in the interests of the United States.
(d) Relationship to Other Funding.— Any amount provided during any fiscal year to an official under subsection (b) for an activity or expense referred to in subsection (c) shall be in addition to amounts otherwise available for those activities and expenses for that fiscal year.
(e) Limitations.—
(1) Funds may not be provided under this section for a fiscal year for any activity for which—
(A) funding was proposed in the budget submitted to Congress for that fiscal year pursuant to section 1105 (a) of title 31; and
(B) Congress did not authorize appropriations.
(2) An activity may not be conducted under this section with a foreign country unless the Secretary of State approves the conduct of such activity in that foreign country.
(3) Funds may not be provided under this section for a fiscal year for any country that is not eligible in that fiscal year for assistance under chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
(4) Except for those activities specifically authorized under subsection (c), funds may not be used under this section for the provision of defense articles or defense services to any country or for assistance under chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.
(5) Funds available to carry out this section shall be available, to the extent provided in appropriations Acts, for programs or activities under this section that begin in a fiscal year and end in the following fiscal year.
(f) Active Duty End Strengths.— A member of a reserve component who is engaged in activities authorized under this section shall not be counted for purposes of the following personnel strength limitations:
(1) The end strength for active-duty personnel authorized pursuant to section 115 (a)(1) of this title for the fiscal year in which the member carries out the activities referred to under this section.
(2) The authorized daily average for members in pay grades E–8 and E–9 under section 517 of this title for the calendar year in which the member carries out such activities.
(3) The authorized strengths for commissioned officers under section 523 of this title for the fiscal year in which the member carries out such activities.
(g) Military-to-Military Contacts Defined.— In this section, the term “military-to-military contacts” means contacts between members of the armed forces and members of foreign armed forces through activities described in subsection (c).