13 FAM 301.4
MANDATORY TRAINING PREPARATORY TO GOING ABROAD
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
(Office of Origin: DS)
13 FAM 301.4-1 General
13 FAM 301.4-1(A) Authorities
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
This policy guidance derives its authority from Omnibus
Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-399; 22 U.S.C.
4801, et seq.), and supersedes the following previously issued policy guidance:
(1) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated March 25,
2004 on Mandatory Security Training for Employees Working at Posts Overseas;
(2) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated August 14,
2009 on Afghanistan Familiarization Training;
(3) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated April 29,
2011 on S.A.F.E and FACT training requirements;
(4) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated June 09, 2013
on FACT and HTSOS training requirements;
(5) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated July 07, 2014
on expansion of FACT and HTSOS training requirements; and
(6) Executive Secretary Memorandum dated January 14,
2015, Summary of Mandatory Training Requirements for U.S. Government Personnel
Assigned under Chief of Mission at Designated Posts.
13 FAM 301.4-1(B) Scope
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
This policy outlines security training requirements in
advance of going abroad on either temporary duty or permanent change of station.
Specifically, the training requirements are outlined for the following courses:
Overseas Security Awareness Training (OSA) (a.k.a. Safety Abroad
for Families & Employees (SAFE));
Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) Training;
High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS) Training; and
Post-Specific Pre-Deployment Training.
13 FAM 301.4-2 Overseas Security
Awareness Training
13 FAM 301.4-2(A) Course
Requirements
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. Overseas security awareness training requires
completion of the classroom course "Security Overseas Seminar"
(MQ911) and either the distance learning course "Introduction to Working
in an Embassy" (PN113) or the classroom course "Orientation to an
Overseas Mission" (PN114). Completion of the FACT course (CT650) fulfills
the requirement for overseas security awareness training.
b. Non-State agencies may choose to provide their own
equivalent security training instead of using the Departments Security
Overseas Seminar (SOS) and Advanced Security Overseas Seminar (ASOS) courses.
To exercise this option, an agency must certify in writing to the Department of
States Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Training
(DS/T), that it offers training that meets the minimum criteria of the overseas
personal security training provided by FSI and that training is delivered and
evaluated by qualified instructors. The Department will provide to Chiefs of
Mission a list of all agencies that self-certify the adequacy of their
training. In all cases, agencies must ensure their employees satisfactorily
complete training prior to their departure to post and issue a completion
certification to the employee. Non-State agencies should indicate in the
request for country clearance that their employee(s) have completed the
mandatory training. Consult the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Training Center
for further information.
c. All U.S. government executive branch personnel
transferring to an overseas location who are the security responsibility of the
Secretary of State are required to take a security refresher course every five
years. The Departments approved course for this purpose, offered by FSI, is
ASOS.
13 FAM 301.4-2(B) Individuals
Required to Complete Overseas Security Awareness Training
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. The following individuals are required to complete
overseas security awareness training prior to their travel:
(1) All U.S. government executive branch personnel
transferring to a location abroad on permanent assignment (i.e., filling a
position authorized and approved by the Chief of Mission (COM) under National
Security Decision Directive (NSDD)-38) who are the security responsibility of
the Secretary of State (see 2 FAH-2 H-116);
(2) All U.S. government executive branch personnel
(including those in a Reemployed Annuitant (REA) status) requesting country
clearance from a COM to perform temporary duty for 45 days or more in a calendar
year at an overseas location and who are the security responsibility of the
Secretary of State; and
(3) All personnel working under the Department
Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) program who are the security
responsibility of the Secretary of State.
b. Non-employed adult eligible family members (EFMs)
and members of household (MOHs) accompanying employees to post are not
required, but are strongly encouraged, to take the Security Overseas Seminar or
SOS (MQ911) and Advanced Security Overseas Seminar or ASOS (MQ912) courses
offered by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).
c. Third-party contractors must refer to the terms of
their contract to determine their overseas security training requirements.
13 FAM 301.4-3 Foreign affairs
counter threat (fact) Training
13 FAM 301.4-3(A) Individuals
Required to Complete FACT
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. All U.S. government executive branch personnel who
are the security responsibility of the Secretary of State working overseas for 45
or more cumulative days in a calendar year - except for those exempted, as described
in 13 FAM
301.4-3(B) - are required to complete the Foreign Affairs Counter Threat
(FACT) course (CT650). This applies to personnel who are either transferring
under Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or on temporary duty (TDY) status. It
also applies to employed eligible family members (EFMs) who are over the age of
18, including those hired under the Overseas Seasonal Hire Program.
b. Third-party contractors must refer to their contract
and contracting officer. While third-party contractors are not the security
responsibility of the Secretary of State, FACT may be required according to the
terms of the contract.
c. Non-employed EFMs are not required to take the FACT
course, but those 18 years and older are strongly encouraged to do so.
d. Interns and fellows (paid and unpaid) are not
usually the security responsibility of the Secretary of State and therefore are
not usually required to take FACT. However, in some cases, interns and fellows
(paid and unpaid) are the security responsibility of the Secretary of State; in
those cases, they are required to take FACT. If there are questions as to
whether or not an intern or fellow is the security responsibility of the
Secretary of State, consult with both L/EMP and L/M. Interns and fellows who are
exempt from FACT are still encouraged to take FACT with funding and approval
from their bureau.
e. All U.S. government legislative and judicial branch
personnel under the security responsibility of the Secretary of State for 45 or
more cumulative days in a calendar year (either pursuant to PCS orders or while
on TDY status) must complete FACT training. This requirement does not apply to
congressional delegations (CODELs) or congressional staff delegations
(STAFFDELs).
f. FACT Five-Year Validity: A training completion
certificate for those who have taken FACT is considered valid for five years.
All U.S. government employees who are required to complete FACT must have a
certificate valid at minimum through the date of arrival at post for their tour
of duty. Employees and employed EFMs will be required to complete FACT during
their next official travel to the U.S. if their FACT certification expires
during the tour of duty and they have at least 180 days remaining in their assignment.
EFMs who become employed after they arrive at post will be required to take
FACT during their next official travel to the U.S.
13 FAM 301.4-3(B) Individuals
Exempt from FACT Training Requirement
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service who
are not on an excursion tour to other cones/skill codes in accordance with 12 FAM 372.7-1(b).
b. Limited non-career appointment Security Protective
Specialists employed by DS.
c. DoD personnel covered in Annex A of the country-specific
security MOA at any post in Iraq or Afghanistan.
d. DoD personnel covered in Annex B of the
country-specific security MOA at any post.
e. Personnel or employed EFMs for whom the Director
General of the Foreign Service or the Under Secretary for Management has
approved a waiver, pursuant to a request from the employee's respective bureau
or, in the case of non-Department of State personnel, the non-States agencys
Chief Human Capital Officer
f. Employed EFMs under the age of 18.
g. LE staff who are in their country of residence.
h. Marine Security Guards (MSG) and MSG Security
Augmentation Units (MSAU).
i. Executive Branch agency officials, their family
members, and their support staff who are traveling outside of the United States
with a dedicated, full-time security detail.
j. Personnel from agencies that have taken training certified
by DS/T as equivalent training as defined in 13 FAM
301.4-2(A), paragraph b. A list of agencies who have been granted training
equivalency or FACT certification is located on the FACT Toolkit.
Note: Non-employed EFMs and members of household (MOHs)
do not fulfill the threshold criteria establishing who is required to take
FACT, and they therefore do not require an exemption to the FACT training
requirement.
13 FAM 301.4-3(C) Requesting
Waiver from FACT Training Requirement
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. The Department of State strongly discourages
requests for waivers of the FACT course requirement, and rarely grants them.
Requestors should not assume a waiver will be granted, and should continue
planning for their assignments as if they will need to complete FACT.
b. Department of State employees (including employed
EFMs) seeking individual waivers for FACT should consult with their current
bureau executive offices. If the bureau executive office concurs with the
employee's request for a waiver, it must submit an action memo, cleared through
the respective bureau executive office, to the Director General, formally
requesting the waiver.
c. Individual waiver requests from non-Department of
State personnel must be submitted via letter from their agencys Chief Human
Capital Officer to the Under Secretary of State for Management.
d. Individual waivers are issued only during
exceptional operational exigencies and are valid for a limited period of time.
e. All waiver requests must include a detailed
description of the logistical impediments to complete FACT prior to arriving at
post, confirmation the employee is enrolled to take FACT at a future date, and
a valid HTSOS certificate. All waiver requests are subject to the approval of
the Director General (for Department of State employees) or the Under Secretary
of State for Management (for non-Department of State personnel).
f. A Department of State employee who requires a
modification of the FACT training due to a disability may request a reasonable
accommodation using the process set forth in 3 FAM 3670
(Reasonable Accommodations for Individuals With Disabilities).
13 FAM 301.4-3(D) Travel
Funding for Department of State Personnel
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) is responsible for
the cost of FACT training, Department of State bus transportation from
Washington, DC to the FACT staging hotel, local transportation between the FACT
staging hotel and the DS training site, and per diem for Department of State
personnel and their eligible family members attending FACT.
13 FAM 301.4-4 High Threat
security Overseas seminar (htsos) Training
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. The High Threat Security Overseas Seminar (HTSOS-HT401)
is required for:
(1) U.S. Government personnel who would be required to
take FACT under 13 FAM
301.4-2(A), when they are on official duty abroad under the security
responsibility of the Secretary of State for less than 45 cumulative days in a
calendar year.
(2) Employed EFMs under the age of 18 are required to
take HT401 in lieu of FACT.
(3) Third-party contractors are required to take HT401
when specified in their contract.
b. Other U.S. government agencies may host HTSOS
training on their Learning Management Systems (LMS) by executing a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. DS' Policy and
Planning Division coordinates the MOU with the other agency and DS' Training
Directorate (Training Resource Management) liaises with the other agency to ensure
technical requirements are met to upload HTSOS to their LMS. Verification of
course completion for agencies with HTSOS on their LMS is through points of
contact for each agency, which can be located on the FACT Toolkit Other
Government Agency HTSOS SharePoint site. Additional information about the
program can be found in 18 STATE 112708. FSI training transcripts will only
reflect courses completed through FSI. Other U.S. government agencies who host
HT401 are responsible for tracking completions and maintaining those records.
These records will be provided to DOS personnel when requested.
c. To request a waiver from HT401, please follow the
same procedures as described for FACT.
d. A training completion certificate for those who have
taken HTSOS is considered valid for five years.
13 FAM 301.4-5 Post-Specific
pre-deployment Training
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. In addition to training covered in 13 FAM 301.4-2,
13 FAM
301.4-3, and 13 FAM 301.4-4,
the Department has mandated the following additional post-specific
pre-deployment training:
|
Country/Post
|
Targeted Audience
|
Mandated Training
|
|
Afghanistan
|
All personnel assigned or
on temporary duty assignment (TDY) for 90 cumulative days or more in any 365
day period.
|
Afghanistan Familiarization
(RS415)
|
|
Iraq
|
All personnel assigned or
on TDY for 60 cumulative days or more in any continuous 365-day period.
|
Iraq Familiarization
(FT610)
|
|
Pakistan
|
All personnel assigned
under COM authority.
|
While not mandatory,
Pakistan Familiarization (RS417) is highly recommended.
|
|
NOTE:
Other posts will be designated to come under the above training requirements
as determined to be necessary.
|
b. The above listed training requirements are subject
to change based on operational need. For the most current information on
required pre-deployment training to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan check with
the Departments Orientation and In-Processing Center.
c. Third-party contractors are not under the security
responsibility of the Secretary of State; however if their contract states they
must complete mandatory training, then they must complete the training as
required by the contract.
d. The Department's requirements regarding Employee
Self-Certification and Ability to Perform in Emergencies (ESCAPE) will be applied
for posts that are designated as ESCAPE posts.
13 FAM 301.4-6 Arranging for
Training
(CT:TPD-1; 09-18-2019)
a. It is each employees responsibility to ensure he or
she completes any mandatory overseas security awareness training identified in
this subchapter.
b. Employees and EFMs can enroll in FACT at any time,
with the approval of their bureau training officer. Travel orders for an
overseas assignment are not required.
c. The Office of Career Development and Assignments
(HR/CDA) normally enrolls covered Foreign Service personnel and their EFMs
and/or MOHs in mandatory overseas security awareness training.
d. Supervisors and bureau training officers normally
work with covered personnel to arrange for enrollment in mandatory overseas security
awareness training.
e. Employees who fail to complete mandatory overseas
security awareness training, including the FACT course, and travel to post
without an approved waiver may be subject to admonishment or discipline in
accordance with 3 FAM 4300 and 3 FAM 4500.