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Syria Train and Equip (I&E) Report: Department of Defense Assistance to Appropriately
Vetted Elements of the Syrian Opposition (U)

(U) This report is SlIbmitfed C01lsistent with Sectioll J209(d) a/fhe Carl Levin and Howard P .
"Buck" McKeoll National Defense Authori=ation Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pubhc Law 113-291)
GlId sectioll J49 (d) a/the C01lfinuillg Appropriations Resolution, 2015 (Pubhc Law 113-1 64),
which p rovide that 110f later thall 90 days after the Secretary ofDefense submits the report
required in sectiolls 1209(b)(J) alld J49(d), and eve,y 90 days thereafter, the Secretary of
Defense, il1 coordillatioll wirh the Secretmy a/State, shall submit to the appropriate
cOllgressiollal cOlllllliflees alld leadership a/the House 0/ Represe1lfatives and the Senate a
progress report. Such progress report shall, based on the most recent quarterly /onl/ation,
include - (1) allY updates to or c1wlIges in the plan, strategy, veuillg requirements and p rocess,
alld elld-use mOllitorillg mec1wlIisms and p rocedures, as required in section 1209(b)(1); (2) a
descriptioll 0/ how the threat 0/ auacks against UlIited States or coalitioll personnel is beillg
mitigated, statistics 011 any such auacks, illcludillg greell-oll-blue auacks, alld how such auacks
are being mitigated; (3) a descriptioll o/the appropriate~y velfed recipients receivillg assistance
authori=ed ullder section 1209(a); (4) the recruitment, throughput, and rete1lfion rates 0/
appropriately veued recipie1lfS alld equipment; (5) any misu .1 or loss o/p rovided trainillg alld
equipment alld how such misuse or loss is being mitigated; (6) a description o/the comllwlId alld
cOllfrol 0/ appropriately veued recipiellts; (7) GIl assessment o/the operatiollal effectiveness 0/
the appropriate~y veued recipients illmeeting the p urposes sp ecified hi sectioll 1209(a); (8) a
descriptioll 0/ sustaillment support provided to appropriate~y velfed recipie1lfS pursuallt to
sectioll 1209(a); (9) a list 0/ constructioll projects carried out under authority in section
1209(a); (10) a statement o/the amount o/fim ds expe ded during the period/or which the report
is submiued, and ill aggregate sillce Sep .;; ber 19, 2014, to p rovide assistmlce byauthori=ed
category pursuallt to sectiolls 1209(a) and 149(d); and (11) all assessme1lf o/the effectivelless 0/
the assistallce authori=ed under subsection (a) as measured against sectiolls 1209(b) alld (c).
I.

(U) Updates to or Changes i he Plan, Strategy, Vetting, and End-Use Monitoring
Mechanisms and P r oced u" s Since Submission of the 1209(b)(1) Report

(U) The following 90-Day Re- a rt provides Congress an update on the Syria T&E Program.

(bXl)1.4.a. (bXl)Ub

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(b)( 1) 1

~a .

(b)( I )I_""

(U) Changes. DoD repOits no significant changes in the strategy, vetting requirements and
process, or end-use monitoring mechanisms and procedures since its first repOit dated March 3,
2015. Plan development has resulted in the following minor changes:

•

•
(b)(1 )1~ a . (b)( I )I_""

•

II.

(U) Threat Mitigation

(U) To date, DoD repOits no extemal or intemal attacks against u.s. or coalition forces. DoD
and coalition paltners mitigate the threat of attacks through additional security measures, force
protection enhancements, and extensive screening and vetting of recmits.

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III.

(U) Vett -'" Recipie ts of Assistance

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•
(b)( 1)1

IV.

~a .

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(U) Recruitment, Througbput, and Retention Rates

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(U) Throughput. ClIATF-S divides vetting into three gel1 ! ral phases: pre-screening, screening,
and validation. Only after recmits have llldergone pre-screening (which takes place remotely
prior to recruit exfiltration from Syria) and screening (which takes place at the MSS postexfiltration), lIlay they COlllmence the training program. The throughput of recmits is as follows:

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V.

(U) Misuse or Loss ofProv' ded Training and Equipment

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VI.

(U) Command and Control of Appropriately Vetted Recipients of Assistance.

VII.

(U) Assessment of Operational Effectiveness

(b)(l)H a

VIII. (U) Sustainment Support Provided

(U) Sustainment slipp0l1 will include the provision of logistics, cOllllllunications, intelligence,
and other enabling support necessary to maintain operations. As of this report, the fIrst two
cohorts of VSO are tmdergoing training, and USCENTCOM has not issued equipment or initial
sustainment supplies, nor has it provided combat selVice support or other enabling support to
maintain operations.
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•

(U) Logistics. The coalition provides logistical support to transp0l1 the necessary
supplies for the VSO . Examples of support transp0l1ed to training sites to date include
alllllnmition, conlllllmications equipment, food, water, tools, repair pal1s, fuel , force
protection material, medical supplies, vehicles, and military clothing. CJSOTF-S also
provides stipends to the VSO.
(U) The table below shows the consumption and availability of equipment by a class of
300.

(b)(I)Ua

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IX.

(U) Construction

(U) Host nation partners have lmdel1aken and funded most training and associated facilities'
constmction. DoD-nmded constmction projects canied out pmsuant to Section 1209 are
described below.

X.

•

(U) Jordan. By early May 20 15, CJIATF and coalition partners inspected, modified, and
occupied training locations and support sites in Jordan . Improvements to the Humaymah
training site included fencing to improve force protection and electrica.1 upgt<.des. The
MSS, logistics supp0l1 site, and border integration node required upgrades to meet force
protection requirements and to provide billeting and warehousin.,; support . Mission
control sites at Prince Hasham Royal Brigade and the King Abdullah Special Operations
Training Center (KASOTC) required build-up and improvements to meet mission
requirements. u.S. Navy Construction Battalion persollllel executed constll.lction at these
facilities in Jordan; these upgt·ades are nearly compl te o

•

(U) Tmkey. By late May 20 15, CJIATF and coalition partners inspected, modified, and
occupied training locations and support sites jn Turk
The modification of existing
host nation facilities, including the Hirfanli training site and the Iskendenlll MSS, is
almost complete. The Incirlik Air Base logistics support site required the repair of
electrical and mechanical supp0l1 systems ana the installation of cOlllllllullcations lines.
The Incirlik mission control site is expected to be at FOC within three months.

•

(U) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The training facility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is
still in the planning phase. Initial assessments at the site - Al Artawiyah - have led to the
development of engi .eering pI ns to build the infrast1l.1ctm e. In the next month,
USCENTCOM e yects to conclude a Technical Understanding with the Saudi
government that will include an lmderstanding that the Saudi government will fully
resomce fa .lity constmction and operation, with U.S. AlTIlY Corps of Engineers
oversight. CITATF-S 's goal is to complete construction as soon as possible in order to
expand the T&E program capacity.

•

(U) Qatar. The Qatar training site is also in the planning phase; the host nation will
contract and ndly fund its constnlction as a pelTIlanent Qatari fa cility. The U.S. Anny
Corps of Engineers' design was delivered on May 1, 2015. The training site will be
located near the Qatar-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia border, with a logistics node at Al
Udeid Air Base.
(U) Statement of Expenditure of Funds

(U) Fmlding made available for the T &E program in FY 20 15 totals $500M reprogrammed from
the Comltertenorism Partnerships Flmd (CTPF). This money was requested and released
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through two reprogramming actions, the fIrst for $220.5M in December 20 14, and the second for
$279.5M in April 20 15. Once reprogrammed for the T&E program, nmds were apportioned to

the fumy, the Air Force, and USSOCOM for execution. Because actual execution costs have
varied and lllay continue to V31Y from initial estimates, some fe-alignment of funding between
the Military Depal1ments and USSOCOM has been and will be required as program execution
progresses.

(U) The following tables depict ftmdillg cOlllmitments and obligations by executing organization
and assistance categOlY as of May 15, 20 15:
(U) Syd, T,,'. ,nd, ~:~y_

lAnny'
I Ai, Fo~e

~~o ~

, M,d

$654
$ , ,987

l-,~r

SYlill Tl'lliu lllld Equip,

,

Autbo.izE'd Cafl'gol'Y

dn

I~

, To'"

'A"

A"

, >00
,000

Tofa'
$3 ,874

pm,nt
, To'"
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Stock F,

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000
>00
, >00
>3,000
$0

',727
,362
179
$ 183
$0
$77

",06
253

$ 1.880

, Toto'
, of

,

Range

$4 :00

ro'.'
B", Life :
$0

$0

LS

7 nlis reflects aggregate obligations since September 19, 20 14. Future reports will include a breakout of
expenditures for both the reporting period and illihe aggregate.

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XI.

(U) Assessment of Effectiveness of Assistance Provided

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