DASA(DEC), USASAC leadership meet to chart way ahead for ASAE
Leaders from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation (DASA(DEC)) and the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC) gathered Sept. 1 at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for a two-day strategic summit.
This summit, chaired by Dr. Theresa Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation, alongside Brig. Gen. Jason Jefferis, USASAC commanding general, served as the first meeting for the two organizations to chart a path forward as DASA(DEC) assumes operational control of USASAC per the Secretary of the Army memorandum dated July 31, 2026, titled “Army Implementation Memorandum: Army Security Assistance Enterprise (ASAE) Foreign Military Sales and Acquisition Reform.”
“This is a relationship business, and this summit allows our organizations to put that into practice and shape how we deliver faster, and more efficient and effective results to partners and allies,” said Dr. Smith. “The Secretary of the Army and Army Acquisition Executive made it clear that we must remove all barriers and old ways of doing business that prevent us from delivering to our partner nations.”
Per the memorandum, the relationship between DASA(DEC) and USASAC will occur for a trial period of one year. This relationship allows DASA(DEC) to ensure alignment in the following areas: · Align acquisition and foreign military sales (FMS) reforms · Simplify processes and improve transparency · Deliver best possible results for the Army, partners, and allies
This new way of doing business will help knock down barriers and speed up the delivery of capabilities and capacity to nations seeking security assistance from the Army.
Over the course of the two days, DASA(DEC) and USASAC leaders focused on team building, process improvement, synchronized communication, and a unified vision for the ASAE.
“We’re now operating as a more unified ASAE, starting at the top,” said Brig. Gen. Jefferis. “It’s a new day. Question everything. We’re not here to polish glass but to break it and then forge a more capable, streamlined and transparent process that leverages automation, data and artificial intelligence where practical.
“Our people will still be the heartbeat of the enterprise because FMS is fundamentally about relationship-building, and we cannot digitize the human interactions necessary to make FMS successful,” Brig. Gen. Jefferis concluded.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Cordery, USASAC Senior Enlisted Leader, added that our organizations and its people do much more than just monetary transactions – they lead to foreign policy and diplomacy.
“We do not exist to conduct business transactions,” he said. “We are an element of foreign policy and diplomacy, equipping and training our partners and allies so they can defend themselves, allowing interoperability with the U.S. Soldier.”
Dr. Smith concluded the summit by emphasizing her excitement for the opportunity both she and Brig. Gen. Jefferis have to shape the future of the ASAE.
![]()“The framework we build together will drive generational change in security cooperation and strengthen global readiness against current and future threats,” said DASA Smith. “I look forward to working alongside Brig. Gen. Jefferis and our dynamic acquisition and FMS workforce as we lead this effort and deliver on the change demanded of us.”
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