What does an international military student officer (IMSO) do?

Although IMSs are integrated into the U.S. military education and training system as fully as possible, they still have some unique requirements. To assist the IMS while in training at a schoolhouse, the military services have directed that each installation or training activity involved in international military training designate an individual to serve as its International Military Student Officer (IMSO).

IMSOs play a key role in international training. They serve as the training installation point of contact for all international training issues. Thus, the IMSO is responsible for ensuring that adequate billeting, messing, and all other IMS-support requirements are satisfied. Most training activities with a large number of IMS have dedicated offices that handle IMS-support issues. For training activities with smaller throughput, the IMSO function may be assigned to an individual as an additional duty. The IMSO is truly responsible for the complete care, feeding, and well-being of the IMS while at the training activity. Included in these responsibilities is the important task of conducting the U.S. Field Studies Program (FSP).

United States Field Studies Program. In accordance with DoDI 5410.17, U.S. FSP for International Military and Civilian Students and Military-Sponsored Visitors, commanders of DoW and military service training installations are responsible for establishing, operating, and administering a field studies program (FSP) for international students attending SC-sponsored training at their installations. The intent of FSP is to provide students with a balanced understanding of U.S. institutions, goals, and ideals and to increase their awareness of how these reflect the U.S. commitment to the basic principles of internationally recognized human rights. This is usually accomplished by taking international military students on field trips and other events that cover specific facets of the American democratic way of life identified in DoDI 5410.17. Costs associated with the implementation of the FSP shall be included in the course tuition.

Country Liaison Officers (CLOs) are assigned by the sponsoring country to handle its students’ administration and discipline. They are authorized only after the Implementing Agency acknowledges the need, and may not take a course while serving as liaison. They may accompany a particular group of students for a specified course of training or they may be assigned on a more permanent basis with responsibility for all of their countrymen in training at that location. If no CLO is assigned for a particular country, that country’s senior student at each training installation is assumed to be in charge of his country’s personnel in training for required administrative or disciplinary actions. The next level of command is assumed to be the country’s defense, military, Army, Navy, or Air Force attaché or ambassador assigned to the U.S. If student disposition is in question, U.S. channels of communication go from the IMSO at the schoolhouse, through the military service training activity, and then to the SCO for resolution of problems and/or clarification of the sponsoring country’s desires.