Defense Attaché Office
The United States Defense Attaché Office (USDAO)
The United States Defense Attaché Office (USDAO) in Madagascar provides liaison between the U.S. Department of Defense and Madagascar’s Ministry of National Defense for all armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force and Gendarmerie. The Defense Attaché serves as the representative of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the AFRICOM Commander. He also serves as the military advisor to the U.S. Ambassador.
The USDAO manages Security Assistance programs in Madagascar including International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) which provide both U.S. military education and technical training as well as material assistance. Efforts in 2008 provided outboard motor maintenance training as well as coxswain and navigation training. Ongoing support helps maintain four English Language Laboratories for the military in Antananarivo, Antsirabe and Moramunga. A November 2008 workshop helped the Malagasy military with the framework for development of a National Maritime Strategy.
Recent annual funding has also helped establish an HIV/AIDS prevention program for the Malagasy military and their families to reduce the rate of sexually transmitted infections in order to maintain the low national prevalence rate of HIV. This program provides funding to build and equip voluntary counseling and testing centers, conduct mass HIV awareness activities around the country, train peer educators, procure medicines, HIV testing kits, tools and equipment.
Periodic naval ship visits provides the opportunity for interaction between U.S. and Malagasy military members and allows the opportunity to share experiences, cultures and develop new friendships.
The USDAO also serves as the focal point for applications to U.S. military academies. Both the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland have two current Malagasy military students.