Reviewed March 2024
The Department of Defense (DoD) should implement and support programs that recognize the fundamental importance of international education and exchange to advancing and maintaining the defense and security of the United States and that of Americans as they travel throughout the world.
- Fully Restore and Expand the MAVNI Program.
First launched in 2009, DoD should fully restore and expand the status of the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) program. DoD should work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure timely background and security checks for program participants and that DHS promulgates clear regulations that protect the immigration status of individuals as they are processed through the program.
Defense Language & National Security Education Office
- Increase Funding and Support for the National Security Education Program (NSEP).
More Americans must understand the people, countries, and regions of the world that are critical to maintaining U.S. national security. DoD should expand its support for NSEP to provide more opportunities for Americans to study abroad and learn languages that meet this need. Higher education programs supported by NSEP include the David L. Boren Award Programs, the Language Flagship Program, and Regional Flagship Language Initiatives.