State Dept. Purge Guts Arms Control & Security

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The proposed reorganization of the State Department will result in the elimination of more than one in five members of the Arms Control and International Security division, (T Family), according to preliminary reports.  

The new arrangement “consolidates nearly all of the Department’s security-oriented programs into a new vertical focused on addressing contemporary security and military challenges,” according to an internal frequently-asked-questions document obtained by CBS News.

The reconfigured Arms Control and International Security plans to fire 141 employees and permit another 104 to leave voluntarily. according to Government Executive.   That will lead to a reduction of about 22% of that team.  

Within the T Family, The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) oversees U.S. government-to-government arms transfers through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Third Party Transfer (TPT), and Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programs.

PM also regulates commercial defense exports via the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), led by a Deputy Assistant Secretary. DDTC includes three offices: Licensing (DTCL), Policy (DTCP), and Compliance (DTCC). Legal authority derives from the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) of 1976 and the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, implemented through the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

The T Family will be taking on the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, according to the new org. chart, as the new regime eliminates the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights (J Family).  

The successor Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs division (F/J Family) will eliminate 69% of its staff, putting to rest hopes that critical USAID functions may somehow be assumed by State,

It's not clear where the State Department Air Wing, a fleet of 206 fixed-wing, rotorcraft and unmanned aerial vehicles known as "Embassy Air" will be housed.  

[July 1, 2025 Org Chart]

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