The Department of Defense (DoD) Humanitarian Demining Training Center

The Department of Defense (DoD) Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC), located at Fort Lee, Virginia, USA is the Humanitarian Mine Action Center of Excellence for the U.S. government DoD humanitarian mine action program.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is the DoD lead for the execution of security cooperation programs. DSCA implements a diverse portfolio of security cooperation and building partner capacity programs, including foreign military sales, foreign military financing, international military education and training, end use monitoring, and humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and mine action. The agency’s Directorate of Business Operations, Office of Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, and Mine Action supervises HDTC and funds HDTC manpower and equipment.

HDTC trains and prepares U.S. military forces, U.S. government stakeholders, and international partners to build partner nation capacity in UXO disposal and PSSM, using “train the trainer” instructional methods. The center also performs humanitarian mine action program management functions, including validating combatant command mine action project plans and budgets. In addition, the center monitors and evaluates global OHDACA appropriation humanitarian mine action activities. The OHDACA appropriation is the funding vehicle for DoD humanitarian mine action activities.

HDTC courses, in the context of UXO disposal, include landmine clearance, battle area clearance, and PSSM of conventional stockpiled munitions. Training is conducted in accordance with U.S. law and policy, International Mine Action Standards, and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines. HDTC and international partners are developing the humanitarian underwater unexploded ordnance disposal course for implementation in fiscal year 2017.

The HDTC humanitarian mine action curricula and training in disposal of UXO and physical security of stockpiled conventional munitions is certified to conform to International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008. ISO 9001:2008 is a quality management system designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements.

HDTC graduates have deployed to 49 countries in support of USAFRICOM, USCENTCOM, USEUCOM, USPACOM, and USSOUTHCOM humanitarian mine action programs.

HDTC’s Mobile Training Team in Rota, Spain. HDTC trains and prepares U.S. military forces, U.S. government stakeholders, and international partners to build partner nation capacity in UXO disposal and PSSM.

Photo courtesy of HDTC.