International Military Education and Training Program as a Tool of Smart Power

Abstract

The International Military Education and Training (IMET) have been functional since 1976 as a part of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA). The proposed dissertation seeks to investigate the effects that the IMET program has on foreign officers that come to the United States of America, their understanding of American values, democratic principles and national security and foreign policy objectives. Further, aim of this study is to contribute to further development of the IMET program. Data for this study will come from interviews of foreign officers that graduated from the Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama during the periods of 2006 until 2012. The idea behind this study is to contribute to better understanding of the benefits and weaknesses of this program.