Military Operational Issues
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Freedom of Navigation (FON) Clearances for Department of Defense
 U.S. Naval forces engage in Freedom of Navigation operations to assert the principles of International Law and free passage in regions with unlawful maritime sovereignty claims. FON operations involve naval units transiting disputed areas to avoid setting the precedent that the international community has accepted these unlawful claims. ISO coordinates DOS clearance for FON operations.
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Counter-Narcotic/Terror Deployments (CDD)
 ISO is responsible for coordinating and distributing DOS clearances on Military Counter Drug Deployments. ISO action officers staff vetting packages through the appropriate regional and legal channels within the Department, and then return clearances to DoD.
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Coalition Affairs
 ISO coordinates various aspects of foreign policy support for the Global War on Terrorism. These include drafting Request for Forces (RFF) cables and facilitating the military to military process by which coalition partners are accepted.
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Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO)
 When crises threaten the stability of foreign states, it occasionally necessary uses U.S. military forces to evacuate U.S. Government employees, their families, and other U.S. citizens. ISO provides policy guidance and planning support and manages PM involvement in NEOs.
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DEPORD/State Support Cables (SSC)
 Upon receiving a Deployment Order package from the Department of Defense, ISO action officers verify its consistency with U.S. foreign policy, and then draft State Support Cables instructing U.S. Embassies to seek host government consent for the operation.
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Politically Sensitive Areas List (PSA)
 ISO drafts and coordinates the annual presidentially-mandated PSA list. The PSA list comprises all areas in which U.S. military operations would have significant diplomatic or political implications and for which additional USG coordination would be required prior to deployment of U.S. forces.
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Diego Garcia and UK Negotiations
NSF Diego Garcia provides operational and logistical support to operational forces forward deployed to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf areas-of-responsibility in support of national policy objectives. PM/ISO participates in annual, bilateral talks with the United Kingdom to discuss all aspects of use and support of Diego Garcia.
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Law of the Sea and Other Naval Issues
PM/ISO coordinates political-military considerations in regard to Law of the Sea and other international agreements governing U.S. military personnel and assets on the high seas.
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Incidents on the High Seas Agreement with Russia
PM/ISO participates in an annual conference with political-military representatives from Russia. Discussion centers on U.S.-Russian interaction on and over the high seas, ensuring the clear understanding of the procedures for preventing and resolving incidences on the high seas.
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Force Protection
ISO leads the State Department in physical security measures taken to ensure the safety of U.S. military forces deployed abroad. To enhance protection of U.S. military forces, ISO drafts demarche cables for the U.S. Embassies located in countries where security concerns may exist to U.S. military forces. The demarche will request the foreign government counterparts to provide additional protection to U.S. forces currently deployed in their nation.
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Naval Surveys
Naval surveys provide diplomatic support for the activities of naval research vessels.
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