HomeProtecting People & Property ...Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) hide Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) Bureau of Diplomatic Security Download Fact Sheet [722 KB] Close The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) manages and funds the Special Program for Embassy Augmentation and Response (SPEAR). SPEAR creates dedicated 24/7 Quick Response Forces of host nation law enforcement officers to counter threats against U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel in high-threat or high-risk environments. These teams can respond within minutes to emergencies and provide additional security support for U.S. missions overseas. ATA trains, equips, and mentors host nation officers who comprise each SPEAR team. ATA-trained SPEAR teams have successfully responded to terrorist attacks, stopped crimes in progress near diplomatic facilities and residences, rendered emergency first aid, and helped save lives in numerous countries. Beyond keeping U.S. diplomatic facilities open during civil and political unrest, SPEAR teams routinely accompany U.S. diplomatic convoys to unstable regions, provide security during election monitoring, and enhance security for major diplomatic events. The SPEAR program was created following the 2012 attacks on diplomatic compounds in Benghazi, Libya. Since its inception, SPEAR has trained more than 700 police officers at high-risk posts and continues to grow as new partner countries are identified. SPEAR teams also participate in multinational joint readiness and training exercises with U.S. Marine Security Guards, embassy bodyguards, and embassy local guard forces. SPEAR teams & mentors support U.S. diplomatic missions in: Abuja (Nigeria) Dakar (Senegal) Nairobi (Kenya) Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Erbil (Iraq) N’Djamena (Chad) Bamako (Mali) Juba (South Sudan) Niamey (Niger) Bangui (Central African Republic) Kinshasa (Dem. Rep. of Congo) Team 1: Bodyguard Team Team 2: Quick Reaction Force Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) Cotonou (Benin) Lagos (Nigeria) Tunis (Tunisia) SPEAR Summit Challenge The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA), in coordination with the U.S. Embassy Dakar Regional Security Office (RSO), co-hosted the third Summit Challenge, an international training and competition event with 55 tactical police officers from nine nations across Africa. Most participants were from quick response forces that protect U.S. diplomats under ATA’s Special Program for Embassy Augmentation and Response (SPEAR). The SPEAR Summit Challenge took place November 28 to December 4, 2022, at the Bureau of Counterterrorism-funded Regional Tactical Training Center in Thiès, co-located with a Senegalese military compound about 35 miles west of the capital, Dakar. Introduction to SPEAR An introduction to the DSS SPEAR program (Special Program for Embassy Augmentation and Response): Hand-picked, specially trained partner nation tactical police who protect American diplomats at high-risk embassies and consulates. SPEAR is managed by the DSS Office of Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA).
