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FASTC Employment OpportunitiesDiplomatic Security TrainingFASTC Factsheet [3 MB]


This state-of-the art training facility in Blackstone, Virginia, improves training efficiency, decreases operating costs, and provides hard-skills training for U.S. Department of State personnel and others in the foreign affairs community, including law enforcement personnel. Employment with FASTC provides career opportunities in a great place to live.

FASTC Group4

May 2008 report to Congress  identified the need for a consolidated foreign affairs security training facility to improve training efficiency, decrease operating costs, and provide priority access to training venues that meet current facility standards.

To achieve these goals, the Department of State constructed the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) at Fort Barfoot and on adjacent property near Blackstone, Virginia. FASTC provides lifesaving security training to Department of State personnel and members of the foreign affairs community.

FASTC High-Speed Driving Track

This training helps the foreign affairs community develop the practical skills necessary to operate in today’s overseas environment. At FASTC, trainees learn how to detect surveillance, provide emergency medical care, better recognize improvised explosive devices, increase firearms abilities, and perform defensive driving maneuvers. Such training improves security and safety for the protection of Department of State personnel working abroad.

The Department of State, working with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), conducted environmental studies at Fort Barfoot, which showed that the site was suitable for FASTC. In 2015, GSA purchased property and secured land use agreements for approximately 1,400 acres of publicly held land. On February 25, 2016, construction began for the FASTC project.

The creation of FASTC allows for the consolidation of 10 of the current 11 leased or use fee facilities the Department of State used for hard-skills training.

U.S. Department of State

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