FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 225: Foreign Acquisition › Subpart 225.3

DFARS 225.371-4 Law of war training.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This DFARS section requires law of war training for contractor personnel supporting U.S. Armed Forces deployed outside the United States. Basic training is required for all such personnel, while advanced training is required for certain roles such as private security contractors and interrogators. When advanced training is required, the solicitation and contract must specify who will provide it and other details.

Applies to: Contractor personnel supporting U.S. Armed Forces deployed outside the United States

What it requires

  • Ensure all contractor personnel supporting U.S. Armed Forces deployed outside the United States receive basic law of war training.
  • For personnel requiring advanced law of war training, ensure the solicitation and contract specify the types of personnel subject to the requirement, whether the Government or contractor will provide the training, the source if Government-provided, and coordination with the servicing DoD legal advis

Key terms: basic law of war training · advanced law of war training · private security contractors · servicing DoD legal advisor · solicitation and contract

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

(a) Basic training. Basic law of war training is required for all contractor personnel supporting U.S. Armed Forces deployed outside the United States. The basic training normally will be provided through a military-run training center. The contracting officer may authorize the use of an alternate basic training source, provided the servicing DoD legal advisor concurs with the course content. An example of an alternate source of basic training is the web-based training provided by the Defense Acquisition University at https://acc.dau.mil/CommunityBrowser.aspx?id=18014&lang=en-US.

(b) Advanced law of war training. (1) The types of personnel that must obtain advanced law of war training include the following:

(i) Private security contractors.

(ii) Security guards in or near areas of military operations.

(iii) Interrogators, linguists, interpreters, guards, report writers, information technology technicians, or others who will come into contact with enemy prisoners of war, civilian internees, retained persons, other detainees, terrorists, or criminals who are captured, transferred, confined, or detained during or in the aftermath of hostilities.

(iv) Other personnel when deemed necessary by the contracting officer.

(2) If contractor personnel will be required to obtain advanced law of war training, the solicitation and contract shall specify—

(i) The types of personnel subject to advanced law of war training requirements;

(ii) Whether the training will be provided by the Government or the contractor;

(iii) If the training will be provided by the Government, the source of the training; and

(iv) If the training will be provided by the contractor, a requirement for coordination of the content with the servicing DoD legal advisor to ensure that training content is commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the personnel to be trained.

← 225.371-3 Government support. · 225.371-5 Contract clauses. →

Rule changes for DFARS Part 225

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

DFARS 225.371-4 Law of war training · SpendQuery