DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
O
FFICE
O
F THE
S
ECRETA
RY
1000
NA
VY
PENTAGON
WASHINGTON DC 20350·1000
SECNAVINST 5710.31A
DUSN
7 Dec 2020
SECNAV INSTRUCTION 5710.31A
From: Secretary of the Navy
Subj: MILITARY PERSONNEL EXCHANGE PROGRAM DEPLOYMENTS
Ref: (a) 10 U.S.C.
(b) 14 U.S.C. §712
(c) Secretary of Defense Memorandum of 1 August 2013
(NOTAL)
(d) SECNAV M-5214.1
Encl: (1) Sample Host Nation Letter
1. Purpose. To establish Department of the Navy (DON)
responsibilities and approval procedures for deployment requests
by foreign partners involving the United States (U.S.) Navy
(USN) and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Military Personnel Exchange
Program (MPEP) participants. This guidance addresses
deployments in which these personnel may become involved in
military actions, operations, or hostilities, against an enemy
of the U.S. or an opposing military force, including during
contingency operations, as well as other deployments described
herein.
2. Cancellation. SECNAVINST 5710.31.
3. Definitions
a. Per §101(a)(13), reference (a), a “contingency
operation” is a military operation that the Secretary of Defense
(SECDEF) has designated as an operation in which members of the
U.S. Armed Forces are or may become involved in military
actions, operations, or hostilities against an enemy of the U.S.
or against an opposing military force; or a military operation
that results in the call or order to, or retention on, active
duty of members of the uniformed services under sections 688,
12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12304a, 12305, or 12406, of reference
(a); reference (b); or any other provision of law during a war
or during a national emergency declared by the President or
Congress.
b. By definition, “contingency operations” do not include
events such as large force exercises, local Host Nation (HN)
