52.225-19
Contractor Personnel in a Designated Operational Area or Supporting a Diplomatic or Consular Mission Outside the United States
If your personnel will work in high-risk overseas operational or diplomatic environments, you must fully prepare, document, train, track, and control them before deployment—and flow the same requirements to covered subcontractors.
Overview
- FAR 52.225-19 governs contractor personnel performing outside the United States in a designated operational area or while supporting a diplomatic or consular mission subject to elevated risk conditions.
- Its purpose is to allocate responsibilities for personnel readiness, legal compliance, security, weapons authorization, evacuation, recovery, and subcontract flowdown in dangerous overseas environments.
Key Rules
- Applicability and risk acceptance
- The clause applies to work in designated operational areas during contingency, humanitarian, peacekeeping, other military operations, or certain diplomatic/consular missions, including danger pay posts. Contractors generally accept the risks of dangerous or austere performance conditions unless the contract states otherwise.
- Personnel preparation and conduct
- Before deployment or start of performance, contractors must ensure required background checks, medical fitness, vaccinations, travel documents, clearances, and security training are complete. Personnel must comply with applicable laws, treaties, regulations, and force protection or safety directives issued by the Chief of Mission or Combatant Commander.
- Operational controls and accountability
- Contractors must maintain current personnel and emergency data, process personnel through designated departure/reception points, ensure required licenses, and remove noncompliant personnel when directed by the Contracting Officer.
- Weapons, evacuation, and subcontract flowdown
- Weapons may be carried only when specifically authorized, with training and legal eligibility requirements. The clause also addresses evacuation, personnel recovery, notification of next of kin, mortuary affairs, and requires inclusion of the clause’s substance in covered subcontracts.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: determine clause applicability, designate processing requirements, approve or revoke weapons authorization, direct removal of personnel, and manage changes to place of performance or Government-furnished support.
- Contractors: prepare, train, document, track, and supervise personnel; comply with overseas legal and security requirements; notify next of kin and consular officials when required; and flow the clause down to applicable subcontracts.
- Agencies: provide limited evacuation assistance, support personnel recovery, and coordinate mortuary or mission-specific oversight depending on whether DoD or another agency awarded the contract.
Practical Implications
- This clause exists to manage the heightened legal, security, and operational risks of overseas performance in conflict zones and high-threat diplomatic environments.
- It affects staffing, mobilization, training, travel processing, weapons controls, and incident response planning.
- Common pitfalls include failing to complete clearances or training before deployment, not maintaining current personnel rosters and emergency data, and overlooking mandatory subcontract flowdown.