What a defense attache actually does at an embassy, per State and Defense documents

A defense attache is a uniformed officer posted to an embassy, per the standard reference record. The officer advises the ambassador, speaks for the armed forces, and reports on the host military. Attaches keep their military rank while holding diplomatic status. The job is two careers worn at once. That definition sounds narrow. The work behind it is not. An attache briefs on arms transfers one week and escorts a visiting general the next, and a host state sees it all plainly. The sections below walk the duties, the history, and the limits, per the public record. Readers following this should also see Base protection explained: how perimeter security, point defense and the gaps between them work. Why does an embassy need a uniformed officer? Someone inside the mission must speak for the armed forces, not for the foreign ministry.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.