FAO Quotables

"But being right, even morally right, isn't everything. It is also important to be competent, to be consistent, and to be knowledgeable. It's important for your soldiers and diplomats to speak the language of the people you want to influence. It's important to understand the ethnic and tribal divisions of the place you hope to assist."
-Anne Applebaum

Monday, May 2, 2011

Must read for all FAO's: GEN Ward on Army FAO future--thinking strategically

This excellent article merits robust thought and debate by FAO's across the services.  While each service has a unique approach to their FAO program, this article contains useful takeaways for everyone.  My only criticism is that it is limited to the Army FAOs. 

As I have said in previous posts, FAOs across the services (DODFAO's) are missing out in not having a central strategic person/office (GOFO/SES) overseeing the DOD FAO community. 

As one example,  this GOFO/SES would seek cooperative ways in which the Army FAO community's shortcomings could be filled by the Navy FAO community and vice versa. 

Another example would be this GOFO/SES serving as a central DOD advocate to the DIA in thinking strategically about our distribution of FAOs within the attaché system.  There is no doubt that the distribution of world-wide attaché positions amongst the services hasn't been systemically examined/updated/revised since before the Cold War in all likelihood.  This isn't meant to be DOD services trying to wrest control from the DIA--this is about the GOFO/SES building partnerships within institutions where there isn't a central bridge. 

I have great admiration when senior GOFO's take the time to write and publish:
and GEN Ward is no different; I find it heartening and inspiring that he has taken the time to thoughtfully and analytically address the very issues near and dear to most young FAOs.  I suspect that it will only be a matter of time before we are fortunate enough to hear ADM Stavridis' (from the mighty USNA class of '76) thoughts on a strategic outlook for the DOD FAO program. 

What are your thoughts on the role this DOD FAO GOFO/SES would play?


By GEN William E. (Kip) Ward, COL Thomas P. Galvin

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