BG KEVIN T. RYAN (48E). Currently serving as HQDA Deputy Director of Strategy, Plans, and Policy, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3, General Ryan has also served as Defense Attaché in Moscow, Russia; Senior Regional Director for Slavic States, OSD; Chief, Moscow Office, OSD Defense POW/MIA Office, Moscow, Russia; Liaison Officer, CINCUSAREUR Representation Office, Heidelberg, Germany; Liaison Officer, US Military Coordination Center, Zakho, Iraq; Liaison Officer, US Military Liaison Mission, Potsdam, East Germany; and in several other Foreign Area Officer and Air Defense assignments. He speaks Russian and German.
BG JOHN C. ADAMS (48C). Currently serving on the NATO Military Committee in Brussels, BG Adams has also served as Defense and Army Attaché in Korea, Defense and Army Attaché in Croatia, Assistant Army Attaché in Belgium, Deputy Director European Policy in OSD, and in several Military Intelligence assignments. He speaks Croatian, French, German, and Dutch.
STEPHEN R. NORTON (48C), COL U.S. Army (Retired). First entered FAO training in 1975 at Ft. Bragg, then on to Turkish language training at The Presidio of Monterey, in-country training in Turkey, and then an advanced degree in International Affairs from The American University. In succession, served as the A/ARMA in Turkey, the JCS J-5 politico-military planner for Greece and Turkey, the DATT/ARMA in Cyprus, Special Assistant for the eastern Mediterranean to the SACEUR, European Division Chief in the then newly formed Defense HUMINT Service, Chief of the Defense and Foreign Liaison Office, and finally as the DATT/ARMA in Greece. COL Norton is currently serving as President of the FAOA.
LT COL KURT M. MARISA, USAF. Currently serving as the Air Attaché in Copenhagen, Denmark. Lt Col Marisa has served in a variety of intelligence and FAO positions in Europe, Asia, and South America, including Defense Attaché to Suriname and Liaison Officer to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Lt Col Marisa is a USAF FAO with specialties in Western Europe and the Americas. He is proficient in Dutch, Danish, German, and Spanish. Lt Col Marisa is a graduate of the Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC), Joint Forces Staff College, and Air War College (NR), and is also currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Defense Intelligence Journal produced by the JMIC Foundation.
MR. JOHN C. PEMBERTON, FAO, COL (R), USAF. Currently serving as a consultant. In this capacity, he advises the Associate Director for Overt and Attaché Affairs on Defense Attaché issues, policies and operations. He is intimately involved in the transformation of the Defense Attaché System. He retired from the USAF after 30 years of service as a Colonel in July 2003. During his finally three years in the Air Force, he served as the Dean of the Joint Military Attaché School. He has served as the Defense Attaché in three different attaché offices: Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia. In 1999 he was certified by the USAF as a European Foreign Area Officer.
MR. STEWART R. BARNETT III, CAPT (R), USN. Currently serving as the Chief of Operational Projects Division, Director for HUMINT Operations, DIA. He served as the Defense and Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in London, U.K. During this tour he was involved in policy development and coordination for US/UK operations in Afghanistan, the Balkans, West Africa, and elsewhere. He served more than 31 years of naval service with significant Joint, Service headquarters, interagency, and international experience.
MR. DAVID O. SMITH, FAO (48D), COL (R), USA. Currently serving as a consultant. COL Smith has served with the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for International Affairs, as well as, multiple tours as the Army Attaché (Pakistan), Chief of the Treaty Branch (DIA), Chief of the Latin American/African Division (DIA), and a Pol-Mil officer (DCSOPS-DA), as well as an artillery battalion commander. He speaks Urdu and did his FAO training in Islamabad, Pakistan. Is currently serving as interim FAOA Secretary.
MR. RICHARD C. HERRICK, FAO (48C), LTC (R), USA. Currently serving as Chief of the Asia/Pacific Division at DIA, Lieutenant Colonel Herrick has served as the Defense and Army Attaché in Croatia, the Army Attaché in Yugoslavia, a staff officer at the FAO Proponent Office (DCSOPS-DA), a regional analyst (ITAC), a Rand Arroyo Fellow, and a Engineer battalion XO. He trained under the old Soviet/E. European program in Yugoslavia and speaks Serbo-Croatia.
LTC STEPHEN H. GOTOWICKI, FAO (48G), USA (Retired), Currently serving as a consultant. Began serving as a Middle East Foreign Area Officer in 1982. Career included tours as a UN Military Observer in Lebanon, Senior Intelligence Officer in Defense Intelligence Agency, Middle East Desk Officer for Headquarters, Department of the Army (DCSOPS - DAMO-SSM), J-5, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the United States Defense and Army Attaché to the Republic of Yemen. Created the FAOA website in 1996 and continues to serve as its Webmaster. Served as Editor of the FAO Journal since December 2000.
MR. ROBERT J. OLSON, FAO (48B), LTC (R), USA. Currently serving as the Dean of Students and Administration, Institute for Hemispheric Defense Studies, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Olson has had a distinguished career as a premier Latin American specialists. He speaks Spanish and did his FAO training in Argentina. Mr. Olson currently serves as the FAOA Treasurer.
MAJOR JOHN ROBERT DACEY, SE Asia FAO (48I), since 1994, Former Field Artillery, former MI, now FAO, Experience at USDAO Kuala Lumpur, USPACOM J2, JICPAC, DIA, and Joint Staff J2.
CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF GOVERNORS:
BG KARL EIKENBERRY (48F). Currently serving as the Defense Attaché to China, General Eikenberry has also served as an East Asian Country Director at OSD, the FAO Proponent Chief, a Pol-Mil Analyst, as well as key branch qualifying jobs within his basic branch, to include commanding a battalion. General Eikenberry speaks Chinese Mandarin and did his initial FAO training in Hong Kong.
VICE-CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF GOVERNORS:
MG ALFRED VALENZUELA (48B). Currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Southern Command, MG Valenzuela is the senior Army Latin American FAO on active duty. During his distinguished career, he has served throughout his region in Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, and Colombia. The General speaks both Spanish and Turkish, and did his initial FAO training with the Military Assistance Group in Bogota, Colombia.
MEMBERS, BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 1999-2004
COL MARK D. BETO (48E). Currently serving as the IG of the Texas National Guard, Colonel Beto has served in key FAO positions such as Commander the Army's Russian Institute/Institute for Eurasian Studies; Chief, Ground Operations, USMLM, Potsdam, East Germany; and Assistant Army Attaché, Moscow. He speaks Russian and German, and did his initial FAO training at the Russian Institute in Garmisch.
COL MICHAEL M. FERGUSON (48J). Currently serving as the Defense and Army Attaché to Tunisia, Colonel Ferguson has also served as the Defense and Army Attaché to Ethiopia, South Africa, and Cameroon. He has been a Pol-Mil Analyst at OSD and a staff officer at TRADOC. Colonel Ferguson did his initial FAO training in Ethiopia, and speaks Afrikaans, Tigrihya, and French. The Colonel is on our current Board of Governors and has agreed to run again to provide continuity to the Association.
COL STEPHEN POULOS (48E) Army Reserves. Currently serving as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee as a Eurasian regional Specialist, Foreign Intelligence Directorate, ODCSINT-DA (since 1990), Colonel Poulos also has worked at AR-PERSCOM. He earlier served in a variety of battalion and brigade slots in both Western Europe and South East Asia. Because of his strong undergraduate and graduate work in the Soviet/Eastern European political-military field the Colonel was invited to become a FAO and was assessed into the program in 1989.
COL DAVID O. SMITH (48D). Currently serving with the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for International Affairs, Colonel Smith has also served as the Army Attaché (Pakistan), Chief of the Treaty Branch (DIA), Chief of the Latin American/African Division (DIA), and a Pol-Mil officer (DCSOPS-DA), as well as an artillery battalion commander. He speaks Urdu and did his FAO training in Islamabad, Pakistan.
COL RICHARD D. WELKER (48I). Currently serving as the Army Attaché to Australia, Colonel Welker has also been the Army Attaché to Singapore and the Army Liaison Officer to Hong Kong. He served as a MI battalion XO and an Air Defense Group S-2. He speaks Chinese Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Spanish, and did his initial FAO training in China.
LTC RICHARD C. HERRICK (48C). Currently working as a Branch Chief at DIA, Lieutenant Colonel Herrick has served as the Defense and Army Attaché in Croatia, the Army Attaché in Yugoslavia, a staff officer at the FAO Proponent Office (DCSOPS-DA), a regional analyst (ITAC), a Rand Arroyo Fellow, and a Engineer battalion XO. He trained under the old Soviet/E. European program in Yugoslavia and speaks Serbo-Croatia.
LTC PAUL S. GENDROLIS (48G). Currently working as the FAO Liaison Officer to DLI/FLC, Lieutenant Colonel Gendrolis has served as Chief, Joint Programs, ODC, Ankara, as Middle East Professor at the Air Force Academy, as Director, Mission Relations, USMTM, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and aide-de-camp to Cdr, JUSMAT-Turkey. He speaks Arabic and Turkish, and did his FAO training in Turkey.
MR. RAMON FERNANDEZ-CONDE (48B) FAO Retiree. Currently employed as Head of Security for the XEROX Corporation, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) served as Defense and Army Attaché to Nicaragua, as a Country Desk Officer at OSD, and as a pol-mil officer at ODCSOPS-DA during a successful career in the Army. Mr. Fernandez did his initial FAO training in South America and speaks Spanish.
TREASURER:
MR. ROBERT J. OLSON (48B) FAO Retiree. Currently serving as the Dean of Students and Administration, Institute for Hemispheric Defense Studies, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Olson has had a distinguished career as a premier Latin American specialists. He speaks Spanish and did his FAO training in Argentina.
CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 1996-1999
MG(R) John C. Ellerson (Latin American FAO) -- Currently a VP for Latin American Affairs at Martin-Marietta, General Ellerson last served as the Director for Strategy, Plans and Policy in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, Department of Army (and the FAO Proponent). During his Army career, he served in key Attaché and Security Assistance positions throughout Latin America.
VICE-CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 1996-1999
MG(R) John Liede (China FAO) -- Currently a VP with EDS, General Liede has been one the Army's stellar performers in the China FAO field. He last served as the Chief of Defense HUMINT Services and the Defense Attaché System, as part of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Prior to that he was the Defense Attaché to China.
MEMBERS, BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 1996-1999
MG(R) Roland Lajoie (Russian FAO)-- Currently working as a consultant for the Defense Department, General Lajoie served as the Chief of the On-Site Inspection Agency, the Defense Attaché in Moscow, Commander of the US Military Liaison Mission in Potsdam, and as the Commandant of the Army Russian Institute in Garmisch.
BG Karl Eikenberry (China FAO) -- Newly designated as our Defense Attaché to China, General Eikenberry has served as the China Desk Officer at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Chief of the FAO Division at ODCSOPS-DA, and the Assistant Army Attaché in Beijing.
COL(R) Daniel Larned (Mid-East and European FAO) -- Currently retired in Paris, France, he finished his active army career as the Defense Attaché to Paris. During his career he served as the first FAO Division Chief, as the Attaché/Security Assistance Chief in Jordan, and a variety of key Political-Military positions in Europe and on the Army Staff.
COL(R) Alfred Prados (Mid-East FAO) -- As the elder statesmen of the Board of Governors, he served in key positions both on the Army Staff and Defense Staff, as well as the Army Attaché in Lebanon and the Defense Attaché in the Republic of Yemen. He is currently working as a senior researcher for the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress.
COL Michael Ferguson (African FAO) -- Is serving as the Defense Attaché to Tunisia. During his army career he has also served as the Defense Attaché to South Africa and to Ethiopia, as well as a Pol-Mil Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and as a Political-Military Analyst at EUCOM.
LTC (R) Robert Olson (Latin American FAO) -- Currently the Deputy Division Chief of the FAO Division ODCSOPS-DA, Mr. Olson is a Foreign Affairs Officers and was the Deputy to the Chief of the Political-Military Division (DAMP-SSM) in ODCSOPS on the Army Staff. He served in a variety of assignments dealing with Latin America, both at senior army staffs and within the region, during his army career.
MAJ(R) Charles Jones (Northeast Asian FAO) -- As the youngest member of the Board, he was elected while still on active duty to represent the junior members of the Association. Mr. Jones served in a variety of Political-Military Analyst assignments on the Army Staff and in Korea. He now works as civil service Political-Military specialist for the Army Staff.
PRESIDENT/EXEC DIRECTOR AND MEMBER, BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 1996-1999
LTC(R) Joseph D. Tullbane (Russian and European FAO)-- During his military career, Dr. Tullbane served as both the Assistant Army Attaché and Army Attaché to Spain, as Chief of the FAO Division (ODCSOPS-DA), as a Political-Military Analyst on the Army Staff, and as a FAO Assignments Officer at PERSCOM.
