LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

COL(P) John Adams, USA

Since our last issue, the Foreign Area Officer community continues to provide excellent support across the range of conflict, in crisis areas throughout the world. Nowhere are FAO contributions more intense or valuable than in the CENTCOM AOR.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our FAO Journal Editor, Steve Gotowicki, for his superb and continuing contributions as Editor. Truly his efforts have been a linchpin of the FAO Association these past four years, and we appreciate both his energetic professionalism as well as excellent judgment in keeping us abreast of FAO community. Speaking of the Journal, this issue of the FAO Journal offers outstanding articles on Promoting Democracy and a Generational Approach to Security Cooperation.

If you have an article that you would like to contribute to the greater benefit of our FAO community, please submit it to Steve Gotowicki for consideration. We are particularly interested in articles that inform others about events (e.g., FAO conferences and professional development opportunities) in the FAO community, from all services.

Please note the proponent updates and the Points of Contact provided on the back cover. From my recent discussions with each of the FAO Service Proponents, I know each of them wants to know your concerns and counsel -- please stay in contact with both your service proponent and with your assignments officer, for your own career as well as the health of the entire FAO community.

Turning to the business of our Association, we need to elect a Board of Governors. We solicit nominations for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and nine Members. Of course, service is voluntary - but we'll ask those who accept nomination for Board Membership to contribute from their wisdom, expertise, and effort to support the Association. For Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Member nominations, we'll accept nominations from the membership through the end of May 2004. Please send in your nominations for the Board to our email address at or . In our next issue, we'll provide a "ballot" to select the Board, and hope to have a sitting Board by July. We won't stand on ceremony for the nominations -- in fact, self- nominations are fine; and all we need is a name of a energetic, committed FAO, preferably one who lives in the Washington area (the Board will need to meet occasionally to transact the Association's business).

Speaking of energetic, committed FAOs, thanks to MAJ Don Baker of Army Human Resources Command, and a dedicated team of assistants, we'll be hosting the first FAO Dining Out in recent memory on Friday, 7 MAY 2004, at 1900 hours, at the Fort Belvoir Officers' Club. Plan on attending, if you're in North America! We're expecting 200 or so FAOs from all services, active, reserve, and retired to converge on a suitably distinguished event. Invitations will go out to each member in the second week of April.

As always, thanks to those of you who contribute your professional and personal efforts to enhance our Association and our FAO community, and build the worldwide reputation of our Armed Forces' Foreign Area Officers.

Finally, please contribute your prayers, thoughts, in support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who cannot be with their loved ones as they serve our nation in far-flung locales.

V/R,

John Adams
President, Foreign Area Officer Association

2004, Foreign Area Officer Association
Herndon, Virginia
Maintained by LTC Steve Gotowicki.
http://www.faoa.org