Push the Envelope

By COL David Smith

There's an old Army saying that there are three kinds of officers: those who make things happen, those who react when things happen, and those who don't know what happened. Unfortunately, I see a lot of FAOs in the second category and even a few in the third. I submit that all of you must strive to be in the first category.

In his fine letter on page four, Colonel Bruce Boevers accurately identified several of our biggest problems in the FAO world: the shortage of genuine mentors, the lack of knowledge about the value FAOs bring to the table by senior leaders, and the fragmentation in the policy world that results in FAOs not being consulted when issues arise that are within their areas of expertise.

Now we can complain mightily, but if that is all we do, we will fall short of our potential and nothing in the system will change. Each FAO must do his part by "pushing the envelope" whenever and wherever possible. We must individually find ways to educate our senior leaders; we must try actively to identify and enlist appropriate FAO mentors: above all, we must strive to demonstrate our relevance and ability to add value. There are three ways this can be done.

First, every FAO must understand that he is his own best personnel manager. Assignment officers match requirements with available personnel--they just fill empty slots. You frequently will have to push PERSCOM (or your service equivalent) hard at times to give you the right assignment for you. But don't push for the cushy jobs--push for tough jobs where you will be challenged intellectually and professionally, and where you can make a real difference. These days, this is often in the CINC-doms

Second, strive to build credibility in your field through networking. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Colonel Mike Ferguson's superb article about his career as a FAO. Don't just sit in your cubicle--go out and find the key players in your field. No one else will do it for you--they don't care. But you should because the people you meet along the way can affect your future career in ways you cannot imagine. Your network should include more than just military officers and officials. They should include the key people at State, the NSC, the Joint Staff, the National Defense University, civilian think tanks, the UN and other international bodies, private voluntary organizations that do business in your country or region, recent immigrants from your region, and top-flight academics. Attend conferences and symposia, visit offices, subscribe to professional journals and WRITE FOR THEM!

Finally, fight to be relevant even if you are not invited to the table. When I first joined the Politico-Military Division of DCSOPS many years ago, we were enjoined to be the "conscience of the Army". This was true on the Air Staff as well where I served as an exchange officer. We were expected by our leadership to fight hard to get our views heard and to do what was right for the country, for national security, and for our service--in that order. It is an unfortunate fact of life in the post-Goldwater- Nichols era in DOD that many key regional policymakers have little no actual regional experience. They often need help but sometimes don't know they do. Even if they do, they often don't know where to go get it. This is where YOU and your network come in. When a crisis or other situation comes along and you are not invited to participate in the deliberations (even though have expertise that might be invaluable), offer your help to work the issue, write policy drafts or talking points, or perform research to assist the policymakers. Get seniors to intercede on your behalf if necessary. Those you help will usually be grateful and you will emerge with an enhanced reputation--and perhaps a grateful contact that one day may make all the difference in your career.

PS: This is my last edition as editor of the FAO Journal. I'm on my way to Pakistan once again to be the Army Attache in Islamabad. I've enjoyed the past year and undoubtedly have learned much more from you than I've given in return. I urge you all to be active members of our joint service FAO community and continue to support the Journal by writing articles, book reviews, or letters (keep sending them to www.faoa.org and they will be forwarded to the new editor when named). As FAOs we all have something to say within our professional community.

2000, Foreign Area Officer Association
Springfield, Virginia
Maintained by LTC Steve Gotowicki.
http://www.faoa.org