Introduction
The Army is the only service that has FAOs as a branch, rather than a secondary specialty. FAO is not a basic branch. FAO is an assignments branch that takes field grade officers designated Career Management Field (CMF) 48, Foreign Area Officer and places those officer personnel against Joint and Army requisitions into Attache, Political- Military Officer and SAO positions to best utilize their skills after successful service as a company grade officer (2LT-CPT) in a basic branch. Promotion to the rank of major from the basic branch is a prerequisite to FAO service.
Army Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) are divided into nine regional areas of expertise based on regional studies and language skills. They are drawn from all branches of the Army. They have diverse backgrounds and capabilities that may be successfully matched to security assistance (SA) assignments.
All Army FAOs have service in a basic branch such as Infantry, Armor, Quartermaster, Ordinance or Military Intelligence. FAO candidates assess into the program through the functional area designation process between service years 5 and 6. Officers who meet the qualifications are given an area of concentration in their 7th year of service. All officers career field designate at approximately the 10th year after their primary zone boards for the rank of major. FAO training is programmed by year group and typically begins between years 8 and 10. Career field designation affects the future career progression of the officer after year 10.
Each FAO has language skills designated for their region, along with a master's degree in international affairs, regional studies, or a related discipline. As part of their qualification, most FAOs spend a year or more conducting In Country Training where they experience an immersion opportunity and regional orientation travel. Some language skills may be country-specific, such as Tagalog, or may have regional applications such as Russian, Chinese, French or Arabic.
Army FAOs now compete against other FAOs and Army Acquisition Corps officers (Functional Area 51) in the Operational Support Career Field for promotion. The different Army officer career fields are, Operations, Operational Support, Institutional Support, and Information Operations.
Competition for, and in, SA jobs is keen. This promotion system, along with a management program that removes FAOs from the branch if they do not perform FAO duties ensures the SA community receives the "best qualified" officers. FAOs in over- strength specialties are retrained and transferred at the needs of the Army and at the request of the individual FAO so long as the transfer from one region to another is from one that is over-strength to one that is under-strength.
How FAO Branch matches FAOs to Security Assistance jobs
FAO Assignments Branch then checks individual officer files for the right match for the skills required, ensuring a match of capabilities to requirements. The ability to work independently, under pressure is a personal quality frequently specified. Consistent high performance in related or previous assignments is also a filter. Screening also includes review of the FAO's official photo, microfiche and Officer Records Brief for any factors that may render the officer not best qualified to fill the billet. After successful nomination for the position, the officer is programmed for required training.
DISAM training typically consists of the Overseas Course and any of the following blocks, Management Studies, with any or all of its subcomponents, Training Program Management, Training Management System (TMS) and the Security Assistance Automated Resource Management Suite (SAARMS). Training beyond the core course is specified by the unified command, and may be added at the request of the student. There is also training on the Security Assistance Net (SAN) to ensure world-wide connectivity for the SA community.
DISAM also provides an Executive Course for senior officers at the level of O-6 and above, along with tutorials for senior officers entering key SA positions, including SAO Chiefs. DISAM welcomes command visits from unified command staff personnel and Command Sergeants Major as these visits allow DISAM to familiarize key leaders with current issues in the SA community, leading to better utilization of FAO skills. Army FAO personnel assigned to specific slots may also attend specialty courses, such as the Training Officer Course (TO) at the request of their unified command.
Practical Applications
SAO duties traditionally cover more than Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or International Military Education and Training (IMET). SAO duties may involve designation by the Undersecretary of Defense (Policy) as the U.S. Defense Representative. The effective combination of knowledge and skills makes the FAO well suited to these positions as well as SA jobs.
Frequently, the FAO in an SA job facilitates case management between the host country and the MILDEPS, assisting the host country with tracking case activities and discrepancies. The FAO may also advise on the preparation and delivery of Letters of Request or facilitate payment to DFAS, on an existing account. Depending upon the level of expertise in the host country, and upon the "newness" of the SA program, the FAO may even assist with financial reconciliation, showing his counterpart how to read logistics requisitions and status, or the DD 645. The vetting of foreign students remains an SA responsibility, along with tracking both students and US origin defense equipment in the host country. The FAO assuming an SA job should have all current and historical files and suspense lists on hand. These files must cover all activities the FAO will control.
Army FAOs are highly encouraged to coordinate with the person they will replace. The primary issue is overlap time. Overlap on the ground is the best method of ensuring continuity in SA programs, and all services should do their best to facilitate this key handover of duties. As mentioned previously, each position may have additional duties other than those associated with SA. It is important that FAOs be proficient in SA duties before assuming additional responsibilities, as SA duties are their primary responsibilities. The FAO should integrate with the host country and Country Team as soon as practical.
Why is this important? In some countries, the SA presence is the only US military presence or access to host country resources that the Theater CINC controls. The FAO/SAO must therefore be familiar with US Army, Host Nation and Joint doctrine. FAO knowledge of the operational art and doctrine facilitates the conduct and coordination of joint and combined operations with the host country and potential coalition partners. With their contacts and access to host country infrastructure and decision-makers, Army FAOs frequently become the go-to people for unified commands until further assets arrive in the host country in support of a contingency mission. As an example, in the aftermath of the attack on the USS COLE, an Army FAO obtained access to much-needed resources, including medical evacuation aircraft from a third country.
Along with the Country Team and the Chief of Mission, the SAO is a key player in facilitating military programs in any country. The SAO Chief also integrates the Embassy's Mission Performance Plan and the CINC's Theater Engagement Plan. Together, the Chief of Mission and Theater CINC recommend the size of the SA presence in any given country for Congressional approval. The bottom line is that the Theater CINC specifies the special skills, personal qualities and training for SA positions and FAO Assignments Branch provides the Army officer best suited to perform the challenging job at hand.
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