CHAIRMAN'S VISIT
During a recent visit to Washington where he briefed DOD senior leaders on events unfolding in China, our current Chairman of the Board of Governors, BG Karl Eikenberry, found time to stop by the Pentagon for a short chat with the new FAOA team. Included in this group were several members of the Board of Governors who are DC-area residents. These included COL Mike Ferguson, our acting President/Executive Director, yours truly, the FAOA Journal Editor, LTC(R) Rick Herrick, Membership Chairman, and LTC(R) Bob Olson, FAOA Treasurer. Among other things, we all agreed that the Association ought to publish a "vision of the future" that outlines where we are heading and how we propose to get there. In this document, we will address the evolution of the Association from what was originally a predominantly U.S. Army organization into what we all hope will become a truly "Joint" FAOA Association. There are other issues to address as well. Should we be a mechanism to prod our service senior leaders on FAO issues? Or should we concentrate primarily on education and professional development of our younger members? Should we join other organizations that engage in lobbying on membership issues of interest? Or should we move in still another direction? I encourage every member -- and most importantly, all our senior FAOs -- to participate directly in this process by providing me your thoughts and suggestions (write, fax, or e-mail) on these very important issues. We hope to publish our effort in the edition of the journal that goes to press in December.
NEW JOURNAL ITEMS
There aren't any in this edition, but there should be a few next time. For example, I plan to write a monthly column that includes a few useful facts for FAOs, policy pronouncements that might not have received wide publicity in the open media, and even a few Pentagon or Beltway "rumors." As always members input that fits the above criteria is welcomed and will be included. I also want to begin a "transitions" column that highlights member moves and provides their new unit -- or in the case of our more senior members -- retirement and/or e-mail addresses. in the case of addresses, these would be printed with their permission, of course, and would be based entirely on their input. This column might help to alleviate a problem I have observed during the past few years, that when our senior FAOs retire or move into the private sector we frequently lose touch. It goes without saying that we need them for several important reasons -- we need their experience and wisdom in Association deliberations; we need them to mentor our younger members; and, quite frankly, we hate to lose track of our friends and former colleagues when they leave the military to pursue other interests. I don't want this to be my column -- l want it to be yours. Let me hear from everyone who has made a recent move, or who would like to renew old acquaintances!
WASHINGTON AREA SOCIAL EVENT
We've talked about it for a long time -- now we're going to do it. The long-awaited Washington-area FAO luncheon will be held on 17 November 1999 at 1200 at the Fort Myer Officers Club. All FAOA members -- and all FAOs, whether Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine -- interested in the direction our specialty is going are invited to attend. Our guest speaker will be former DIA Director, LTG Patrick M. Hughes. The cost will be $18.00. To reserve your place, e-mail us and send your check to -- FAOA, P.O. Box 523226, Springfield, VA 22152 -- ASAP, but certainly by 10 November 1999.
WASHINGTON-AREA JOB NETWORK GROUP
While this is not technically Association news, it may be of interest to several members. FAOs thinking ahead to retirement -- oops, to considering new career opportunities -- might consider participating in a group of similarly inclined individuals that meets for breakfast one Saturday each month at the Fort Myer Officer's Club. Ifs referred to locally as the Network Group and its volunteer coordinator is Steve Starner, a retired Army field artilleryman now working for Booz, Allen, and Hamilton. Attendees are generally a mix of service people approaching retirement, recent retirees actively seeking employment, facilitators like Steve who volunteer their time just to help ex-military people find jobs, and reps from local companies looking to hire people with specific, service-related skills. A typical meeting is thirty minutes of chit-chat and networking, a buffet breakfast, announcements of available positions, and introductions of new people joining the group. Once you join the Group, you can expect periodic announcements about job openings together with a detailed description of skills desired and points of contact for further information. Anyone interested should contact Steve (starners@erols.com, phone 703-902-563 1) and ask to be included. Next breakfast meeting is 16 October.
MEMBERSHIP-ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN
We presently have approximately 900 active members in the Association. This means we aren't reaching a substantial number of serving FAOs. I encourage all members to ask your colleagues on station or in the office if they are members. If they aren't tell them about the Association and encourage them to join. We are only as strong as our numbers and level of interest make us.