Dear Colleagues,
Last week I was honored to meet with some severely wounded soldiers and marines who were visiting the Pentagon as part of the Army's Wounded Warrior Program for patients being treated at Walter Reed. It was a very moving experience and one that highlighted the human dimension of the military profession. These young heroes with substantial physical and emotional scars are facing their future with optimism, courage, and pride. They certainly deserve our thanks and appreciation for their sacrifice and I would highly encourage you to support your Service's program to help them, such as the Army's Wounded Warrior, the Marine for Life, and the Navy Safe Harbor.
On association news, I recently met with an official from the Defense Intelligence Agency Association (DIAA) to discuss how we might work together. As you know, DIA is the largest single user of FAOs with large numbers assigned to both the Defense Attaché System and as politico-military analysts. The DIAA organizes several functions annually with noted speakers who would be of interest to many of our members. They also sponsor a day at the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center where they receive classified regional updates. The FAOA Board of Governors will see if we can make these DIAA events available to you at minimal cost and I will notify you via e-mail of our results.
Finally, I noticed this upcoming item of interest: "The Role of Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) in the 21st Century: Military Applications of Language and Culture," is currently scheduled for July 20-21, 2007, at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. This conference will provide an opportunity for FAOs from all Services to meet, share experiences, learn the latest from experts in their respective fields, and shape the future of each service's FAO organizations. The organizers of this annual conference envision an annual forum for discussion of future directions, new developments, and current practices of FAOs in the new security environment. For more information go to: http://www.nps.navy.mil/fao/
Thanks,
Steve Norton, President, Foreign Area Officer Association