1. Media Interview for the USMC FAO Program. The International Issues Branch Head (Col D. C. Hahne), IAOP Coordinator (Maj M. H. Oppenheim, China FAO), former Ukraine MARA and current PLU-6 Desk Officer (Maj M. W. Barnes, former Soviet Union FAO), Israel MARA Designate and current PLU-3 Desk Officer (Maj J. D. Duke, Middle East / North Africa FAO), and a FAO-in- training (Capt J. Brown, Indonesian FAO-in training), were interviewed by Staff Writer Christian Lowe from the Marine Corps Times, Correspondent Sally B. Donnely from TIME Magazine, and Richard R. Burgess, the Managing Editor for Sea Power Magazine and the Almanac of Seapower Navy League of the United States. The interview, facilitated by Marine PAO Major Gabrielle Chapin, addressed the USMC FAO program, challenges, experiences and future plans. LtCol P. J. Carroll and Capt S. A. Aziz provided additional input via e-mail WRT their current efforts in Iraq with respect to some examples of the roles FAO play in OIF/OEF, and some FAO contributions on the GWOT in general.
2. PLU-8 Website. The PLU-8 Website has been re-formatted. It identifies those programs that fall under the International Affairs Officer Program Coordinator, and provides links for two Marine Corps Orders governing the Marine Corps Foreign Personnel Exchange Program (MCFPEP) and the International Affairs Officer Program (IAOP). Additionally, it provides a link to those FAO-coded billets that are currently identified in the USMC Tables of Organization, as well as a FAO / RAO questionnaire that may be filled out and submitted to PLU-8 to assist in the placement of FAOs and RAOs in future utilization tours.
3. Colombian PEP Billets. The Marine Corps is underway and on-track to expand the MCFPEP by placing (2) PEP billets in Colombia beginning summer 06. The U.S. Marine Officer billet exchange is designated in Cartagena, as the Naval Academy's Assistant Marine Officer Instructor. The U.S. Marine SNCO's billet is designated in Covenas, at the Colombian Naval Infantry Training Center. Both Colombian personnel will serve in II MEF Operational and Training units, based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. More to follow as the MOAs and specific billets are agreed upon by the U.S. Marine Corps and Colombian Marine Corps.
4. USMC-wide FAO assessment. In accordance with the CMC's guidance, USMC commands are underway with an assessment of FAO-coded billets. This effort will validate current billets, and identify possible additional billets in which FAOs might contribute to various missions. Results are due to be received in November, and then further coordination and analysis will begin with other agencies within the Maine Corps to address this issue.
5. Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning (CAOCL). The Director for CAOCL (Col J. W. Bearor), and his Deputy Director (Dr. B. A. Salmoni) presented Pentagon POLADs a brief on the status of the Center and current progress toward executing CMC intent regarding operational culture learning. The CAOCL directly addresses 3 of the 4 DoD goals (per the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap):
• Create foundational language and regional area expertise.
• Create the capacity to surge (to support operational units when needed).
• Establish a process to track the accession, separation and promotion
rates of military personnel with language skills and FAOs.
The CAOCL's working mission is: Ensure Marines and Marine units are equipped with requisite regional, culture, and language knowledge to allow them to plan and operate successfully in the joint expeditionary environment, in any region of the world, in current and potential operating conditions, targeting persistent and emerging irregular, traditional, catastrophic, and disruptive threats.
The CAOCL's execution statement is: Provide militarily significant culture studies to Marines and Marine units. Using an efficient mix of distance learning, schoolhouse courses, directed reading, and commercial/other service/joint instructional materials, provide every Marine operational culture and language learning IOT better prepare them for military operations in every corner of the world in current and projected operational environments. Provide targeted persistent and pre-deployment support to Marine operational forces. Track every career Marine's progress towards defined learning goals IOT provide on-call expertise.
The CAOCL is scheduled to be fully operational capable 1 Oct 2006.
6. USMC FAOs "on the go." LtCol J. C. Goff (Japanese FAO) was
selected to attend the National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo. Col
Melton (Korean and Japanese FAO) has recently assumed duties as the Japan
MARA in Tokyo.