Excitement is brewing within the Department of Defense and the Army FAO Proponent is hard at work on initiatives designed to build Pentathetes and multi-skilled leaders that meet the needs of the force and improve regional expert capacity congruent with Army Transformation. We are also heavily engaged in creating opportunities for "regreening" our FAO Corps. In an ever changing world, the Army must be capable of adapting to changes in regional dynamics and so should our FAO training program. It is prudent to periodically review our training program to meet the needs of our Armed Forces.
For this issue of the FAO Journal I would like to focus attention on the one thing that has distinguished Army FAOs from other functional areas and Service programs; the aspect of mentorship. Years ago, the FAO Proponent developed a training program designed to create regional experts. The program continues to improve each year. In recent years we have spent approximately 5 million dollars per year on the ICT program. My regional managers have close interaction with all ICT officers at sites throughout the world. While FAO Proponent is responsible for FAO policy and the total lifecycle management of officers throughout their career, training management remains a vital responsibility. One of the key portions of training management is monitoring in-country training. Though the program of instruction varies, one thing remains constant -- mentorship. Each ICT officer has a rater that oversees all aspects of the ICT experience. The Army has had a longstanding agreement with DAS and DSCA. As our new FAOs conduct ICT they all report directly to a local supervisor.
Understandably we are all focused on our duties during this time of war. Given the critical strategic role FAOs are playing, it is even more important that not only ICT supervisors, but all Army FAOs undertake the responsibility of mentoring our FAOs in training. I would ask that when a FAO ICT officer requests a clearance for travel within the country you reside, that you please take the time to scrutinize their travel plan, schedule office calls with country and regional experts that you know and trust, and provide the officer information on those issues that have an impact on our foreign engagement policy.
Most people recognize the importance of advanced civil schooling and language training for a FAO. However, neither of these two phases of training are unique to the Army FAO program. Officers from any service can attend language school or enroll in graduate education. What sets the Army program apart from others is a developed and mature ICT program. We must all give due diligence in our support of this valuable training tool. This is an Army FAO program and all Army FAOs have an obligation to ensure it remains successful today in meeting current and future Army operational needs. If you are located in the national capital region you may be asked to brief an outgoing ICT student on issues pertaining to your region. In many cases, ICT officers pass through the COCOM enroute to their ICT site. If you are working at a COCOM you may be asked to brief the ICT officer on policies, security issues, or cooperative agreements within your AOR. All of these things are important to the education of an ICT FAO and have been integral in making the Army program what it is today.
If you have questions or comments about the ICT program please feel free to contact me or any of my regional managers. Another great tool is the Army FAO website http://www.fao.army.mil. This is a great source for FAO related updates. Both the ICT Handbook and the Supervisors Guide are located on the ICT training page.
To ensure the Army FAO ICT program remains at the cutting edge, FAO Proponent continues to conduct Regional FAO Conferences. On February 28th there will be a Sub-Saharan and Middle East regional conference in Amman, Jordan. On March 6th we will be conducting an Asian Regional Conference in Tokyo, Japan and on April 28th we will be conducting the Latin American Regional Conference in Quito, Ecuador. I would like to thank the Attaché offices in Amman, Tokyo and Quito for hosting these events. I would also like to once again thank ICT supervisors for the work that they do to keep the Army FAO program strong.
In other news, the results of the 25 JAN Early Career Field Accession's Board for YG 98 were released on 6 FEB. The good news is the FAO community continues to attract the best and brightest. The board selected 30 high quality officers that possess college grade point averages (GPA) and Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) scores much higher than the current FAO standard. The minimum standard for FAOs IAW DA PAM 600-3 is 2.5 and 90 respectively. Selected officers exceeded the standard with an average of 3.3 and 124 respectively.
FAO Proponent is already preparing for the YG97 and 98 normal CFD board this spring and YG99 CFD board scheduled for SEP 06. We are increasing the minimum standard for future FAOs. We are raising the GPA standard to 2.7 but will waive the GPA to 2.5 if the officer has a GRE of 500/500/4.0 or has already completed a Master's Degree program. The DLAB standard is increasing to 105 but waiverable to 95 if the officer has a current DLPT (less than one year) of 2/2. We are very cognizant on the impact that "raising the standards" have on accessing enough officers every year. Therefore, we will always strive to maintain a balance between accessing the best versus not getting enough officers into the program.