USMC FAO Notes</font><font size=+1>
USMC FAO Notes
CAPT George Bloch,
USMCR, W. European FAO
The Unified Command and International Issues Branch (PLU) at Headquarters Marine Corps bids
adieu to LtCol Chuck Owens (9947 Western Europe FAO) as he heads off to attend the Greek
National Defense College after having managed the Corps' Foreign Area Officer/Regional Affairs
Officer (FAO/RAO) Program for the past two and a half years. Superb job, and best of luck in your
follow-on tour with the NATO staff.
The new USMC FAO/RAO Program Coordinator is Maj Patrick Carroll (9944 Mid East/N. Africa
FAO). The Corps' FAO/RAO Program has recently been expanded from a total of 14 FAO/RAOs
chosen annually, to 18. The FAOs chosen during the latest board in July 1999 will truly have an
exciting time ahead. With their selection and with those named from the previous board, the USMC
program intends to open "pioneer" sites in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, India, Greece,
and Turkey over the next two years. The program's goal with respect to expanding its numbers and
entering new areas is to continue to develop a cadre of officers who possess the expertise in regions
which potentially will have an increasing influence on the Marine Corps role specifically, and on
United States foreign policy in general. Currently the Marine Corps is also continuing to refine its
FAO/RAO designated billet list which should increase the opportunities for experience-track FAOs
and RAOs while adding weight to their overall contribution to the Corps. The phone number to the
USMC proponent office is listed on the FAO General Subjects web page;
the please feel free to call anytime.
1999, Foreign Area Officer Association
Springfield, Virginia
Maintained by LTC Steve
Gotowicki.
http://www.faoa.org