MARINE CORPS FAO NOTES

by LtCol Pat Carrol
International Affairs Program Officer

Over the last month and a half, the Marine Corps' Unified Command and International Issues Branch has continued to improve its Foreign Area Officer (FAO) and Regional Affairs Officer (RAO) Program. On 9 Nov 99 the IAOP Coordinator joined the Navy's FAO Proponent in briefing the Assistant Under- Secretary of the Navy for Personnel on current status and progress for their respective programs.

We continue to await Total Force Structure Division, MCCDC's decision on the redesignation of 236 Marine Component and Joint/External billets for specifically FAO/RAO additional MOSs. Our office hopes to see a decision prior to the end of 1999. Additionally, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is being staffed with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to better define the relationship between Marine FAOs and the agencies (USDAO, JUSMAG) to which they are assigned for their year of in-country training. We also look to have this agreement in place before the 1st of January 2000.

As was published in the previous edition of the FAO Journal, the Marine Corps is in the process of establishing ICT sites in ten (10) new locations. An 11th site will also be added as an alternative for one of our two annual Russian (9942) FAOs. We hope to have a Marine captain head off to the Baltic Defense College in Tartu, Estonia by the middle of 2000 for a yearlong course. Just after the New Year, we will be sending Majors Palmer and Cunningham off for a year in Cairo, Majors Dyson and Mauro to Seoul, and Maj Collins to the Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany for their respective ICT periods. Maj Marek Sipko, one of our reserve FAOs and a fluent Polish speaker, will be coming on active-duty for the next six months to serve on a Marine Liaison Team (MLT) to Bulgaria.

Back at HQMC, the IAOP Coordinator has been refining the FAO/RAO database and the Marine Corps currently has 215 FAOs on active duty and 30 RAOs. We have identified shortfalls with respect to East Asian and Middle Eastern FAO/RAOs and will be attempting to improve that in the coming year with selections for the study-track program and solicitation of active duty personnel who may have East Asian/Middle Eastern expertise for the experience-track program. Strategy and Plans Division, PP&O is currently conducting one of its quarterly boards to identify experience-track FAO/RAOs; the next study- track board should meet in June of 2000. If you have not contacted the IAOP Coordinator recently, please do so and ensure that he has your most current POC information (especially e-mail) so that information can be pushed out to you concerning present initiatives in the Marine Corps' program. We also highly encourage the submission of any articles dealing with the pol-mil arena.

Finally, Maj Carroll (9944) and Capt Cho (9948) both had the opportunity to attend a fine luncheon hosted by the FAO Association at Ft. Myer's Officer Club on 17 Nov 99. LTG (R) Patrick Hughes (former Director of the DIA) was the guest speaker and delivered an interesting talk on his opinions and vision as to where the four services' FAO programs are and should be going. If you are a Marine FAO or RAO in the Washington area or just interested in international/political-military affairs, we highly recommend that you look for an announcement for the next luncheon and come join your fellow Marines and other FAOs in the Joint community. Best of luck and Semper Fidelis.

USMC FAO Proponent

Col Brendan Kearney, Branch Head, Unified Command and International Issues Branch, PP&O. KearneyB@hqmc.usmc.mil

Maj Pat Carroll, International Affairs Officer Program (IAOP) Coordinator and Middle East/North Africa. Carrollpj@hqmc.usmc.mil

LtCol Mike Brooker, Middle East and SWA. Brookermf@hqmc.usmc.mil

LtCol Jeff DeWeese, China, Japan, East Asia. Deweesejl@hqmc.usmc.mil

LtCol Tom Braden, Eastern Europe. Bradentc@hqmc.usmc.mil

LtCol Bill Leitheiser, Western Europe. Leitheiserwj@hqmc.usmc.mil

Maj Jose Cristy, Latin America and ACOM. Cristyjg@hqmc.usmc.mil

Please contact these officers at (703) 614-3706/4221 or DSN 224-3706/4221.

2000, Foreign Area Officer Association
Springfield, Virginia
Maintained by LTC Steve Gotowicki.
http://www.faoa.org