AFAOA Bi-annual Newsletter – December 2025
CONTENTS:
- Updates from Headquarters Department of the Army G-35, DAMO-SSF Proponent
- 2nd Annual AFAOA Dinner
- 2025 Hall of Fame and Military Order of Lafayette Awardees
- A few FAO Change of Commands
- Letter from the President – Status of the Association
- FAOs in Action
- Opinion Piece: The Indispensable Foundation: Why Physical Fitness is Paramount for Foreign Area Officers, by COL Ian Murray
- Changes to the Security Cooperation Officer World – The Creation of the Defense Security Cooperation Service
- Join / Donate / Save the Date
Updates from Headquarters Department of the Army G-35, DAMO-SSF Proponent
On 7 November, the Proponent conducted the second iteration of the Direct Commissioning Board. After a widely broadcasted MILPER message in late summer we received almost 130 applicants. The selection process was rigorous, reflecting the high standards. Five individuals met the requisite experience, expertise, and age requirements to enter the interview phase. The panel represented by senior FAOs across all areas of concentration selected three candidates to be directly commissioned. If the necessary waivers for time-in-service and age limits are approved, three candidates, all qualified with language and regional experience, will enter the Corps. The Direct Commissioning Program provides a new pathway to enter the Corps, alleviating pressure placed on VTIP selections. In addition, we continue to refine the process, clarifying our minimum requirements and enhancing our marketing efforts. Overall, as the second iteration of a pilot program, this was successful and will give proponent two years of sample data to refine the program in the future.
The FAO Corps recently conducted its inaugural certification panel, meticulously assessing the expertise and experience of each Foreign Area Officer. More than just an evaluation, the panel provides invaluable mentorship and shares firsthand recommendations to hone personal and professional skills before FAOs embark on their initial utilization tour. The FAO Council of Colonels with a FAO GO assessed the capabilities of newly qualified FAOs across all areas of concentration. Through probing questions focused on complex regional geopolitical dynamics and realistic, experience-based scenarios, panelists gauged FAO competence and critical thinking. Crucially, the panel also provided a platform for FAOs to offer an individual assessment of the FAO training pipeline, allowing them to compare their personal training experiences with the newly developed FAO individual critical task list, ensuring the program remains relevant and effective. Furthermore, the certification panel fosters increased mentorship and vital networking opportunities for majors prior to potential country team assignments, where they will represent the U.S. Army and cultivate relationships with global partners, often in environments with limited direct military support. Recognizing the paramount importance of the certification panel in upholding and elevating FAO quality, the FAO general officer steering committee has appointed a General Officer to oversee all future certification panels, ensuring continued rigor and alignment with evolving global security challenges.
Army FAOs serve the Army by providing the Joint Force the best-trained and most experienced corps of foreign area experts. But we also represent the Army to the Joint Force, the Interagency, and our International Partners. It’s incumbent on us to stay current with Army plans, developments, and trends, and Army Senior Leaders expect us to do so (especially when they visit the countries in which you’re serving). The Army G-35’s “Keepin’ it Green” newsletter is delivered to your inboxes every quarter to help you do that. If you are not getting MG Ahern’s e-mail with “Keepin’ it Green” please contact your regional manager at FAO Proponent to ensure we have your current e-mail on our “Keepin’ it Green” distro.
KEEPING IT GREEN 1st EDITION – September 2025
KEEPING IT GREEN 2nd EDITION – December 2025
2nd Annual AFAOA Dinner
Over 80 Army FAOs gathered together on 12 October 2024 for the 2nd Annual AFAOA annual dinner in Washington D.C. MG Keith Philips, the senior Army FAO, presided over the event, which was moved at the last minute from the National Museum of the United States Army to a local restaurant due to the government shutdown.
Social hour before the event began
MG Keith Phillips, the Senior Army FAO, addressed the group to discuss the current and future status of the Army’s Functional Area 48 (Foreign Area Officer). MG Phillip’s speech concentrated on comparing a 1992 document where senior Army leaders debated the value of single tracking Army FAOs 1992 GEN Shali to GEN Reimer 1992 Single Track argument with an Army requirement of Functional Area proponents in August 2025 as a part of the CSA’s Army Transformation Initiative and a review of OPMS XXI. The Army is currently reviewing all Functional Areas and the FAO GOSC’s response. The questions the Army proposed are: OCFR FA48 Position Paper. Both papers can be found on the AFAOA website under historical documents.
Check out the full event at https://armyfaoassociation.com/2025-army-fao-association-2nd-annual-dinner/
Hall of Fame and Military Order of Lafayette Awardees
The Military Order of Lafayette is the honorary society of the Army Foreign Area Officer Association. The association currently has three levels to its honorary award system, with additional areas expected to be introduced in the upcoming months/years, including a spouse award. The association has updated the award cycle this year. For Hall of Fame awards, the award cycle begins each year in January with an annual award call-out message to all Army FAOs worldwide. Nominations are accepted through May 30th of each year, with awardees notified by July 1st. For LTC Nicholson and BG Young awards the award cycle has been changed to a rolling nomination. Nominees are responsible for purchasing their medallions as the association neither makes a profit nor incurs a debt for the awards. Nominators are permitted to buy the awards for the individuals they are nominating.
If you desire to nominate a FAO you can find the nomination process and forms on the AFAOA website. Be advised we are updating the nomination form and will put the new one online by February 1st, 2026. The Military Order of Lafayette
BG Charles Young Award 2025
COL Marcus Ferrara
COL Gregory Holmes
LTC Andrew Horsfall
LTC Pete Roongsang
COL Dirk Smith
LTC Stephanie Baugh
LTC Stephen Abrams
LTC Aaron Smith
MAJ Jason Hall
MG Phillips 48G awards (L to R) COL Ferrara 48P, LTC Baugh 48E, MAJ Hall 48G, and LTC Roongsang 48P the BG Charles Young Award of the Military Order of Lafayette at the 2nd Annual AFAOA dinner.
BG Ron Franklin 48E, SDO/DATT Russia, awards LTC Stephen Adams 48E, Garmisch FAO Director the BG Young Award at the Marshall Center, Garmisch, Germany 2025
2025 Hall of Fame
For a list of each of these awardees’ accomplishments click here 2025 Military Order of Lafayette Awards
A few FAO Change of Commands
Security Assistance Training Management Organizaiton (SATMO)
Photo courtesy of United States Security Assistance Command, Source: http://www.army.mil
Security Assistance Training Management Organization (SATMO) Change of Command 11 July 2025. Colonel Thomas Melton (48E) takes command of SATMO from Colonel Gregory Holmes (48G). BG Allen Pepper, Commander of the US Army Security Assistance Command presided over the ceremony.
NATO School Change of Command
Source NATO School Linkedin
In July 2025, Colonel Bradley Ritzel (48E) assumed command of the NATO School from Colonel Jay Smith (48E). The ceremony was led by Major General Konstantinos Mathios (GRC-A).
Letter from the President – Status of the Association
Army FAO Association members,
I am happy to share our bi-annual newsletter, which marks the end of 2025. The association has over 300 members, active and retired, and we look forward to continuing to expand our services to Army FAOs worldwide. The bi-annual newsletter aims to educate our members on current activities related to Army Functional Area 48 (Foreign Area Officer), highlight areas for esprit d’corps within Army FAOs, and provide avenues for information sharing worldwide. This year, the association accomplished all of our goals, and we are thankful to our members for their support. We had a successful annual dinner, even with a government shutdown that closed our location a week earlier. Next, through multiple donations, we established the COL (Ret.) Sue Ann Sandusky’s room at the Defense Language Institute Weckerling Center, and we published our first academic journal, called Horizons. Recently, the board of governors met and made a few changes to our bylaws, while not changing others as requested. First, we will begin offering a one-, three-, or five-year membership fee, with the rate remaining at $15.00 a year. Several FAOs have asked about lifetime membership, and the association has decided not to offer it, primarily because other associations have struggled financially when they do. The association strives to keep its financial requirements to a minimum, and we thank our members for their annual contributions in supporting the association. Next, we decided to make the first two awards of the Military Order of Lafayette have rolling application acceptance, which better aligns with the PCS season. The board decided to continue the membership requirement or restrictions, pending on your view, to Army FAOs only. The board worried that expanding membership too far would dilute the association’s camaraderie.
Next year, the association’s goals are to continue the academic journal, annual meeting, and seasonal social events in the National Capitol Region. In addition to these events, the association plans to launch our spouse award system, publish the Army FAO Handbook, and look for more ways to support and educate our population. We welcome any ideas or suggestions our members may have to improve the association further.
Yours in FAO,
Wes Chaney
Changes to the Security Cooperation Officer World – The Creation of the Defense Security Cooperation Service
Click here for the full presentation DSCS Update_Sep 2025
FAOs in Action
FAO General Officers in Action – MG Keith Phillips and BG Brad Nicholson – SDO/DATT Ukraine
Ukrainian military Linkedin
MG Phillips and BG Nicholson conduct RIP/TOA operations in Kyiv during their transition June 2025
Foreign Area Officer in Action – LTC Paul Corbett runs into a US Army War College Seminar friend of another Africa FAO
Sent via Whatsapp to the AFAOA President from Commander, Ghana Special Forces
Foreign Area Officer in Action – COL (Ret.) John Haseman
U.S. and Indonesia Support for U.N. Operations in Cambodia
The 1991 Paris Peace Accords in October 1991 attempted to end the Cambodia-Vietnam War as well as Cambodia’s internal civil conflicts. In 1992 the United Nations (UN) established the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), a peacekeeping operation given only a one year period of authority. It was the first time that the UN assumed administration of an independent state. Indonesia has been for decades one of the strongest supporters of UN peacekeeping operations around the world. When asked by the UN for help in the Cambodia operation, Indonesia’s President Soeharto immediately committed military support for UNTAC. Discussions with the UN determined that Indonesia would contribute a battalion-size cavalry task force. The main issue was the cost and the method to transport the men, cavalry vehicles, and equipment from Indonesia to Cambodia.
I was the American Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT) in Jakarta at the time. Although our office was not involved in the country-to-country negotiations on the issue, we became directly involved when the Indonesian Air Force requested U.S. Air Force assistance to transport the task force from Jakarta to Phnom Penh. The Indonesian Army prepared a task force from the 7th Cavalry Squadron to Phnom Penh. Stationed just south of Jakarta, the squadron was equipped with the U.S. Cadillac-Gage V-150 armored car. Indonesia had purchased most of their V-150s between 1977 and 1980. Their newest armored cars were delivered to the 7th Cavalry Squadron during my assignment as Chief, Army Division, U.S. Defense Liaison Group – Indonesia (DLG), 1980-1981.
The United States committed to assist the Indonesians to support this important UN peacekeeping operation. We agreed to move the symbolic lead element to Phnom Penh, and to support Indonesia in moving the rest of the task force with a combination of U.S. and Indonesian aircraft. In March 1992 a U.S. Air Force C-141 transport aircraft arrived at Halim Air Base, Jakarta to carry the lead tranche of Indonesian Army personnel, vehicles, and equipment to Phnom Penh. The 850-man Indonesian Army task force, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Sudjono, was designated Garuda XII-A. Garuda is the name for Indonesian’s national symbol, a mythical bird. Every Indonesian military organization assigned to UN peacekeeping missions has "Garuda" in its name. Garuda XII-A became the first tactical peacekeeping unit to arrive in Cambodia in support of UNTAC. The aircraft pictured was the first of several aircraft that moved Task Force Garuda XII-A to Cambodia. As the first flight, it carried a symbolic load of one V-150, supplies and equipment, the command group, and operation-ready soldiers. Subsequent U.S. Air Force and Indonesian Air Force aircraft carried the rest of the battalion in the coming week.
Photo by the author, (left) SDO/DATT Colonel John Haseman and Garuda XII-A Commander Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Sudjono, Photo by the author
Indonesia rotated the personnel of Garuda XII into four consecutive elements (XII-A through D) and also included cohorts from the Indonesian Marine Corps and the National Police. The UN assigned Garuda XII-A, B, and C to security responsibility for the UNTAC Headquarters in Phnom Penh and a second UNTAC element in Kampong Son. Garuda XII-D was entirely composed of National Police personnel. Indonesian armed forces personnel consider peacekeeping duty as a highly-desired assignment for career development, enhanced promotion, and the additional pay that all peacekeeping personnel receive. Since 2023 Indonesian military peacekeepers have deployed to Lebanon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Western Sahara. Indonesia opened the Peacekeeping Mission Center in Sentul, about 40 miles south of Jakarta, in 2013. The Center, which was built with U.S. support, also trains potential UN peacekeepers from other regional countries.
Opinion Piece
The Indispensable Foundation: Why Physical Fitness is Paramount for Foreign Area Officers
Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) occupy a unique and critical space within the Department of Defense (DoD), serving as the U.S. military’s experts on specific regions and their complex geopolitical landscape. Their responsibilities are diverse and demanding, ranging from diplomatic engagement and security cooperation to strategic advising and crisis response. Given the multifaceted nature of their responsibilities, physical fitness extends beyond personal well-being; it forms a crucial foundation for their effectiveness.[i] A strong level of physical fitness is not simply desirable. It is an indispensable element for the success and professionalism of all Foreign Area Officers.
[i] https://www.thayerleadership.com/blog/2017/fit-to-fightfit-to-lead-are-you-the-best-leader-you-can-be
Click here for the full article Fit FAO COL Murray
Join / Donate / Save the Date
Interested in joining or know an Army FAO who should – join here!
We continue to “FAOize” the Weckerling Center in Monterey – if you are interested in donating any FAO items (such as plaques, headgear, photos, etc.) collected during your FAO tours please contact the association atarmyfaoassociation@gmail.com
Save the following dates:
Military Order of Lafayette awards nominations due – no later than May 1st, 2026
2nd Edition of Horizons Academic Journal submission deadline May 1st, 2026
3rd Annual AFAOA Dinner – October 11th, 2026, FT Belvoir, VA 6-9pm