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 The Department of Defense has recently reinvigorated Foreign Area Officer programs in all the services, and the Naval Postgraduate School is at the forefront of preparing new FAOs for their duties. The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review brought this to the fore, highlighting the need for “considerably improved language and cultural awareness to develop a greater understanding of emerging powers and how they may approach strategic choices,” and citing the “increasing importance of Foreign Area Officers, who provide Combatant Commanders with political-military analysis, critical language skills and cultural adeptness.”
To build on the momentum generated by the renewed importance of FAOs to national security, and to connect the academic FAO environment with functional demands of the FAOs in the field, this conference will address three main audiences. The first is the FAOs, both those in training and those in the field. The second audience is the FAO program leaders and managers. Service proponents will share their visions and exchange ideas about the direction and implementation of their respective FAO programs. Finally, experts from the rich academic environment of NPS and other regional institutions from NPS and other regional institutions will give their ideas on what FAOs ought to know about current events and regional issues.
Find out what direction the FAO community is heading. Meet your colleagues and share ideas. Discuss regional issues with practitioners and academics. Don’t miss this opportunity to see—and impact—the growing role of the FAO.
Why Monterey?
NPS and the Defense Language Institute provide a “crucible of learning” for the skills FAOs need. The vast majority of the services’ FAOs receive their regional education through NPS’ Department of National Security Affairs, and virtually all FAO language training is done through DLI. With its proximity to these and other academic resources on the West coast, NPS is a natural venue for this conference.
Air University Culture and Language Center
Joining NPS in this endeavor will be the Air University Culture and Language Center, whose generous offer of financial support is central to making this conference happen. They will also provide speakers who will present research on a heretofore neglected tool of the FAO’s kit: cultural anthropology. The conference will thus be a forum for the interaction of cultural, language and regional experts with FAO practitioners and managers.
Banquet
Banques fees for local attendees is $48. Cash only please.
Call for Papers
We are currently requesting papers that address topics related but not limited to, regional issues of importance to FAOs, the relevance of language and culture to military officers, measuring FAO language and cross-cultural competence and viewpoints of the current and future of FAO programs in the Military Services. Interested applicants need only email a 1-page abstract to NPS_FAO@nps.edu by 15 June.
Call for Expo Exhibitors
If you are an organization interested in displaying your products to the most concentrated audience of FAOs this year, please send an email to NPS_FAO@nps.edu with a description of your products. Deadline for submission is July 15.
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