Welcome to the Reserve Component (RC) Foreign Affairs Officer (FAO) Community Manager's page. As the RC FAO Community Manager, I manage the officer community with a 1715 designator. This webpage is designed to provide helpful information regarding the RC FAO community, guidance for potential redesignation candidates, and administrative management tools for current RC FAOs.
The RC FAO Community is currently seeking well-qualified LT and LCDR applicants. If you are a prospective RC FAO candidate, your current Officer Community Manager's (OCM) contact information can be found on the My Navy HR Selected Reservist webpage located here.
The RC FAO Community is a stand-alone Restricted Line Community offering world-wide assignment opportunities to qualified Naval Officers.
FAOs are the Navy's forward-deployed strategic operators who leverage waterfront leadership, strategic thinking, operational acumen, and human connections to deliver integrated deterrence effects, outpace adversaries, and deliver combined, joint and fleet access to create a geo-strategic posture advantage to promote maritime security, ensure sea control, and project power.
Naval Officers selected for RC FAO are geographically aligned with a Combatant Command (COCOM)-regional specialization and must qualify and attain the relevant FA(x)-series AQD to become fully qualified as a FAO, normally within twelve (12) months of selection. In addition, they must also seek assignment to RC FAO-coded (171X) billets in Fleet and Joint Staff, Security Cooperation, and Attaché augmentation or mobilization roles in accordance with the notional career progression path of a RC FAO. FAO’s provide expertise in planning and executing operations, provide liaison with foreign militaries operating in coalitions with U.S. forces, conduct political-military activities, and execute military-diplomatic missions U.S. Embassies. Maintaining proficiency in one or more of the dominant languages within their regions of expertise, measured through a current (typically annual) Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT), and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores, is required.
Process for requesting redesignation to Reserve Component Foreign Area Officer (1715 designator):
All applicants for redesignation to the RC FAO Community/1715 designator shall meet general eligibility requirements and restrictions as outlined in BUPERSINST 1001.39F Chapter 9 and MILPERSMAN 1212-010 before proceeding. Applicants must also review and be familiar with community-specific eligibility requirements IAW OPNAVINST 1301.10 (series) prior to submission of any documentation.
1. Prospective RC FAO candidates must contact their current Officer Community Manager (OCM) to discuss the possibility of release from their community. If you do not have a contact for your current OCM and have reviewed the My Navy HR Selected Reservist webpage mentioned above, please contact the Reserve FAO OCM for guidance.
2. If a member's current OCM provides preliminary release approval from your current community, contact the RC FAO OCM to communicate your interest. NOTE: Applicants who do not receive preliminary release approval from their current OCM, fail to reasonably coordinate, or to follow the guidance provided by the RC FAO OCM and this webpage will not be processed.
3. Required application package documentation: Candidates must thoroughly review the OPNAVINST 1301.10 (series) in entirety, to include the references cited. Once completed, candidates must prepare a change of designator request (appropriate template can be found within Chapter 9 of BUPERSINST 1001.39 (series)), and enclose a) supporting documentation demonstrating satisfaction of designator-specific eligibility requirements outlined in paragraph 6.a.(2) of OPNAVINST 1301.10, and b) a personal statement of motivation not to exceed two pages. Complete draft application packages shall be provided to RC FAO OCM for initial screening or referral for next-level reviews.
4. Candidates who do not meet OPNAVINST 1301.10 (series) eligibility for FAO education or in-theater experience may still be considered for redesignation, but will be evaluated on the probability of successfully meeting the graduate education Constructive Credit Waiver (CCW) SOP or in-region experience cumulative credit SOP requirements within twelve (12) months of redesignation.
5. Candidates who screen favorably against eligibility requirements and are approved by the OCM to move forward will be referred to FAO leadership for coordination of a graded interview conducted by a senior FAO. (Note: Draft redesignation packages must be screened by the RC FAO OCM for candidate eligibility prior to completion of this step. As such, it is critical that candidates maintain constant communication with the RC FAO OCM throughout the process!).
6. Complete, initially screened packages with all enclosures and endorsements must be received by the RC FAO OCM no later than (NLT) 1 March or 1 August of the calendar year for consideration. (Note: Check with the RC FAO OCM for any submission timeline changes).
7. Candidates who successfully navigate the guidance above, meet eligibility requirements, receive a positive assessment from the graded interview, and are matched to an available officer program authorization (available 1715 quota), will be provided with an endorsement from the RC FAO community lead.
8. RC FAO leaders will then route redesignation packages to the Flag Sponsor for a final decision.
9. Upon Flag Sponsor decision, the RC FAO OCM will process approved redesignation requests through the members current OCM and to PERS-911C to ensure general redesignation eligibility requirements are satisfied IAW BUPERSINST 1001.39 (series), MILPERSMAN 1212-010, and for purposes of updating official naval records and systems.