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ATTENTION INVITED TO  

ROUTINE

R 131519Z MAR 13 PSN 462170K20

FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC

TO ALNAV

INFO ZEN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/CMC WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/CNO WASHINGTON DC

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SUBJ: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS UNCLASSIFIED/ FM SECNAV 
WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CMC WASHINGTON DC CNO 
WASHINGTON DC

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MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/MAR//

REF/A/DOC/DEPSECDEF/20050405//

REF/B//DOC/UNSECDEF PERS AND READ/20070928//

REF/C/DOC/SECNAV/20130123//

NARR/REF A IS DODD 1315.17 MILITARY DEPARTMENT FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS.  REF B IS 
DODI 1315.20 MANAGEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS.  REF 
C IS SECNAVINST 1301.7 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS.

SUBJ/DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS//

RMKS/1.  ADMIRALS, GENERALS, SENIOR EXECUTIVES, SAILORS AND MARINES.
ON 23 JANUARY 2013, PURSUANT TO REFS A AND B, I APPROVED SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (SECNAV) 
INSTRUCTION 1301.7 (REF C), PROVIDING DIRECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY (DON) ON THE 
DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT OF NAVY AND MARINE CORPS FOREIGN AREA OFFICER (FAO) 
PROGRAMS.  THE INSTRUCTION UNDERSCORES MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND 
FUTURE OF BOTH PROGRAMS AND THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS ELITE CADRE OF LANGUAGE, 
REGIONAL EXPERTISE AND CULTURE (LREC) SPECIALISTS TO THE DEPARTMENT.  I DESIGNATED THE 
DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF THE NAVY (PLANS, POLICY, OVERSIGHT AND INTEGRATION) AS MY 
EXECUTIVE AGENT TO IMPLEMENT THIS INSTRUCTION.  I WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE A PERSONAL 
INTEREST IN THESE PROGRAMS.

2.  THE LESSONS OF THE PAST DECADE HAVE TAUGHT US THAT TRUST AND COOPERATION CANNOT BE 
SURGED, AND NEITHER CAN THE LREC SKILLS REQUIRED TO BUILD THESE LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS.  
BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND THE DECREASED AVAILABILITY OF CONVENTIONAL FORCES GLOBALLY 
HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.  
TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN CURRENT AND FUTURE OPERATIONS, THE DON MUST BE PREPARED TO WORK 
WITH AN EXPANDING NUMBER OF COALITION PARTNERS IN A DIVERSE SET OF GEOPOLITICAL 
CONDITIONS AROUND THE WORLD.  SUCCESS IN THESE OPERATIONS, AND ON THE ASYMMETRIC 
BATTLEFIELDS OF THE FUTURE, REQUIRES SPECIALIZED OFFICERS WITH A SOPHISTICATED 
UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT, CAPABLE OF FACILITATING CLOSE 
AND CONTINUOUS MILITARY DIPLOMATIC INTERACTION WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR 
DEFENSE ESTABLISHMENTS.  ONLY THE BEST AND MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED OFFICERS IN THE NAVY AND 
MARINE CORPS WILL BE SELECTED, EDUCATED, AND TRAINED FOR THIS MISSION.

3.  DURING MY TENURE AS SECNAV, I HAVE OBSERVED FIRSTHAND THE CRITICAL WORK THAT NAVY 
AND MARINE FAOS DO EACH DAY AT SEA, ON THE FRONT LINES, AND AT OUR EMBASSIES AROUND THE 
WORLD.  THE IMPACT OF THESE OFFICERS UPON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, REAL-WORLD OPERATIONS, AND 
THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE U.S. CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.  ON THE TACTICAL LEVEL, FAOS ARE 
INDISPENSABLE TO THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF OPERATIONS, INCLUDING FACILITATING 
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL POPULATIONS, AND LEVERAGING THEIR LREC SKILLS TO 
SHAPE STRATEGIC MESSAGING IN SUPPORT OF THESE OPERATIONS.  AS ATTACHES, FAOS REPRESENT 
MYSELF, THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, AND THE COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS TO THE 
FOREIGN SERVICE AND TO FOREIGN MILITARIES.  AS SECURITY COOPERATION OFFICERS, FAOS MANAGE 
CRITICAL FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS WITH OUR ALLIES, INCLUDING FOREIGN MILITARY SALES; 
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS; AND THEATER SECURITY 
COOPERATION PORTFOLIOS, WHICH BUILD THE CAPACITY OF OUR INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.  ON THE 
STAFFS OF THE GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDS AND COMPONENT COMMANDS, FAOS 
DIRECTLY INFLUENCE INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND THE STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT OF OUR 
EXPEDITIONARY FORCES, TO INCLUDE PORT VISITS, JOINT EXERCISES, AND MILITARY-TO-MILITARY 
EXCHANGES.  WITHIN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, JOINT STAFF, SERVICE STAFFS, AND 
THE INTERAGENCY, FAOS PROVIDE UNIQUE POLITICAL-MILITARY EXPERTISE TO SENIOR LEADERS, 
DIRECTLY SHAPING U.S. FOREIGN POLICY.  BOTH SERVICES CAN BE JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF THE 
TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE WARRIOR-DIPLOMATS.

4.  THE FUTURE OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS FAO PROGRAMS IS STRONG.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE NAVY INCREASED ITS INVENTORY OF FAOS TO 256 OFFICERS AND 
CONTINUES TO MATURE TOWARDS FULL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY.
THE NAVY'S IMPLEMENTATION OF MILESTONE SCREENING CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AN ALREADY 
ROBUST AND PROVEN FAO CAREER PATH TO FLAG LEVEL.  THE MARINE CORPS HAS ALSO MADE GREAT 
STRIDES.  COMMAND SELECTION RATES FOR MARINE CORPS FAOS ARE ON PAR WITH THE SERVICE 
AVERAGE AND PROMOTION RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THE SERVICE AVERAGE.
THESE STATISTICS REFLECT THE COMPETITIVENESS AND RIGOR OF THE FAO SELECTION PROCESS.  I AM 
COMMITTED TO ENSURING PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDE COMPETITIVE CAREER 
ADVANCEMENT FOR FAOS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE AT THE GENERAL/FLAG OFFICER RANK.  
OUR WORK AS SENIOR LEADERS, HOWEVER, IS NOT FINISHED.  I WILL CONTINUE TO RELY UPON THE 
LEADERSHIP OF BOTH SERVICES TO FULLY RESOURCE THESE PROGRAMS, ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE OUR 
BEST OFFICERS TO APPLY, AND ENSURE THAT FAOS ARE BEING UTILIZED IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE 
BILLETS FOR THEIR SKILL SET.  IT IS A TASK THAT I AM CONFIDENT WE WILL ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.

5.  RELEASED BY RAY MABUS, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.

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