US Army Task Force Southern Europe, Africa (SETAF-AF) is hosting the first African Field Officers (FAO) forum with 80 participants at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy, December 11-14, 2023.
The FAO Africa Forum is a dedicated platform for FAOs, offering opportunities for academic discussions, professional development and collaborative workshops to foster collaboration, address unique challenges in the FAO African community and facilitate face-to-face interactions, mentoring and career mapping discussions.
“Foreign Area Officers play a critical role in enhancing people’s understanding of our mission, working at the tactical level to bridge the gap between [Department of] Defense and State [Department Foreign Service]said Lt. Gen. Todd R. Wasmund, SETAF-AF commander. “They contribute to our mission by maintaining relationships with our African partners and enhancing understanding of the value of our military programs in their country.”
FAOs, commissioned officers from the US Armed Forces, are strategically trained as military diplomats with regional expertise, language proficiency and a global presence. They serve in a variety of capacities, including US embassies and military command staffs, participating in a variety of areas to promote international partnerships and advance US national security interests.
“Foreign Area Officers serve in a variety of roles, from working at SETAF-AF in the Directorate of Security Cooperation as desk officers to providing intelligence to the command on US military engagement with our partner nations in Africa,” said Lt. Col. Amanda Parker . an FAO assigned to the US Embassy in Pretoria, Africa. “Particularly in SETAF-AF, a Chief of Security Cooperation would help coordinate SETAF-AF activities with the partner nation’s military. There are a number of different ways in which this happens and FAO is critical in helping to facilitate it.”
The forum included multiple panels: FAOs in Crisis Response; Army 2030 and Multi-Sector Operations. US Indo-Pacific Command priorities and their implications for Africa; Military activities, operations and investments in Africa. and Senior FAO Insight.
FAO organized a collaborative workshop during the forum, facilitating small group discussions on challenges unique to the FAO African community. They categorized these challenges and assessed possible solutions within the FAO African team or whether they needed support from the Ministry of Defence.
Positive changes and support from leadership contribute to the continued development and effectiveness of FAOs in their diplomatic and security roles.
U.S. Army South Europe Task Force Africa provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa with a dedicated headquarters for synchronizing Army operations in Africa and scalable crisis response options in Africa and Europe.
For more information on US military operations in Africa, go to www.setaf-africa.army.mil.
Download date: | 01.01.2024 |
Shipping date: | 02.11.2024 10:16 |
Story ID: | 461865 |
Location: | VICENZA, IT |
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