The Foreign Area Officer Podcast

Currently serving as the HQDA LNO to the French Army, LTC William Hogan, shares his unique experiences in language learning, IRT in Brazil, the interagency dynamics from Afghanistan to Haiti, and the political challenges as Army Attaché in Mexico and Nicaragua. Hogan reflects on his father's history in WWII as America's youngest tank battalion commander and the importance of preserving military re...

Is there a path to General Officer for U.S. Army FAOs?   In this episode Brigadier General Richard Quirk and his wife Teri explore both professional and personal aspects of FAO careers in the Middle East and North Africa. BG Quirk delves into his journey through the FAO Corps, emphasizing the significance of writing skills, maintaining ethical standards, and transitioning into higher ranks. Teri s...

In this episode of The Foreign Area Officer Podcast, Major Sergio Salazar recounts his journey from Puerto Rico to becoming a Spanish instructor at the United States Military Academy. He reflects on his early life, influenced by his brothers and a USMC father, his ambitions in law enforcement and mixed martial arts, and his eventual career in the Army. Major Salazar discusses his extensive deploym...

Is your FAO family prepared to evacuate? In this episode of the Foreign Area Officer podcast, @Anna and COL(R) @Brian Linville, reflect on their extensive experiences and challenges as a FAO family in Libya during the Arab Spring. Brian details his military background and transition to FAO while Anna shares her journey from U.S. Air Force linguist to musician and FAO spouse, culminating in the pub...

Why isn't there a dedicated FAO career field for Army NCOs? From Military Leadership to Literary Success: Randy Surles's Journey and Vital Tips for Retirees In this compelling episode, retired Command Sergeant Major Randy Surles delves into his military career working with foreign partners, including his role in a nascent FAO NCO program and missions in South America and Africa. We also explore Ra...

In this episode of the Foreign Area Officer podcast, Lieutenant Colonel Pete Roongsang, provides a deep dive into the life, career, and insights of a seasoned Foreign Area Officer (FAO). LTC Roongsang shares his journey from his first assignment in Timor Leste to significant roles in Thailand and the Pentagon, highlighting key lessons and experiences gained along the way. The conversation also cov...

COL(R) John Haseman  is a member of the DIA Defense Attaché Service Hall of Fame and a specialist in southeast asian political-military affairs.  He served in Vietnam as a military intelligence officer and district-level advisor and is one of very few Military Intelligence officers to earn the Combat Infantryman Badge.  His Vietnam service led him into the Foreign Area Officer program where he ser...

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Morales was raised in Naranjito on the island of Puerto Rico and has been an Engineer Officer, Special Forces Officer, and finally a foreign area officer during his military career, now serving in Office of Defense Coordination in Mexico City.  Jason served previous tours in Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and as an army inter-agency fellow at the Federal Emergency Manageme...

MAJ Neil Law is a native of Queens, New York, Neil currently serves as a U.S. Army foreign area officer in Port-au-Prince Haiti. He received his commission as a transportation officer from SUNY Albany, and completed two deployments to Afghanistan before assessing into the FAO career field and completing in-region training in Mexico City. He is fluent in Chinese Mandarin, Chinese Cantonese and Span...

Emma Shade is a U. S. Army Signal Officer from Georgia. She currently serves as Desk Officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency covering Sub Saharan Africa. Emma speaks French and Arabic, which she used in her assignments in N'Djamena Chad as the Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation and at SETAF-AF in Vicenza, Italy as the Sub Saharan Africa Desk Officer. She completed her IRT at the U. S....

MAJ Matt Saunders is an infantry officer at Latin America. Pharaoh currently earning his master's degree at the Harvard Kennedy school of government.  He is a Spanish speaker and completed his IRT at us embassy, Mexico city.   Dr. Madison Saunders is a practicing clinical audiologist. She earned her bachelor's of arts in communication, sciences, and disorders from LSU in 2012. And her doctorate of...

Lieutenant Colonel Wes Chaney is an infantry officer who currently serves as the Director for CENTCOM Regional Operations at the United States Army Security Assistance Command.  In previous assignments has served as the Foreign Area Officer Branch Chief, SDO/DATT in Côte d’Ivoire and in Djibouti as the Chief of the Security Cooperation Office.  He also served assignments at the Army G-3/5/7 and in...