The Foreign Area Officer Podcast The FAO Podcast

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 covers the evolving landscape of FAO assignments, the strategic importance of FAOs within the U.S. Army and Department of Defense, and the critical values that guide an FAO's career. Additionally, LTC Roongsang, currently serving as the FAO Branch Chief, discusses new initiatives and changes within the FAO program and offers valuable advice to FAOs for professional development and personal conduct.
00:00 Introduction to the Foreign Area Officer Podcast
00:50 Guest Introduction: LTC Pete Roongsang
01:23 First FAO Assignment: Chief of Defense Cooperation in Timor Leste
03:33 Collaboration and Impact in Timor Leste
08:01 Working with International Partners
10:27 Developing East Timor's Defense Capabilities
18:39 Transition to Thailand: A Personal and Professional Journey
19:29 FAO Career Path: From West Point to Thailand
29:36 Strengthening U.S.-Thai Defense Alliance
35:38 The Power of Interagency Collaboration
39:37 The Importance of Communication Channels in Security Cooperation
40:28 Transitioning to Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Policy Work
41:33 The Unique Value FAOs Bring to OSD Policy
45:26 Challenges and Strategies for FAOs in Civilian Institutions
47:53 The Role and Impact of the FAO Branch Chief
51:23 Evolving FAO Assignments and the Introduction of DSCS
01:03:12 Optimizing the FAO Training Pipeline and Career Management
01:06:09 Final Thoughts and Advice for FAOs

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 served overseas tours in Indonesia, Burma and Thailand.  A prolific writer, COL Haseman is the editor of the Foreign Area Officer Association Journal of International Affairs.  
 
Check out his books!
In the Mouth of the Dragon: Memoir of a District Advisor in the Making Delta, 1971-1973. https://a.co/d/diqKv6m
The Thai Resistance Movement During World War II https://a.co/d/267J172 
 

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 Management Agency. 

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 Spanish. 

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. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  
Alex Shade is from Ridgewood, New Jersey. A graduate of the Citadel Military College, he commissioned as a U.S. Army Armor Officer, where he served for two years before transitioning to Military Intelligence.  An Arabic and German speaker, he currently serves on the Joint Staff J5 on the Israel Desk. Previous assignments include Army Attaché in N'Djamena, Chad, including nine months as Acting SDO/DATT, North Africa Desk Officer at SETAF-AF in Vicenza, Italy, and he completed his IRT at U. S. Embassy in Rabat, Morocco. 

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 audiology from the university of Kansas medical center in 2017.