JFAOC

Joint Foreign Area Officer Course (JFAOC), Phase I

The journey to becoming a FAO begins with attendance at the Joint Foreign Area Officer Course, Phase I. JFAOC, Phase I is held in the Weckerling center at DLIFLC, Presidio of Monterey, California two times each year in January and June. The purpose of the five-day JFAOC, Phase I is to provide newly-assessed FAOs and their spouses from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines with an orientation to the FAO career field. The JFAOC, Phase I includes briefings from senior FAOs and other experts on a wide array of topics concerning the FAO career field. FAO spouses are encouraged to attend the Spouse Program that is conducted in parallel with the JFAOC, Phase I.

Topics discussed at JFAOC, Phase I include FAO roles and responsibilities, cross-cultural competence, national security policy, security cooperation/assistance, strategic political-military planning, introduction to the country team, attaché roles and responsibilities, and cross-cultural negotiation. Additionally, the course includes the FAO life-cycle, family issues, the Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) environment, personal security, and an orientation to each regional area of concentration (AOC). This course affords an opportunity for FAOs to develop their personal training plan, establish working relationships with their career managers, training officers and fellow newly-accessed FAOs, and understand the varied roles played by FAOs around the world. As FAOs often serve in remote locations and families are often placed in challenging cultural situations, spouses are highly-encouraged to attend the course to better understand the lifestyle and career choice into which the FAO is entering.

More information on the JFAOC, Phase I can be found by contacting your service’s FAO Proponent Office or by contacting the FAO Program Office at DLIFLC at FAOProgramOffice@dliflc.edu . We look forward to meeting you and your family.