FAOs as Attachés in Africa
By Colonel Laura Varhola, U.S. Army (retired); and Colonel Nicholas Lovelace, U.S. Army (retired)
Introduction
In 1914, a 44-year old German Lieutenant Colonel named Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck arrived in German East Africa to assume command of the Schutztruppe, a colonial garrison force of 260 European and 2,472 askaris. His mission was to maintain peace in the colony and quell native uprisings. The Schutztruppe possessed 67 machine guns, but lacked artillery, having only 31 outdated, small-caliber field guns. The askaris were still armed with obsolete 1871 pattern rifles that fired cartridges using black powder. However, as WWI began, despite being completely outnumbered by the British colonial forces from East and South Africa, Lettow-Vorbeck made the strategic decision to open a new theater of war in East Africa and tie down over 300,000 Allied troops that would otherwise have been sent to fight in Europe. Although Germany ultimately lost the war, Lettow-Vorbeck’s understanding of the strategic situation, coupled with military experience, initiative, and knowledge of the enemy, allowed him to do this with only 3,000 colonial and 11,000 African soldiers.
Although not a defense attaché himself, Lettow-Vorbeck epitomized the qualities of a senior defense official operating in Africa. He spoke fluent Swahili, had trained and fought in German Southwest Africa, and had observed the British in South Africa during the Boer War. His understanding of British tactics and motivations, and his ability to communicate well with his government, created the conditions for success. While your assignment as a senior defense official or defense attaché (SDO/DATT) in Africa may not have such strategic outcomes weighing in the balance, your knowledge and prescient understanding of your assigned country’s political-military situation will nevertheless be critical to maintaining U.S. national security and advancing U.S. policy.
The role of an SDO/DATT is to serve as the Chief of Mission’s primary military advisor on defense and national security issues, and the senior diplomatically accredited Department of Defense (DoD) military officer assigned to a diplomatic mission. He or she is also the single point of contact for all DoD matters involving the embassy or DoD elements assigned to or working from the embassy. An SDO/DATT represents the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and is considered the dual-hatted chief of both the security cooperation organization (SCO) and the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) in the embassy. Depending on the size of the DAO, there may also be individual service attachés assigned, such as an Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine attaché. Regardless of your specific title, a military attaché’s job will range from working with Interagency counterparts on collection activities to coordinating VIP visits. In between, you will develop and oversee military sales and training activities and other military-to-military events. Underlying all this is the assumption that you are the U.S. Military’s (or your specific Service’s) foremost expert on your assigned country and region. An attaché assignment is a high visibility job in which success is dependent on myriad factors, to include your ability to effectively communicate, display appropriate social skills, articulate military subject matter expertise, and to develop a wide network of contacts. You will face administrative, operational, and policy challenges, to include host nation intransigence and/or supersaturation, and difficult personalities. How you address and deal with these challenges will determine your success or failure as an attaché.
Top Lessons from being an Attaché in Africa
Upon my arrival in Africa for the first time as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), I can still remember getting off the airplane at night and being hit by a wave of sensations. First it was the oppressive heat, followed by the smells of smoke, sweat, manure and roach spray. As my driver picked me up and delivered me to my hotel, I remember him almost hitting two goats crossing the road, a pedestrian who took for granted she had the right of way, and a flash flood that had just washed away part of the road requiring some creative off-road travel. Little did I know at the time how soon this would become the norm and no longer novel or intimidating. Similar observations can be made on the nature of being a military attaché in Africa.
Africa is diverse, and no attaché experience is the same. One day you may be eating spicy goat intestines with host nation soldiers around a campfire while observing training maneuvers, and the next evening attending a cocktail party at a five-star hotel. Given its colonial antecedents, Africa is still a place where China and Russia hold sway, and this can be a factor in U.S. – Africa relations. You may still have a Chief of Defense in your assigned country who has the equivalent of a high school education but was trained and indoctrinated in the former Soviet Union. While he may be a tough as nails bush fighter with lots of practical experience, his receptivity to American overtures and engagement may be limited. Similarly, you may have a Director of Military Intelligence who was educated in China and is suspicious of U.S. intentions. At the end of the day, your job will be to find out where you are most effective in pursuing your goals and objectives. Like the societies they represent, militaries are not homogeneous. If you are challenged with the senior levels, focus engagement efforts on the mid and lower levels of the host nation military via education, training, and other military-to-military opportunities.
The ideal of anti-colonialism is still pervasive in many parts of Africa. As an anecdote to this reality, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was given a standing ovation and hailed as a great leader and freedom fighter during the 2016 Heads of State Summit at the African Union. While these attributes were highlighted, they overshadowed any mention of this leader’s ethnic cleansing of a rival ethnic group, his country’s devastated economy, or his documented corruption and rule through complete dictatorship. This phenomenon is still present in the rhetoric and actions of many African leaders and reinforces the challenges of engaging in Africa.
On a personal level, there are also significant challenges which are no less important. The sheer size of the continent complicates travel and logistics. Travel outside of capital cities often leads to unwanted adventures. No attaché worth his or her salt would ever travel without at least two spare tires in their vehicle. I don’t know of any fellow Africa defense attaché that hasn’t repaired their vehicle along the side of a road at least once. Risk of infections and disease are also factors. Malaria is a reality in many regions and requires a dedicated prophylaxis regime. A constant supply of Pepto Bismol and Cipro are considered pacing items, given periodic stomach ailments that after a while become the norm. Lack of infrastructure and technical specialists, to include doctors who can handle more than routine medical procedures, are often in short supply. Most of Africa, especially outside the capitals and away from big hotels, still operates on a cash-only basis. My operations NCO in Addis Ababa, for example, sold his car to a local Ethiopian, and after the transaction brought a full duffle bag of local currency into the embassy. Other than hotel and airline reservations, the entire time we were in Africa we never used credit cards. In some parts of Africa, U.S. diplomats can only travel around via an armored vehicle. Lack of jobs and opportunities for spouses can also be a challenge, unless they are able to get a job at the U.S. embassy. However, those who arrive in Africa thinking that it will be the “wild wild West” and anything goes, will be sadly mistaken. They will be a liability, given their failure to comprehend the complex and nuanced realities of operating effectively in diverse African social structures.
Understand That You Have Many Bosses
Recognize that you will have many “bosses” as an attaché. You will concurrently work for and need to be responsive to the Ambassador, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the Combatant Commander (CCDR) for your theater. Maintain a balance between these different organizations. If you are stronger at being responsive to one, the other relationship may suffer. In some cases, you may have a Joint Task Force (JTF) operating in your country or region that will also require your attention. For example, AFRICOM had the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) for many years in Djibouti. Its area of responsibility included 10 countries in East Africa and the Horn. Attachés in East Africa were also responsible to address the JTF’s requirements. This can be challenging when task forces rotate personnel constantly, but often have preconceived notions of operating in the region.
Keep your Crisis Contact List Updated
Don’t wait until a crisis occurs in your assigned country to figure out who to contact for help. Work with your embassy, host nation, COCOM, and DIA to ensure the relevant points of contact are updated.
The embassy Regional Security Office (RSO) maintains the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The Defense Attaché Office is required to keep an updated annex within the book, to include key host nation military points of contact such as the air operations center – in the event emergency overflight clearances or MEDEVAC requests are necessary. The Defense Attaché Office (DAO) manages the overflight clearances for all U.S. military aircraft and contracted MEDEVAC requests coming into your host country. This is an important and time sensitive responsibility where host nation contacts and relationships must be maintained.
Other points of contact include the defense foreign relations office, the chief of defense, chief of military intelligence, chief of operations or logistics, etc. This list should also include any significant people within your defense and security portfolio who will help facilitate an issue in the event of crisis. Maintain contact information for the COCOM’s Joint Operations Center (JOC), DIA’s Crisis Center, and your JTF’s JOC, as necessary. Make sure your DAO staff knows where to access this annex, and ensure it is updated on a regular basis. The contact information for your fellow NATO attaches should also be handy, particularly that of the former colonial power - in Francophone and Lusophone countries especially - as their access and ability to gather information will most likely surpass yours.
Be Comfortable Operating in Uncomfortable Situations
Trust yourself and always provide your “best military advice.” Be willing to speak truth to power. If your Ambassador and CCDR disagree on an issue, be willing to step in and help articulate a solution that works for all parties. Your job is not to take sides, but to understand that there will sometimes be conflicting agendas and/or competing priorities. Provide options and recommendations to resolve these issues based on your experience and judgment. You can still be loyal to both without compromising your ethics and values. This is why you have been placed in this position. Understanding how the host nation military will react to a U.S. policy decision, or a potential military operation or training opportunity, is important to figuring out the best way forward.
Moreover, make sure you are well versed in the strategic environment, both within your country and the surrounding region. A basic understanding of socio-economic dynamics, especially outside of the capital city and how these relate to specific ethnic groups and key personalities can give insight and logic into ethnic grievance, motivations, and fault lines. Religion also plays a key role in Africa and can be used as a tool to inspire the population, as well as to oppress. Most importantly, have a solid foundation in the host nation language. While you will not always have the opportunity to receive language training before being assigned to a country, at least make an effort to learn the basic phrases and important cultural norms and expectations. Most embassies in Africa offer language training. Take advantage of this opportunity. A little language will go a long way in showing your interest in host nation counterparts. Fluency in a language will take you to the whole next level.
Trust Your Hunches and be Willing to Speak Up
Don’t be afraid to report or write about an issue in your country, even if you are not sure it’s important. Given your FAO background, training, and experience, it is important to trust your hunches. That said, it is also important to ensure that your hunch is based on well-informed judgment and research. There are many times I kicked myself for not writing down an important point or tidbit of info that I heard at a reception, event, or after meeting a contact. However, given how busy your job can be, sometimes these things fall through the cracks. Know when it’s worth staying up an extra hour to write it down and send it forward. Knowing when an issue will have a strategic impact for U.S. policy makers is a learned skill. As a defense attaché, you are in the best position, with often the best access, to understand the ground truth.
Don’t Let the Job Go to Your Head
As a corollary to the above lesson, don’t think you have more power or know more than you actually do. During my career, one of the best defense attachés and Africanists I know, decided to go head-to-head with the J5 and CCDR over a disagreement with an AFRICOM decision. After all, this attaché was the “expert” in that country, not the COCOM. After that, the attaché quietly retired. In another example, I had a colleague who pushed the limits regarding his behavior and interactions with embassy staff and was sent home by the Ambassador. As the senior U.S. military representative operating in your assigned country, it is easy to think that you know more than others - like your Ambassador, the COCOM, or DIA, about the host nation military or how things work. In many ways you probably will. However, you are still a cog in the overall U.S. government machine – albeit a strategically important one. Don’t overstep your boundaries by feeling that you don’t have to follow-up on Chief of Mission, COCOM or DIA actions or tasks. Also recognize that just because you say what you think is true, does not mean that folks back in Washington D.C. or the COCOMs will agree with you. This is where professional communication, patience, and diplomacy come into play. Know when to speak up, but also know when to back down.
It is also important to never forget that you represent the U.S. Military and the values and standards it requires. Too often FAOs are returned to service before the end of their assignments. While some reasons involve unforeseen and legitimate emergency medical and family issues, other reasons include ethical and/or security violations, bad conduct, loss of supervisor confidence, and lapse in professional maturity and judgment.
The tone you set in your DAO, particularly as SDO/DATT, will have a significant impact on the conduct of your DoD colleagues and may help reduce the number who are returned to service for failing to perform. If DoD is from Mars, then Mars is a hierarchical society with military rank, standards (physical appearance and fitness) and expectations that don’t always fit in with life on Venus (life within a U.S. embassy). Allowing your DAO/SCO to operate as just another office within the embassy can erode the military values and warrior ethos you uphold. While our Venus colleagues are bright, competitively selected men and women who equally love their country, most have not been first sergeants or platoon leaders and company commanders and faced the individual and collective challenges you have faced. Many will react differently to stressful conditions and will often operate under different bureaucratic regulatory requirements (e.g., air travel, dependent support, medical evacuation, etc.).
As the Director of Security Cooperation at U.S. Army Africa, I would often call DAOs on the continent to speak to attachés about Army component command issues in their respective countries. If the DAO answered the phone with, “Hello, this is Mike or Susie,” my sarcastic response was to congratulate them on finding room in their budget to hire a civilian secretary. After a pause, the response was most often, “This is Staff Sergeant “X”. I just answer the phone like that because we work in an embassy.” When first names are used in the office and civilian clothes are more prevalent than uniforms and grooming standards are relaxed, it becomes a slippery slope towards disregarding those military values we’ve worked hard to represent. You must remind yourself and your colleagues that your pedigree as a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine must remain an integral part of who you are as an attaché, security cooperation officer or DoD staff member. This also holds true with temporary duty (TDY) personnel, to include Special Operations Forces (SOF), who might view military courtesy as optional, but not required.
While the job of an attaché can be stressful, with many competing priorities, don’t let the stress and strain of the job take you down the wrong path. There will be lots of opportunities to make wrong decisions. Know what you are doing, and how to avoid making bad choices. This is probably the number one cause for attaches to be sent home – and an important point they drill into you at the Joint Military Attaché School (JMAS). It’s easy to feel like you can get away with anything when you are operating so far away from home and the proverbial “flagpole.” However, in this business, any personal weaknesses or indiscretion (ie., debt, infidelity, excessive alcohol, etc.) will come back to bite you, and not only cause personal embarrassment for you, but your family and the U.S. government. Don’t allow yourself to be blackmailed. Certain unfriendly intelligence services (and even some friendly ones) are always looking for an angle to embarrass the U.S. government. Red flags should go up if a charismatic Chinese businessman wants to be best pals with you on “WhatsApp,” or a beautiful Russian woman is paying you special attention. Don’t just assume it’s because of your great looks and winning personality!
Stay Organized and Well Informed
As a defense attaché there will never be enough time in the day to complete all tasks assigned. Therefore, the key is to stay well organized so you can focus on what is important. Make sure you also stay up to date on local news and events, both in your host nation and U.S., and make time to attend conferences, briefings and consultations with both your host nation, DIA, and the COCOM. Staying informed will keep you “relevant” and lend credibility to your comments, insights, and assessments. When POTUS visited Ethiopia in 2016, the DAO was charged with coordinating all airport security with the Ethiopian security services, and with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF). I cannot emphasize enough here the importance of a good DAO contact list. We relied on it heavily, to include calling in favors owed to make things happen. Our office could not have handled such a herculean task without a well-organized DAO plan that included daily update briefs, situation reports (SITREPS), and a 24/7 duty roster clearly identifying tasks and responsibilities for all assigned and attached U.S. Military members. Meanwhile, other daily tasks still had to get done so normal DAO operations would not come to a screeching halt.
Take Care of Your People
No matter how busy you are, never forget to take care of your people. Regardless of how cool and exciting the job is, you will still have military evaluations, civilian appraisals, quarterly counseling, weekly reports, and end of tour awards, etc., to complete. My husband and I always kept $1,000 cash at home in the event an NCO or a family member had to go to the emergency room in the middle of the night. Many hospitals in Africa only admit patients if cash is paid up front. Don’t forget you are a leader also responsible for the health and welfare of your subordinates’ families.
You may also have an opportunity to sit on one of the embassy boards, such as the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) or housing board. Issues discussed and decisions made at these meetings often directly affects quality of life issues of your personnel. Having DoD participation in these meetings ensures a voice for your personnel and their families.
Make Time for Family and Fun
Do not get so involved with work that you sacrifice important time and events with your family. The job can be demanding and stressful. However, still make time for family and activities you like doing for fun and relaxation. Also make sure you make time for exercise. We can’t stress this enough. Your job will be a lot more stressful if you don’t take care of yourself. Participate in embassy sponsored events, join a local club or team, or volunteer with your children’s events (ie., become a scout leader or coach, etc.). This will also help you make new friends and contacts with the host nation. Life is not always about work. The more you learn about your assigned country, the better attaché and cultural resource you will become. For example, if you go on a safari or desert trek, hire local guides. Listen to their socio-economic situation and challenges, learn about their families, and their dreams. Hunting trips in many parts of Africa are also a great way to access remote areas that are otherwise denied to most members of an embassy. This will give you insights into local conditions and the state of economic and political affairs.
Key Attaché Relationships
A major key to your success will be the relationships you develop with DIA, the COCOM, Embassy, and Host Nation, as well as an understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and expectations of you as an attaché. A well-trained attaché is someone who can effectively align DIA, COCOM, COM, and Host Nation priorities. This includes making yourself indispensable to these organizations, and someone they turn to for input and answers. Also, if you have a spouse, ensure they are self-reliant and can operate independently in your absence. You will often be away from home on missions or TDY. Make sure your spouse has the contacts and resources necessary to reach out if they need assistance in your absence.
Don’t neglect your relationships with other accredited attaches in your host nation either. In Angola, a weekly NATO attaché meeting (U.S., UK, France, Portugal, Belgium) paid dividends in getting access to information from a former Soviet client state where the names of commanders of combat units were considered classified information. This facilitated my ability to build an order of battle and organizational chart which would have been very difficult without their support.
Also, never discount the foreign relationships you make while attending U.S. or foreign military schools. In Chad, during the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in 2008, there were only two resident defense attachés. My relationship with the French defense attaché, and more importantly, with the French Commander of Forces in Chad, allowed the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy by French helicopters and a safe haven at the French military base while Chadian and French forces engaged the rebels in street to street fighting. This vignette is apropos because I did not have a particularly good relationship with the French defense attaché and it was hard to avoid him because there were only two of us on the diplomatic cocktail circuit. He was a very senior Colonel and I a junior Lieutenant Colonel. As fate would have it, the Commander of the 2nd Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment (2nd REP) was in Chad with his regiment for a four-month training rotation. This was the same French officer whom I had met at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas a decade earlier and had remained friends. I was able to go to him for access to the French base and he often invited the DAO to observe his training. This didn’t bode well with the French defense attaché and further complicated our relationship. But in spite of this, I always made an effort to be transparent with him on all U.S.-Chadian security cooperation activities and always invited him to the embassy or my residence when we had senior U.S. visitors. Our difficult but cordial relationship paid off when it came time to evacuate the U.S. embassy.
Relationship with the Combatant Command
Africa Command (AFRICOM) is a critical player within the theater and the SDO/DATT is its primary interlocutor at the embassy. These responsibilities imply a clear understanding of the COCOM’s role, mission, responsibilities, and expectations. This includes being familiar with the COCOM strategy and Theater Campaign Plan (TCP) and how these documents are used to engage with your assigned country. Given the resources at the COCOM, they will probably be your first point of contact during a crisis. In addition to having all the right points of contact, make sure you understand the COCOM’s force protection requirements and authorities, especially if a mission or crisis response operation requires the use of U.S. forces. For example, know whether or not you have a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in place with your host country. Also ensure any operations orders (OPORDs) or Aircraft and Personnel Automated Clearance System (APACs) requests for U.S. military personnel trying to enter your host nation clearly spell out the force protection responsibilities between the Chief of Mission and the COCOM. This includes when the COCOM sends TDY personnel to the embassy to assist with operations or training activities. While these personnel work for the COCOM, they fall under the SDO/DATT for day-to-day oversight and supervision. These various DoD elements (ie., SOF, JTF personnel, etc.) should never go directly to the Ambassador to brief or ask permissions without first going through the SDO/DATT. All DoD actions should be channeled through the SDO/DATT. This way, as the primary advisor to the Ambassador, the SDO/DATT is ensuring that DoD personnel at the embassy are speaking with one unified voice.
In the same respect, the SDO/DATT has the authority – and is expected to - communicate directly with the COCOM J2, J3, JOC, J4, CCDR, etc., as the situation dictates. Of course, always keep the COCOM country desk officer in the loop to ensure continuity. However, if it is time sensitive, don’t be afraid to do directly to the principal, as long as you circle back later.
Another important point is that DoD personnel on permanent change of station (PCS) orders and assigned to the embassy fall under Chief of Mission authority, not COCOM authority. While the SDO/DATT oversees all DoD personnel in country, knowing where the billets reside and who ultimately controls them for care and feeding purposes is important, especially during crisis or other military operations. For example, if the embassy has to conduct a non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO), the Ambassador is in charge of getting the DoD personnel assigned to the embassy out of country (ie., airline tickets, movement of families, etc.). However, TDY personnel normally fall under the responsibility of the COCOM. The reality is that any operations regarding DoD personnel in a specific country will be synchronized and coordinated between the COM and COCOM. However, the specific authorities and responsibilities must be clearly articulated and understood (ie., via OPORDs, FRAGOs, etc.) before a crisis occurs. NATO partners are also good contacts during NEO operations. It is not uncommon for embassies to help each other when timely evacuations are necessary. In this situation friendly embassies help each other and share seats on their own departing aircraft. Ensure you know the contacts of your fellow NATO attachés if you have to coordinate such operations.
On an administrative note, while Service attachés are normally rated by DIA, SDO/DATTs are a little different. They are rated by both DIA and the COCOM. This ensures SDO/DATTs are equally responsive to DIA and the COCOM. Therefore, it is important that the SDO/DATT, within 90 days of his/her arrival at post, plans a trip to the COCOM to ensure an understanding of the COCOM’s mission, authorities, Commander’s Critical Information Requirements (CCIRs), Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs), foreign disclosure responsibilities, expectations, etc. This gives the SDO/DATT time to first understand how the embassy country team operates, get to know host nation personalities, and the key issues prior to meeting with the COCOM. The COCOM country desk officer will set up these meetings, to include meetings with the J2, J3, J5, Foreign Policy Advisor, CCDR, etc. As the SDO/DATT’s senior rater, it’s important to establish a relationship with the CCDR, and to be clear on his or her vision and expectations. If possible, also meet with any component commands or sub-unified commands, as appropriate.
In a few countries, the SDO/DATT billets are actually “owned” by the COCOM vs. DIA. This makes the SDO/DATT’s relationship with the COCOM even more important, since much of the logistical care and feeding support will come from the COCOM, not DIA. Within AFRICOM’s area of responsibility, for example, this accounts for six SDO/DATT billets out of a total of 37 SDO/DATT positions in Africa.
Relationship with the Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is where your national level analysts reside. Understanding the role they play in helping you shape the narrative for your host country is important. I use the term “shape” the narrative because you should have a shared view with analysts when it comes to describing the current state of affairs in your country and assist in helping those analysts provide some predictive analysis on what the future may hold in your country. Communicating with those analysts, even outside of official reporting channels, was something I found to be quite useful. A quick email asking for clarification on something they wrote or asking for a broader picture of an issue (remember, they are reviewing intelligence from multiple sources) will help you better understand the collection requirements that are levied upon your office. Having worked as an analyst at DIA before becoming an attaché, I felt that I better understood the challenges of being an analyst for a country that I had never visited and I always supported the visits of analysts when they were mutually beneficial. Having an analyst visit your DAO for a few weeks ultimately makes them a better analyst and often allows your DAO to address a backlog of reports that need to be published.
Relationship with Desk Officers, Collection Managers, and other Customers
While you should get to know your DIA analysts, the DIA country desk officer also plays an important role in your quality of life at the embassy. The desk officer will be your advocate in communicating with DIA leadership and addressing the multitude of issues dealing with your budget, vehicles, leave and family or health issues that may require medical evacuation. Similarly, your collection manager will help prioritize your requirements and facilitate feedback on your reporting from other “customers” or consumers within the intelligence community (ie., NSA, CIA, NGA, INR, the military services, etc.). Staying in touch with your customers, especially the ones providing you feedback, will help give you direction and fill gaps you may have based on their knowledge and access to all-source reporting. Having served as a DIA desk officer early in my FAO career paid dividends later as an SDO/DATT. It gave me a clear understanding of collection requirements, how to prioritize them, and how to reach out to other analysts in the intelligence community for additional insights, perspectives, and follow-up questions. A good relationship with your analysts is also a great way to maximize evaluations of your reporting. The more positive evaluations, the better you will be at addressing your customers’ needs.
On the other hand, one of my greatest frustrations as an SDO/DATT was the constant rotation of desk officers, or those familiar with my assigned country. This made it difficult to establish personal and professional relationships that could be leveraged in time of need. While this phenomenon is certainly not limited to DIA, it does highlight the time one may spend “retraining” or catching new desk officers up on their portfolios. Keep your patience and bearing. Very often you as an attaché will be the continuity on important national security issues involving your assigned country.
Relationship with the Embassy Country Team
Embassy protocol and “culture” will often be dictated by the size of the embassy you are assigned to and the respective personalities of the Chief of Mission (Ambassador) and the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM). A U.S. diplomatic mission with 12 direct hire Americans will certainly have a different feel than one with ten times that number and multiple federal agencies represented. While there is no contesting that you should address your Ambassador as Mister or Madame Ambassador and show the same deference you would to a General/Flag Officer, your interactions with the DCM will depend on the relationship you establish with them and how they are addressed by other members of the country team. I would always default to formally addressing DCMs I worked with, but as time progressed and I observed junior foreign service officers addressing them in a more familiar way, I would eventually confront them and ask for their preference. That said, I would never refer to the DCM by their first name while in the confines of the DAO. Referring to the DCM as “Mr. or Ms. Last Name” when I was in the presence of my own subordinates showed that I understood their diplomatic rank and the fact that they became the acting Chief of Mission (Chargé) during the Ambassador’s absence.
Role of the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) vs. the Chief of Mission (COM)
Cultivating a relationship with the DCM based on mutual respect was always a priority for me when arriving to a new embassy because DCMs often act as gate keepers to the Ambassador’s office. I was always cognizant of the need to keep the DCM informed of my activities. That said, as a key member of the embassy Country Team, I also had unfettered access to the Ambassador when necessary. And, much like in the military, you often seek advice or counsel from the Executive Officer (XO) or Chief of Staff before you go to the Commander. I applied this same rule in dealing with the embassy front office. Giving the DCM a shot at addressing your issue or facilitating the resolution of an embassy internal problem was often the best course of action.
In my last job as SDO/DATT in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I had an Ambassador who would come into the DAO, sit on the couch and ask for updates - sometimes announced, sometimes not. Either way, I appreciated those opportunities and ensured that my deputy and Army attaché were comfortable doing the same in my absence. Regardless of the frequency with which I met with the Ambassador, I took every opportunity to keep him abreast of any issues I believed required his knowledge or input, leaving less important issues or internal embassy debates for the DCM.
Other Important Country Team Members
The Embassy Chief of Station should be someone you establish a very close relationship with because Africa remains a continent where the nexus between military and civilian leaders not only dictates the political stability of your host country but the sub-region in many cases. You may be in a position where you have better access and information regarding key players within the military and the Chief of Station will rely on you to fill key reporting requirements that will influence U.S. foreign policy. In most African countries, the Directorates of Military Intelligence and National Intelligence are closely linked and the work you do will certainly overlap with that of your station colleagues. You should meet often to deconflict reporting and keep that office informed of what initiatives you have ongoing. Remember, the Chief of Station meets regularly with the Chief of Mission and I’ve never seen an embassy where that was an open meeting and open to multiple members of the staff. If the Chief of Station can become your advocate in meeting with the Ambassador because they are aware of your initiatives, and support them, then you’ll have another voice within the embassy to bolster your argument for accomplishing your mission.
While most wouldn’t think that Birkenstocks and combat boots can be mutually beneficial, in Africa they often are. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our USAID Mission Director had come from AFRICOM. We spoke almost the same language and while realizing that we were from very different professional cultures (If State is from Venus then USAID is from some yet to be named planet) we often overlapped in our humanitarian assistance roles. DoD built clinics, HIV/AIDS testing centers, FM radio towers, leaflet drops and other health, democracy or counter-poaching initiatives are all areas where we found common ground and could be part of the same USG team. In other cases, USAID, the CDC, and the U.S. Military partnered together in the area of infectious disease and biological hazards (ie., HIV/AIDs, Ebola, Marburg, etc.) to focus on their effective containment. While each agency focused on different areas of the problem, they all had mutual goals and end-states and were willing to share limited resources for a more effective result. An attaché is key in coordinating these type collaborations, both within the interagency and with the host nation military.
The embassy’s Political-Economic (POL-ECON) section is also an important office to stay closely linked. For example, during the national elections in Tanzania, the POL-ECON section was key to helping me understand the election issues, and potential security issues, that might occur. This office also helped me get an assignment as an official election observer on Zanzibar, so I could witness how the Tanzanian military was being used to facilitate elections on the island. This included insights into host nation politicians, and their nexus to the military.
Relationship with the Host Nation
Your relationship with the host nation military will be the key to your access and success as an attaché. Make an effort to get to know them. Meet with them, and participate in host nation military activities, whether via the military’s foreign liaison office, or through security cooperation activities and training events. Active participation will garner good faith in your desire to get to know your host nation counterparts and their issues and concerns. There is also a downside to this if you are dealing with a military that is recalcitrant, or in some cases hostile towards your presence. Don’t get discouraged or angry and hide behind the walls of your embassy. Constantly look for areas of mutual cooperation. For me, this was in the areas of logistics, operations, and intelligence. The host nation was hungry for information and advanced capability in these areas, and I had the ability to help. I formed strong relationships with key members of the military in these areas and with the help of the SCO created training and equipment packages, as well as the coordination of joint exercises with the U.S. military. On the logistics side, I ensured we had appropriate logistics agreements in place for the exchange of items in the event of a crisis or training events (i.e., fuel, water, etc.). Likewise, ensuring appropriate intelligence exchange agreements are in place help ensure a predictable flow of information beneficial to both sides. Your ability to produce and follow-through produces trust with host nation counterparts.
One way to establish effective cross-cultural communication with your host nation military counterparts is by focusing on your common military culture. On one occasion, I invited key members of the military over to my home to view the movie Band of Brothers on a big screen in my front yard. This led to war stories and discussions of previous combat experiences and an analysis of our actions. While we didn’t agree on all things, and our military experiences were different, at least we understood and respected each other through a common military bond.
There is a saying in Swahili, “Pole pole ndio mwendo.” This translates into, “Slowly, slowly wins the race.” Recognize as an attaché that you are playing the long game. The relationships you establish and the programs you put in place may not bear fruit until years after your departure from post. Don’t get discouraged. There were many days when I would get home and ask myself, “What did I accomplish today?” Sometimes it felt like not much. However, keep things in perspective. In the grand game of political-military issues at the strategic level, things take time. Focus on the long-term goals and results.
Another way to build relationships with the host nation military is to get involved with your local military attaché corps. While the SDO/DATT in Ethiopia, I volunteered to be the Secretary of our 100+ member attaché corps. In this role, I had a legitimate reason for requesting meetings and engaging on a regular basis with certain attaches otherwise difficult to meet, to include the host nation’s foreign liaison office staff.
Technical Expertise
Reporting
Your goal as an attaché is to focus on the priorities and requirements given to you by DIA, the COCOM, and your Ambassador. Your success will be based half on skill and half on your ability to coordinate with the right consumers through solid written and verbal communication skills. You will be given requirements to respond to and questions to answer. Some may be basic and routine and other requirements may be more difficult to obtain. Prioritize what best supports your national security policy priorities. This will also ensure timely evaluations and feedback.
In addition to basic reporting, thought pieces are also great ways to write more in depth about a subject of interest or concern. While it may not be of immediate policy or security interest at the time, it may be something you notice as a future problem if not addressed. Thought pieces require thinking broadly and deeply. For example, what has the U.S. government missed when thinking about or assessing the host nation country? How could the U.S. engage better? Who are the real power brokers behind the scenes, etc. This is your chance to make innovative recommendations to tough policy challenges. However, having time to think broadly and deeply is challenging. I struggled with carving out appropriate amounts of time to do this effectively, given the constant day-to-day ankle biters and demands of my office. Yet this is arguably what senior leaders need most from attachés.
Advising
Another key role as an attaché is as an advisor to your Ambassador and those within the U.S. government policy making, military, and intelligence communities. In addition to writing reports and thought papers, your job will include participating in and providing input to the key organizations that oversee and formulate U.S. national security policy. This includes coordination and policy development meetings with the National Security Staff (NSS), Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Joint Staff, and the State Department. Other times it will be with the COCOM, to include input to relevant operational plans, or advising on updates to the COCOM strategy, theater campaign plan, or the country security cooperation strategy (CSCS) for your assigned country.
Whether these meetings are done in person or via a secure video teleconference (SVTC) from the embassy, your input is necessary, expected, and relied upon. This includes an understanding of the timelines and processes these organizations use for formulating their policies and strategies, as well as the documents your input will affect. One way to ensure you are in sync with the latest plans and policies is to attend the COCOM’s annual theater security cooperation conference. This conference provides attendees with the big picture of what the COCOM wants to achieve, it’s higher level guidance, and opportunities to provide input into those plans. Understanding these planning cycles, and the documents they impact or produce will allow you to integrate in an effective and meaningful manner.
As a strategic advisor, you may also be expected to prepare for and attend OSD-hosted ministerial level bilateral talks with your assigned country. Your Ambassador and COCOM Commander usually attend these discussions, along with OSD and the Joint Staff, and will rely on your talking points, insights, and pre-briefs to help them prepare for these meetings. DIA also hosts periodic SDO/DATT conferences that are helpful in touching base with leadership and analysts to discuss issues in your assigned country. Your ability to advise in a manner that helps principals make well-informed national security policy decisions will be the difference between a “top block” officer and a middle of the pack officer.
Representational Activities
Representational activities in Africa tend to be more casual than formal affairs. As an attaché, most of my contacts were more comfortable attending an outside bar-b-que, or just meeting for drinks, than attending a formal sit-down Western-style dinner on porcelain plates. This is also a more flexible and relaxed way to operate given the cultural differences between western standards of hosting and the African sense of community and mutual support to family and friends. For example, if you schedule a dinner party for four at 7:30 pm, don’t be surprised if your guests arrive at 9:00 pm instead, along with seven other guests you have never met. Roll with it! In some cases, it’s better to have an outdoor event with flexible timeframes and larger amounts of food so that if you have unexpected guests, you can accommodate without missing a beat. In fact, one of my most successful representational dinners in Tanzania was after a wild game hunt where my husband and I served fresh wildebeest and eland to our guests during a casual front lawn party. This made for a very productive and enjoyable event – and it only cost the price of two bullets!
As an American diplomat representing your country, it’s always great to serve traditional meals, or certain favorite dishes. Preparing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, for example, was a fun and interesting event for foreign guests. However, if you want folks to feel comfortable, especially if they have never eaten specific western-style dishes, it’s not a bad idea to also have some local cuisine available.
Security Cooperation
As an SDO/DATT, you are also the senior security cooperation officer at the embassy. Even though you will likely have a SCO to oversee the day to day security cooperation programs and activities, it’s important for you to be well versed in the key security cooperation issues. Not only will this allow you to work seamlessly with the SCO, it will also allow you to communicate effectively about these programs with the Ambassador, host nation, and COCOM. I found that staying actively engaged with my SCO, to include weekly coordination meetings, ensured we were all on the same page and not undermining each other’s efforts when engaging with the host nation military.
Similarly, in addition to the training programs, exercises, operations, and other engagement activities that the COCOM offers, the Department of State’s International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is one of the most important tools at influencing the next generation of host nation military leaders. If used correctly, IMET pays long term dividends. Take the time with your SCO to decide what host nation officers to send to U.S. schools and training events. While English language capability will sometimes be a challenge as a prerequisite, especially in a Francophone or Lusophone country, make English language training a priority to enhance these students’ chances of attending U.S. schools and training programs. If those military officers become senior leaders in their countries, having a U.S. background and experience will go a long way in facilitating their understanding and receptiveness to U.S. norms and values.
Opportunities
As an attaché take advantage of any opportunities to expand your network and capability. Leverage your assets, to include your personnel, equipment, and skill sets. If you have access to a C-12 aircraft, use it. This will often take time to schedule and coordinate if the aircraft is not resident in your host country. However, make yourself and your requirements known to the pilots, and they will bend over backwards to help you with your mission. Sometimes DIA or the COCOM will offer additional personnel to help out your attaché or security cooperation mission. Take advantage of these opportunities if it makes sense. Don’t turn down travel opportunities if they advance your mission. On the flip side, it’s easy for Ambassadors to ask for the use of the C-12 aircraft to pursue their own embassy missions. Be careful. This is okay, as long as it also supports your mission. Otherwise, you might be charged with misuse of government assets. Travel away from the office is also a delicate balance between ensuring the day-to-day work gets done and fulfilling hard to obtain requirements. Delegate responsibilities when appropriate and share the work. If you are out of the office too much, it will be noticed by both the Ambassador and COCOM and impact your relevance with these two entities.
Leveraging your fellow NATO attachés, as discussed above, is a win-win. For example, if you have visiting analysts who have releasable information to NATO, or a specific country, invite that attaché over for a briefing. Chances are they will do the same for you. Likewise, if there is someplace of interest that your fellow attachés would like to visit, and you have access to it, coordinate a trip. For example, I once coordinated a trip for several foreign attachés to visit the CJTF-HOA base in Djibouti. The visit included briefings on the regional security situation, a tour of the base, and lunch in the dining facility. In return, I was offered visits to the French, Italian, and Japanese bases in Djibouti to discuss their views on the region, observe training events, and receive updates on support to NATO’s Operation ATALANTA counter-piracy mission.
Another opportunity that paid dividends for me as an attaché was organizing an IMET alumni chapter in my host country. (You could do this for other organizations as well such as the African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) alumni, or National War College graduates, etc.). Periodically, we would host get-togethers or dinners to discuss the latest issues and exchange ideas. Sometimes, especially if the military officers were senior officers, the Ambassador would agree to host the alumni gatherings at her residence as part of a more formal reception. The sky is the limit on creative thinking concerning how to use the tools and contacts you have to maximize engagement and understanding of the host nation’s military and political-military situation.
Conclusion
On a continent of over one billion people with landlocked countries and limited infrastructure, U.S. defense attachés are an enduring military presence vital to U.S. interests. The few but highly effective DAOs in Africa are an economy of force that must operate like a combined arms team at the strategic level. Attachés must be able to integrate military, intelligence, diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic means in a diverse array of countries, often with minimal, vague, or unrealistic guidance. The successful attaché in Africa must be simultaneously comfortable operating in underdeveloped rural areas one day and meeting with high-level government officials with advanced degrees the next. He or she must be an exemplar officer yet still work closely with people who may not trust or like the U.S. An attaché must be able to advise on appropriate legal authorities and funding sources one day while outshooting a host nation colleague with an AK on a rifle range the next. Likewise, an attaché must be as comfortable in sweat soaked business attire as he or she is at replacing a split vehicle fuel line in an austere location surrounded by local inhabitants who have never seen an American. Meanwhile, it is always important to ensure your fellow military and family members have what they need to operate effectively in challenging and sometimes dangerous environments.
Most importantly, the attaché must have the strategic vision and communication skills to effectively articulate realities for military and civilian audiences that have little knowledge of a particular country. Success requires more than training. It requires a variable mix of imagination, self-drive, perseverance, attitude, and commitment. An attaché job in Africa is not for everyone. But it can be a rewarding lifetime experience for those who take this path. The person who can master these attributes will become a relied upon leader and national asset. Learn, study, listen and observe. Be equally competent operating in the deserts of the Sahel, the rainforests of the Congo, the mountains of East Africa or attending an embassy cocktail party in cuff links or high heels. As representatives of the U.S. Military, attachés are important symbols of the U.S. profession of arms. Trust yourself, but also know your weaknesses. You will always be on call and under constant scrutiny. Recognize this great responsibility and conduct yourself accordingly. Maintaining this delicate balance will ensure your place as a critical member of the U.S. defense attaché team.