News from the Field: Step into the Arena
Colonel Martin A. Perryman, U.S. Army - Retired
Editor’s Note: The FAO Journal recently put out a call for News from the Field: “What is your job, and why is it important?” We look forward to sharing your stories to help communicate across the Joint Force and create a living repository describing how FAOs are doing their job - either helping inform senior decision makers, rolling up your sleeves in security cooperation, or other unique pol-mil work. Reach out to editor@faoa.org if you would like to share your short story in a News from the Field submission.
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
—Theodore Roosevelt during a speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
As a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), you are unique. Of course, we tell ourselves that all the time so for perspective, you are a member of a tiny cohort of experts, a fraction of 1% of all U.S. citizens, who have been formally trained and have actually formulated, executed, and evaluated some aspect of U.S. foreign policy. You do, in fact, have an above-average ability to assess and comment on issues of the day, whether they be academic, operational, administrative, or policy related.
Of course, while on active duty, a FAO is almost constantly in the arena. I am a 48G. Following initial training our family’s first operational assignment was to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) J5. We arrived in August of 2000 and were finally getting settled in when the USS Cole was attacked on 12 October. Our lives accelerated dramatically coordinating a military response, the recovery of the ship, regional political fallout, and multiple rounds of Congressional testimony. Less than a year later came the 9/11 attacks. I was in the MacDill Air Force Base gym at the time and saw the second plane hit the tower on a TV in the locker room. My first thought, most profound, was, “I better get back to the office.” The rest of that assignment was consumed by the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. It was during this turbulent tour that I learned the importance of staying present and involved with your spouse and children. We had definitely stepped into the arena.
From there we went to Turkey as the Executive Officer at the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC). Our next assignment was to the Pentagon as the Branch Chief for Middle East War Plans on the Army Staff and then back across the Atlantic to head ODC Albania. While in Albania I was promoted to colonel and the Army sent us back to DC for our final tour as Country Program Director for Iraq at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). During those fourteen years, which went by very quickly, I did my best to support the relatively small number of people that my work touched directly, a few hundred at most. My one regret is that I did not use my knowledge, experience, and voice to influence a broader audience.
I knew it was important to share my experience, but I convinced myself I was too busy. During all that time, I managed to publish only four papers, three in the FAOA Journal. I hope every FAO still in uniform learns from my mistake. Use your current experiences while they are fresh, topical, and relevant to influence the broader debate. In terms of venue, it is probably best to focus on academic and professional writing for respected journals. Leave the opinion pieces for later.
After retiring, I spent eight years in the security screening and detection industry managing projects all over the world, primarily improving airports, seaports, and land border crossings. I constantly used the skills I learned as a FAO to navigate successfully cultural, legislative, and policy issues while remaining contract compliant. I was very successful, but again I failed to use what I learned to shape the broader discussion and positively influence the environment. I minimized my impact because I wrote nothing during this time.
Now I work with the U.S. Space Force as a contractor supporting Space Systems Command. I continue to use my FAO skill as part of a team that integrates our military satellite networks with our international partners. It is very meaningful work and you constantly see positive results.
I am also happy to report that I can still learn new things. As this article demonstrates, I am finding my voice and making an effort to share what I know beyond my work environment. Like most of us, I have always maintained situational awareness, especially on topics of interest. Now I aggressively look for and comment on relevant topics where I believe my expertise might be beneficial. I primarily do this in the form of Op-Ed pieces, most of which end up being published.
It is important that you stay in the arena, remain involved, and contribute at every opportunity. Writing is your most readily available tool. A well thought out, coherent, and accurate piece can have an outsized impact on the larger debate. It is not like flipping a light switch, it is more like turning an aircraft carrier, but it will inform, shape, and channel the debate in a positive direction. In the end, your assessment may carry the day, but that cannot happen unless, first, you step into the arena and write.
Martin A. Perryman, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, is a defense and foreign policy expert.
Disclaimer: the views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.