Should we be concerned for our future?
03-13-2022 | 05:21 PM
#1021
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,172
Likes: 805
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
He was a Foreign Area Officer, selected and trained for relevant education, language, and cultural knowledge related to a particular region. The duties are advisor and LNO. That specialty has nothing at all to do with US politics.
03-13-2022 | 05:57 PM
#1022
Line Holder
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 192
Yes.
There is no such thing as "political officer" in the US Military, although some might advocate for that... Comrade Commissar.
He was a Foreign Area Officer, selected and trained for relevant education, language, and cultural knowledge related to a particular region. The duties are advisor and LNO. That specialty has nothing at all to do with US politics.
There is no such thing as "political officer" in the US Military, although some might advocate for that... Comrade Commissar.
He was a Foreign Area Officer, selected and trained for relevant education, language, and cultural knowledge related to a particular region. The duties are advisor and LNO. That specialty has nothing at all to do with US politics.
While I have no proof, I strongly suspect that the famous phone call was only the last straw for Vindman. It was well known that Ukraine was on the administrations S... List ( GOP support for Ukraine was officially dropped from the GOP platform after D. Trumps nomination in 2016. It was the same in 2020 as the platform was essentially a copy and paste from 2016). Fundamentally the Chief Executive favored, and was obsequious to, V. Putin and (his)Russian interests while obstreperous and disruptive to European Allies and our NATO commitments.
Regarding Ukraine (and anything else high on Putin's interest list) my information has it that it was a continuous struggle in State to prevent ongoing sabotage of Donbass region intel, aid, positive reporting, and general cordial relations. I gathered it was to the point that careers were both risked and damaged.
My take is that Vindman decided someone had to "Bell the Cat". While no one dared openly say what was widely believed regarding the former President's relationship with an unfriendly foreign power, they COULD state publicly what was verified factual behavior.
03-13-2022 | 07:07 PM
#1023
Perennial Reserve
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 14,268
Likes: 259
He was a Foreign Area Officer, selected and trained for relevant education, language, and cultural knowledge related to a particular region. The duties are advisor and LNO. That specialty has nothing at all to do with US politics.
Never did I say it DID have anything to do with US politics. But it is certainly political. It’s in the job description:
What is a FAO?
A Foreign Area Officer (FAO) is a commissioned officer from any of the four branches of the United States armed forces who are regionally-focused experts in political-military operations possessing a unique combination of strategic focus, regional expertise, with political, cultural, sociological, economic, and geographic awareness, and foreign language proficiency in at least one of the dominant languages in their specified region. An FAO will typically serve overseas tours as a defense attaché, a security assistance officer, or as a political-military planner in a service's headquarters, Joint Staff, Major Commands, Unified Combatant Commands, or in agencies of the Department of Defense. They also serve as arms control specialists, country desk officers, liaison officers, and Personal Exchange Program officers to host nations or coalition allies. Roles and responsibilities of FAOs are extensive and varied. They advise senior leaders on political-military operations and relations with other nations, provide cultural expertise to forward-deployed commands conducting military operations, build and maintain long-term relationships with foreign leaders, develop and coordinate security cooperation, execute security assistance programs with host nations, and develop reports on diplomatic, information, military, and economic activities. Each branch has its own process for developing Foreign Area Officers to address their specific needs
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1. Foreign Area Officers (FAOs). Commissioned officers who possess a broad range of military skills and experiences; qualification in their primary military occupational specialty and/or designator; graduate-level or equivalent education focusing on, but not limited to, the historical, political, diplomatic, military/security, cultural, sociological, scientific, economic, and geographic factors of specific foreign countries and regions; in-country/regional experience involving significant interaction with host nationals and host-nation entities in the foreign countries or regions in which they specialize; and proficiency in one or more of the predominant languages in their regions of expertise (with the goal of attaining professional-level proficiency). FAOs serve in Service, Joint, and Interagency assignments that involve significant interaction with foreign governments and their militaries, host nationals, host-nation entities, and/or international organizations, often in the foreign countries or regions in which they specialize; provide regional expertise from the political-military and strategic perspectives for planning and executing operations; observe and report on international military issues; serve in liaison, attaché/military-diplomat, and representational roles to other nations; serve as arms control inspectors; and oversee military security assistance
3.1. Foreign Area Officers (FAOs). Commissioned officers who possess a broad range of military skills and experiences; qualification in their primary military occupational specialty and/or designator; graduate-level or equivalent education focusing on, but not limited to, the historical, political, diplomatic, military/security, cultural, sociological, scientific, economic, and geographic factors of specific foreign countries and regions; in-country/regional experience involving significant interaction with host nationals and host-nation entities in the foreign countries or regions in which they specialize; and proficiency in one or more of the predominant languages in their regions of expertise (with the goal of attaining professional-level proficiency). FAOs serve in Service, Joint, and Interagency assignments that involve significant interaction with foreign governments and their militaries, host nationals, host-nation entities, and/or international organizations, often in the foreign countries or regions in which they specialize; provide regional expertise from the political-military and strategic perspectives for planning and executing operations; observe and report on international military issues; serve in liaison, attaché/military-diplomat, and representational roles to other nations; serve as arms control inspectors; and oversee military security assistance
03-13-2022 | 07:32 PM
#1024
Banned
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,112
Likes: 140
Seriously, Rick? An ad hominem attack?
Followed by a straw man argument? Really? Read the definition of the adjective “political.” It certainly applies to an FAO.
Never did I say it DID have anything to do with US politics. But it is certainly political. It’s in the job description:
What is a Foreign Area Officer FAO?
Followed by a straw man argument? Really? Read the definition of the adjective “political.” It certainly applies to an FAO.
Never did I say it DID have anything to do with US politics. But it is certainly political. It’s in the job description:
What is a Foreign Area Officer FAO?
All the articles he posts are just chaff to obscure what he's really trying to say.
03-13-2022 | 08:41 PM
#1025
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,172
Likes: 805
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Just so we're clear, expertise in *foreign* politics is part and parcel of the job description. But that doesn't make you "political", any more than being an expert in criminal psychology makes you an axe murderer.
FAOs are in no way involved in domestic politics any more than any other officer specialty... which is to say not all, unless they go out of their way to get involved. I'm not a FAO, but I had a subordinate FAO cell in my last two assignments.
Unless you're a 4-star, getting into politics is an exceptionally dangerous game in our military.
03-14-2022 | 09:09 AM
#1026
Perennial Reserve
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 14,268
Likes: 259
Appeared:
VERBINTRANSITIVE NOT USUALLY PROGRESSIVE
US/əˈpɪr/WORD FORMS
+
DEFINITIONS6
-
Implied:
tr.v.im·plied, im·ply·ing, im·plies
1.
a. To express or state indirectly: She implied that she was in a hurry.
b. To make evident indirectly: His fine clothes implied that he was wealthy. See Synonymsat suggest. See Usage Note at infer.
2. To involve by logical necessity; entail: Life implies growth and death
So because you made two sequential guesses - which were both wrong, that makes me a “Comrade Commissar”? He switched over from Infantry - a combat arms branch - to being an FAO, which is inherently political, especially if you are an embassy military attaché. You go from a career of leading troops to one of being able to provide geopolitical assessments in your area of expertise. Nothing wrong with that, just a statement of fact. It implies nothing.
Also a statement of fact that his post military writings (three of which I posted urls to) demonstrate a marked Ukrainian bias including advocacy for a no-fly zone. Nothing wrong with that either, he’s retired and entitled to his opinion and has first amendment rights to post it.
VERBINTRANSITIVE NOT USUALLY PROGRESSIVE
US/əˈpɪr/WORD FORMS
+
DEFINITIONS6
-
Implied:
tr.v.im·plied, im·ply·ing, im·plies
1.
a. To express or state indirectly: She implied that she was in a hurry.
b. To make evident indirectly: His fine clothes implied that he was wealthy. See Synonymsat suggest. See Usage Note at infer.
2. To involve by logical necessity; entail: Life implies growth and death
So because you made two sequential guesses - which were both wrong, that makes me a “Comrade Commissar”? He switched over from Infantry - a combat arms branch - to being an FAO, which is inherently political, especially if you are an embassy military attaché. You go from a career of leading troops to one of being able to provide geopolitical assessments in your area of expertise. Nothing wrong with that, just a statement of fact. It implies nothing.
Also a statement of fact that his post military writings (three of which I posted urls to) demonstrate a marked Ukrainian bias including advocacy for a no-fly zone. Nothing wrong with that either, he’s retired and entitled to his opinion and has first amendment rights to post it.
03-14-2022 | 11:08 AM
#1027
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 12,553
Likes: 1,178
Appeared:
VERBINTRANSITIVE NOT USUALLY PROGRESSIVE
US/əˈpɪr/WORD FORMS
+
DEFINITIONS6
-
Implied:
tr.v.im·plied, im·ply·ing, im·plies
1.
a. To express or state indirectly: She implied that she was in a hurry.
b. To make evident indirectly: His fine clothes implied that he was wealthy. See Synonymsat suggest. See Usage Note at infer.
2. To involve by logical necessity; entail: Life implies growth and death
So because you made two sequential guesses - which were both wrong, that makes me a “Comrade Commissar”? He switched over from Infantry - a combat arms branch - to being an FAO, which is inherently political, especially if you are an embassy military attaché. You go from a career of leading troops to one of being able to provide geopolitical assessments in your area of expertise. Nothing wrong with that, just a statement of fact. It implies nothing.
Also a statement of fact that his post military writings (three of which I posted urls to) demonstrate a marked Ukrainian bias including advocacy for a no-fly zone. Nothing wrong with that either, he’s retired and entitled to his opinion and has first amendment rights to post it.
VERBINTRANSITIVE NOT USUALLY PROGRESSIVE
US/əˈpɪr/WORD FORMS
+
DEFINITIONS6
-
Implied:
tr.v.im·plied, im·ply·ing, im·plies
1.
a. To express or state indirectly: She implied that she was in a hurry.
b. To make evident indirectly: His fine clothes implied that he was wealthy. See Synonymsat suggest. See Usage Note at infer.
2. To involve by logical necessity; entail: Life implies growth and death
So because you made two sequential guesses - which were both wrong, that makes me a “Comrade Commissar”? He switched over from Infantry - a combat arms branch - to being an FAO, which is inherently political, especially if you are an embassy military attaché. You go from a career of leading troops to one of being able to provide geopolitical assessments in your area of expertise. Nothing wrong with that, just a statement of fact. It implies nothing.
Also a statement of fact that his post military writings (three of which I posted urls to) demonstrate a marked Ukrainian bias including advocacy for a no-fly zone. Nothing wrong with that either, he’s retired and entitled to his opinion and has first amendment rights to post it.
03-14-2022 | 01:06 PM
#1029
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,413
Likes: 506
Oil is down considerably. So we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
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