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CHAPTER 2: Soldier, Scout, Statesman
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soldier,scout,statesman | 9 CHAPTER 2 Soldier, Scout, Statesman L ikeallintelligenceofficersinthelate1970s,Ilivedandbreathed theSovietthreat.Butitbecameapparentthatthearmyhadenough Sovietexperts.IconsideredmyselfastudentofIsraelimilitary history.Sowhenselectedforearlygraduateschooling,Idecidedto becomeaMiddleEastforeignareaofficer(FAO),theregionalspecialist programthearmyusestodevelopexpertiseabouttheworld atlarge.IwasasignorantoftheFAOprogramin1980asIwasof Zairein1978,butitsoundedexciting.IfirstheardofFAOsin1976 whenafellowstudentattheofficer’sbasiccourseaskedavisiting lecturerabouttheprogram.“Don’tworryabouttheFAOprogram now,lieutenant.Youhaveyearsofduestopaybeforeyoucaneven apply,”wastheresponse. Be All an FAO Can Be Sothreeyearslater,IputinfortrainingasaMiddleEastFAO.Based onmycadetrecordatTexasA&M,thearmyhadguaranteedmy graduateschooling.BecomingaFAOwouldrequireayearofArabic languagebeyondthegraduatedegree.Thentherewaswhatwas referredtoas“in-countrytraining”tofollowlater.Allofthatwas inthefuture.Iwasexchangingthe82dAirbornefortheadvanced courseatFortHuachuca.FromthereIwouldheadtoMontereyand theNavalPostgraduateSchool,followedbytheDefenseLanguage Institute.IdidnotrealizeatthetimethatIwasleavingthetactical armyforever.Ormoreaccurately,thenexttacticalmissionsIwould beonwouldnotbewithU.S.forces. TwoyearslaterIhadamaster’sdegreeinMiddleEasternAffairs andsomeproficiencyinArabic.Igraduatedwithhonorsfromboth theNavalPostgraduateSchoolandlanguagetraining.Iwroteathesis 10 | onU.S.andSovietinterestsinSaudiArabia.Myclassmatesinthe graduateprogramwereamixofalltheservices.Thenavysentintelligence officers,SEALS,andanoccasionalaviatortotheareastudies program.Myarmycompanionsweretoamanforeignareaofficers likeme;Iwouldcontinuetobumpintothemoverthenextfifteen years.Airforceofficersalsoattended,mainlythoseheadedtoattaché duties.Thefacultywaslargelycivilian,andtheregionalspecialists werejustthat,areaexperts.AbonusformygroupofMiddleEast areastudiesstudentscamefromanunexpectedquarter:Israelhad anumberofstudentsinvariouscoursesattheschool.Theirsenior officer,Col.RanGoren,attendedseveralofourseminars.Later,Ran wouldrisetotherankofmajorgeneralanddeputycommanderof theIsraeliAirForce.Hewasabletoofferusaninsider’sviewonthe Israelimilitarythattextbookscouldnothopetomatch. WesoongottomeettheothersideoftheMiddleEastequation: theArabicdepartmentatthePresidioofMontereyoffereditsown typeofregionalimmersionontheshoresofMontereyBay.Wehad Syrians,Lebanese,Iraqis,andEgyptians,eachwiththeirownidentity andaxetogrind.Classmateswerelargelyarmy,mainlyinterpreters orotherFAOs.Twowouldworkwithmeinthe1991GulfWar.We didhaveoneseniorsergeantwhowasfromthesecretiveDeltaForce, recuperatingfrominjuriessustainedintheaftermathoftheabortive DesertOnerescueattempt.Therewereseveralairforceofficers headedtoattachédutyandonemarinefromtheCorps’smallerFAO program.Oneoftheairforceofficerswouldbecometheassistantair attachéinEgypt,whereIranintohimwhiletraveling.Andwehad anavylieutenantcommanderfromtheSEALSwhowouldbecome theadmiralinchargeofallnavyspecialoperations.Otherattendees includedFBIagentsandothersfromunspecifiedagencies.Afemale FBIagentinthecourseendedupatmytwentiethTexasA&Mclass reunion,marriedtooneofmyfriendswhohadleftthemarinesforthe FBIHostageRescueTeams.Inshort,itwasadiverseandveryselect groupthatwouldmaintaincontactslongafterleavingMonterey. Twothingsfromtheinstructionstuckinmymind.Thefirstwas aninstructor’scommentthatLawrenceofArabiawastherolemodel fortrueFAOs.Hemeantweshouldburyourselvesinourregions ifweweretobe...