Page 4 ―<strong>The</strong> <strong>FAO</strong> <strong>Journal</strong>” <strong>International</strong> <strong>Affairs</strong>From the Association’s President . . .Dear <strong>FAO</strong> Colleagues,I hope you are as excited as we are about the new look of the journal.<strong>The</strong> Board of Governors took on the mission last year of making <strong>FAO</strong>A morerelevant to the <strong>FAO</strong> community. One of our ideas was to make better use of thejournal as a strategic communication tool. Thanks to the hard work of editor Mr.Coyt Hargus, I believe we have succeeded in producing a higher quality, moreprofessional journal that should greatly assist in promoting the visibility of <strong>FAO</strong>A.Along with the new journal, we have launched a brand new logo design.<strong>The</strong> new logo, which is actually the third design since <strong>FAO</strong>A was established in 1995, better reflectsthat we are truly a joint organization. Again, thanks go out to Coyt for making this happen.As this letter goes to publication, we look forward to the upcoming Annual <strong>FAO</strong>A FormalDinner on May 20. <strong>The</strong> banquet planning committee, led by Mr. Brian Hobbs, has done a terrificjob in getting Ambassador Ryan Crocker to be our guest speaker. We hope to see many of you onthe 20th.Since my last writing, I am pleased to report that the Board of Governors has continued towork tirelessly on your behalf. COL (Ret.) John Haseman, USA – armed with copies of the journal– recently traveled through Southeast Asia where he met with several <strong>FAO</strong>s serving in the region.Coyt Hargus recently attended a <strong>FAO</strong> conference at Monterey, CA, where he provided a presentationabout <strong>FAO</strong>A. While there, he met with Dr. Tristan Mabry of the Joint <strong>FAO</strong> Sills SustainmentPilot Program to discuss ways of creating synergies between our two organizations. Col Kurt Marisaand COL (Ret.) Mike Ferguson, USA, have continued to serve as liaison with the National MilitaryIntelligence Association (NMIA), the Intelligence Community Associations Network (ICAN),and Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR).On April 16, several members of the Board of Governors met with the Army, Air Force,Navy, and Marine Corps <strong>FAO</strong> proponents, and OSD (Personnel & Readiness). During the wellattendedmeeting held at the Pentagon, we discussed ways that <strong>FAO</strong>A could be value-added tothe service proponents.In closing, let me share the thought that once you become a <strong>FAO</strong>, you become a <strong>FAO</strong> forlife. Most of us volunteer to come into the field because of a true passion and appreciation for regionalexpertise, language study, and cultural awareness. As demonstrated by many in our retiredcommunity, that passion remains long after service in the active ranks. With that in mind, I hope<strong>FAO</strong>A can continue to be a useful tool.Sincere regards to all <strong>FAO</strong>s and your families, especially those serving in harm‘s way.Gary EspinasColonel, U.S. Army