Members of the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) supported the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s (DLIFLC) most recent Joint Foreign Area Officer Course (JFAOC) in Monterey, California, from June 26-30, 2023. The DSCU team helped educate more than 100 newly assessed Foreign Area Officers (FAOs) and their spouses from the joint services on Security Cooperation, work in Security Cooperation Organizations (SCOs), and life in U.S. embassies overseas.

DSCU strives to make Security Cooperation more effective through a full-spectrum approach. This includes DSCU faculty and staff participation in foundational Security Cooperation education efforts, such as the JFAOC, as subject matter experts and often as FAOs or retired FAOs.

The JFAOC is a mandatory, five-day course introducing incoming joint officers to the Foreign Area Officer community. During this course, the DSCU delegation participated throughout the event, presenting in the Service Member course, leading the concurrent Spouse Program, and contributing to a roundtable discussion on SCOs.

Hosted twice a year as a qualifying course at DLIFLC, the course affords an opportunity for FAOs to develop their network, establish working relationships with key contacts, and understand the varied roles played by FAOs around the world. Additionally, given that FAOs often serve in challenging interagency, international, remote environments with families, the JFAOC maintains a spouse program designed to prepare and inform families on the FAO lifestyle and career choice.

DSCU’s mission is to advance the knowledge and practice of Security Cooperation through the education, training, and development of the U.S. Security Cooperation workforce and through the education, training, and institutional capacity building of partner nations; and to produce research, analysis, and lessons learned that expand the intellectual foundations of Security Cooperation.