Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Washington Times
January 18, 2008
Pg. 1
Rice, Gates back unions
By Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times
The State Department is doubling the number of resident diplomatic advisers that it sends to the offices of the nation's top military commanders at home and overseas — a move encouraged by the Pentagon as its uniformed leaders take on larger public roles abroad.
The increase is part of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's "global repositioning" of U.S. diplomats to areas where they are most needed, and a reflection of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' recent comments about the importance of "soft power" in fighting foreign conflicts, officials said.
"The great innovation here is to have foreign policy experts at midlevels in addition to top levels of the military," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "It's critically important in the 21st century for our two departments to work together on the ground."
Although the program has existed for more than half a century, the number of Foreign Service officers detailed to military commanders in recent years has usually been around a dozen, peaking at 16 after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In the past 18 months, that number has jumped to 25 and will reach 30 by the summer, officials at the State Department and the Pentagon said, adding that further increases are likely in the near future.
"The military is very interested in having foreign policy advisers," said Bill McGlynn, the program's coordinator at State. "They treat our people with great respect."
Michael Coulter, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security, said the program "seeks to integrate our 'soft' power and 'hard' power in the field, where it matters most, by synching our nation's diplomatic and military instruments."
Each branch of the military and each regional command has a diplomat-in-residence; currently there are 13 of them at domestic bases and 12 abroad. Most of the midlevel positions are in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The advisers travel and attend meetings with the military commanders and participate in planning, officials said.
Because of their close relationship with the military officers, Foreign Service candidates for the positions undergo a rigorous screening process, including extensive interviews.
The diplomats also help to "deliver the foreigners," as one official put it, whenever advice or assistance is needed from allies or other countries. Sometimes, they simply offer their counsel on foreign affairs, ensuring that the commander is familiar with current U.S. policy before making public remarks.
They also provide practical advice on routine matters — for example, reminding their military colleagues that air missions cannot be flown over Venezuela.
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war, the adviser at Central Command in Florida played a significant role in facilitating the evacuation of thousands of Americans by coordinating military missions with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, officials said.
"It's only natural that as the uniformed military sees its missions multiplying, it sees a concomitant need for more Foreign Service officers to help accomplish those missions," said a senior officer in Asia who has served as an adviser to the Air Force.
Military officers are also assigned as advisers to the State Department. Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, used to be a senior adviser to Miss Rice.
The officer in Asia said the exchange program proves that the State and Defense departments can work well together despite occasional policy disagreements, such as those that occurred between Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during President Bush's first term.
"The military and diplomatic personnel on the ground are more focused on accomplishing the task at hand than on policy disputes and have learned they need each other," the officer said. "Iraq and Afghanistan may be the locales where this is most obvious, but it's happening all around the world."
Policy disagreements between Miss Rice and Mr. Gates have been scarce. They have worked together to beef up the so-called provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq, where diplomats are embedded with the military to boost reconstruction efforts.
"We, as a nation, are most secure at home and best able to shape a secure international environment when all agencies and branches of national power are properly resourced and employed in unison," Mr. Coulter said.
January 18, 2008
Pg. 1
Rice, Gates back unions
By Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times
The State Department is doubling the number of resident diplomatic advisers that it sends to the offices of the nation's top military commanders at home and overseas — a move encouraged by the Pentagon as its uniformed leaders take on larger public roles abroad.
The increase is part of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's "global repositioning" of U.S. diplomats to areas where they are most needed, and a reflection of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' recent comments about the importance of "soft power" in fighting foreign conflicts, officials said.
"The great innovation here is to have foreign policy experts at midlevels in addition to top levels of the military," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "It's critically important in the 21st century for our two departments to work together on the ground."
Although the program has existed for more than half a century, the number of Foreign Service officers detailed to military commanders in recent years has usually been around a dozen, peaking at 16 after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In the past 18 months, that number has jumped to 25 and will reach 30 by the summer, officials at the State Department and the Pentagon said, adding that further increases are likely in the near future.
"The military is very interested in having foreign policy advisers," said Bill McGlynn, the program's coordinator at State. "They treat our people with great respect."
Michael Coulter, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security, said the program "seeks to integrate our 'soft' power and 'hard' power in the field, where it matters most, by synching our nation's diplomatic and military instruments."
Each branch of the military and each regional command has a diplomat-in-residence; currently there are 13 of them at domestic bases and 12 abroad. Most of the midlevel positions are in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The advisers travel and attend meetings with the military commanders and participate in planning, officials said.
Because of their close relationship with the military officers, Foreign Service candidates for the positions undergo a rigorous screening process, including extensive interviews.
The diplomats also help to "deliver the foreigners," as one official put it, whenever advice or assistance is needed from allies or other countries. Sometimes, they simply offer their counsel on foreign affairs, ensuring that the commander is familiar with current U.S. policy before making public remarks.
They also provide practical advice on routine matters — for example, reminding their military colleagues that air missions cannot be flown over Venezuela.
During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war, the adviser at Central Command in Florida played a significant role in facilitating the evacuation of thousands of Americans by coordinating military missions with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, officials said.
"It's only natural that as the uniformed military sees its missions multiplying, it sees a concomitant need for more Foreign Service officers to help accomplish those missions," said a senior officer in Asia who has served as an adviser to the Air Force.
Military officers are also assigned as advisers to the State Department. Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, used to be a senior adviser to Miss Rice.
The officer in Asia said the exchange program proves that the State and Defense departments can work well together despite occasional policy disagreements, such as those that occurred between Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during President Bush's first term.
"The military and diplomatic personnel on the ground are more focused on accomplishing the task at hand than on policy disputes and have learned they need each other," the officer said. "Iraq and Afghanistan may be the locales where this is most obvious, but it's happening all around the world."
Policy disagreements between Miss Rice and Mr. Gates have been scarce. They have worked together to beef up the so-called provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq, where diplomats are embedded with the military to boost reconstruction efforts.
"We, as a nation, are most secure at home and best able to shape a secure international environment when all agencies and branches of national power are properly resourced and employed in unison," Mr. Coulter said.