FAOA Chapter welcomes Ambassador Miller

Members of the Fort Leavenworth-Roger Donlon Chapter of the Foreign Area Officers Association (FAOA), along with spouses and friends met at Leavenworth’s Ten Penny Restaurant on the afternoon of March 22, 2023 to welcome Ambassador (Ret.) David Miller during his visit to Fort Leavenworth. Ambassador Miller was visiting Fort Leavenworth at the invitation of the Army University Press and CGSC Foundation.

Ambassador (Ret.) David Miller, seated at right, attends a meeting of the Fort Leavenworth-Roger Donlon Chapter of thecForeign Area Officers Association on March 23, 2023, in downtown Leavenworth, Kansas.

Ambassador (Ret.) David Miller, seated at right, attends a meeting of the Fort Leavenworth-Roger Donlon Chapter of thecForeign Area Officers Association on March 23, 2023, in downtown Leavenworth, Kansas.

Eleven FAOs, active duty and retired, along with three of their spouses and two friends of the chapter attended. Ambassador Miller was accompanied by Col. Todd Schmidt the director of Army University Press.

After brief welcoming statement from the FAOA chapter secretary, Ambassador Miller noted his appreciation for the support he had received from members of military, and specifically the FAO community, throughout his career. His government service record includes a year in Vietnam working for the Advanced Research Projects Agency, time working on the National Security Council staff and several other agencies in addition to his service as the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Following the ambassador’s remarks, Col. (Ret.) Dale Slade, senior FAO at Fort Leavenworth, presented special recognition to chapter member Tom Wilhelm, who is retiring after several years as director of Fort Leavenworth’s Foreign Military Studies Office. Slade reminded FAOs they have a basic branch as well as their FAO designation and reviewed Wilhelm’s career as an infantry officer as well as an FAO. He then presented Wilhelm with the Order of Saint Maurice, Patron Saint of the Infantry, on behalf of the Chief of Infantry, to the applause of the chapter members.

The event continued with socializing and networking among the FAOs, Ambassador Miller and the CGSC Foundation and Simons Center leaders. At the close of the event, chapter members expressed their appreciation for the ambassador’s visit.

With the significant reduction in COVID-19 cases in the Fort Leavenworth area, chapter members anticipate additional events of this nature in the near future.
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Contributed by CGSC Assistant Professor Gary Hobin, Department of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations

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