Content area
Full Text
Serving in more than 90 nations and territories around the globe, Army noncommissioned officers (NCOs) in the Defense Attache System (DAS) represent their Services and nation at the highest levels of government. Interestingly enough, as the Army continues to "rightsize" its NCO corps, this small career track has grown, commensurate with a new respect for its worth.
NCOs serving in the DAS are overwhelmed with unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional growth as well as phenomenal strategic experience, and they are getting promotions. The most recent Sergeant First Class (E7) promotion board selected fully 35 percent of eligible staff sergeants on attache duty for advancement-this against an overall Armywide selection rate of just 28 percent. Even more encouraging are the statistics from the last two warrant officer selection boards where DAS soldiers averaged an 80-percent selection rate. It is worth noting that motivated and qualified NCOs who serve as little as one tour in the DAS many submit Warrant Officer application packets to become MI 350L Attach Technicians.
There are some very good reasons why promotions and officer selection rates are so high among Army NCOs in the DAS. First and foremost is the fact that the DAS actively recruits and accepts only the best-qualified applicants. Standards are high and the job is demanding. Working and living conditions at some locations can be harsh and members may find their multifaceted responsibilities almost all-consuming. The hours are notoriously long and the job sometimes seems to consist of an unsteady shifting sea of constantly changing priorities. Despite these challenges, many of those who have chosen this particular career track say the personal and professional rewards vastly outweigh the drawbacks.
Despite a few hardships, there are some welcome tradeoffs, which can be particularly appealing to soldiers who have spent the majority of their military lives "in the field" or deployed. With rare exceptions, all Defense Attache assignments are command-sponsored accompanied tours. Soldiers may be required to perform occasional temporary duty (TDY) at other locations; however, they are usually already considered "deployed," so they can expect to sleep in their own beds at night.
Those who are curious about what it is like to live and work in embassies overseas may acquire a widely divergent set of perspectives by...