DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
O
FFICE
O
F THE
S
ECRETA
RY
1000
NA
VY
PENTAGON
WASHINGTON DC 20350·1000
SECNAVINST 1301.7A
DUSN
1 May 2019
SECNAV INSTRUCTION 1301.7A
From: Secretary of the Navy
Subj: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY FOREIGN AREA OFFICER PROGRAMS
Ref: (a) DoD Directive 1315.17 of 28 April 2005
(b) DoD Instruction 1315.20 of 28 September 2007
(c) DoD Instruction 5160.70 of 30 December 2016
(d) DoD Directive 5160.41E of 21 August 2015
Encl: (1) Responsibilities
1. Purpose
a. To establish policy governing Department of the Navy
(DON) Foreign Area Officer (FAO) programs and implement
Department of Defense (DoD) references (a) through (d).
2. Cancellation. SECNAVINST 1301.7.
3. Applicability. This instruction applies to the Office of
the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), the Chief of Naval
Operations (CNO), the Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC), and
all U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps installations, commands,
activities, field offices, and all other organizational entities
within the DON (collectively referred to in this instruction as
“DON components”).
4. Policy
a. To achieve national security objectives and continued
success in current and future operations, the DON must be
prepared to conduct and support military operations with an
expanding number of coalition partners in a diverse set of
geopolitical conditions around the world. Success in these
operations, and on the asymmetric battlefields of the future,
requires specialized officers with a sophisticated understanding
of the international security environment. Navy and USMC FAOs
maintain professional military skills and understanding of
Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) at high levels
