Fostering International Security – One Conversation at a Time​

By Captain David Varona, USN

Small talk is hard. For many in the profession of arms, and certainly across the U.S. Navy, it can be doubly difficult and a skillset not regularly leveraged. Polite conversation is considerate but not central to operational execution, particularly when trust is assumed and focus aligned. International actors, however, have different foci and measures of trust. In the face of myriad variables such as historical precedent or cultural biases, trust is not guaranteed. What is essential to some may be merely interesting to others. Conversation, therefore, is critical to building awareness. Awareness builds understanding and understanding identifies commonality. Commonality, in the international domain, can drive efficiency, and efficiency offers opportunity for allies, partners, and adversaries alike. Small talk is hard, but it is worthwhile for everyone. That is why we have attachés.

Importance of Partners and Allies    

The importance of partners and allies cannot be overstated, although we have certainly tried. With explicit mentions in the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy, and CNO’s Sailing Directions among other guiding documents, partner engagement is central to how the Department of Defense (DOD) and, in turn, the U.S. Navy conducts operations. The 2022 National Security Strategy declares “our alliances and partnerships around the world are our most important strategic asset and an indispensable element contributing to international peace and stability.” Recent and continued international collaboration on support for Ukraine is the most prominent example of the importance and utility of transparent and deliberate communication on topics of shared interest.

From intelligence sharing to materiel support, DOD has worked collaboratively and passionately with international allies in defense of Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to exist. The result is nothing less than a historic, multipronged rebuff of persistent Russian aggression and deceit. Members of the European Union, many of whom harbored previous concerns about revanchist Russian behaviors, were quick to understand the threat posed. Not all, however, had the same sight picture or came to the same conclusion. Independent analyses in many nations’ capitals varied on Russia’s motives or intentions to reconstitute lands formerly held under the Soviet Union. The United States government’s willingness to engage with partner nations did much to build a common baseline of facts and increase the speed of decision-making. Thoughtful, transparent, and honest conversation can help validate or dismiss assumptions and shape collective reasoning. This is not to say that communication solves all problems; rather, the common acceptance of certain truths can go a long way towards comprehensive understanding. In today’s disinformation-infused world, there is no more important mission.

By nature, maritime forces across the globe operate with a degree of autonomy but rely heavily on international partnerships for core functions. Food, fuel, access, and awareness are all mission essential requirements for units underway and distant from U.S. soil. At the human level, cultural opportunities have long proven valuable for crew recuperation, restoration, and perhaps most importantly, international perspective. A quote often cited by many military leaders claims “you cannot surge trust.” Institutional investments in combined exercises and international community relations underscore and validate this as true. International experience and engagement helps provide our servicemembers with key perspective that not only informs current operations but also serves as an investment for future partnerships.

The Role of an Attaché

Defense, Military, Naval and Air Attachés serve unique and critical roles in progressing national interests with partners, allies, and adversaries. Host nation engagement efforts by attachés are necessary strategic complements, and often times drivers of fleet or organizational-level interactions. As such, attachés must have both a strong understanding of national and service-specific interests and a bias to seek out and identify opportunity with potential partners. As formal representatives of their nations and services, attachés serve as lubricants and facilitators for germane bilateral and multilateral interactions and dialogue. Simultaneously, they serve as military advisors to civilian leadership internal to their respective embassies and in support of visiting or inquisitive seniors from home. Above all, attachés provide tangible in-country representation of their services and nations. During times of crisis or contingency, attachés are often at the center of action. Communication therefore is central to their respective duties.

International naval diplomacy is quite robust in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Navy recognizes over 160 naval attaches representing almost 100 nations through formal accreditation. Not all nations, however, have uniformed members of their respective sea services representing their maritime interests to the United States. In fact, active duty naval officers comprise under half of the Corps of Attachés’ total numbers. Some international attachés serve simultaneously as Defense, Military, Naval, and Air Attachés for their respective countries and seek formal relations and accreditation with multiple services. Several attachés are now claiming titles of Space Attaché, seeing partnership potential with the United States’ newest military service, the U.S. Space Force. conversations on international maritime topics with attaché partners, therefore, may require not only language translation, but patient understanding of service intricacies and differences such as culture and jargon.

Niche and interest-based sub-organizations exist within and across the Foreign Naval Attache Corps in Washington, much like in other capital cities across the world. Some groupings are based on regional or cultural ties, others center on themes of shared interest. With attaché duty lasting on average two to three years in Washington, networking and relationship building is key and outreach essential. Successful engagement efforts must therefore transcend commonalities in service, to truly identify opportunities across a panoply of missions, interests, and experiences.

Comportment and Curiosity

Attachés serve not only as exemplars for their fellow servicemembers and citizenry to emulate but also models from which foreign audiences build assumptions. According to the international business book Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (Morrison & Conaway, 2006), “Communication always takes place between individuals, not cultures.” Cultural awareness will certainly help with engagement, particularly in understanding intended messaging or decision-making processes, but individual interactions build or diminish trust. Personal comportment, therefore, may have a strategic impact on international relations. The behavior and communication styles that succeed at sea do not necessarily resonate in multinational environments that require consensus or tact. Professional experience and judgement notwithstanding, non-judgmental curiosity and courtesy are the cornerstone attributes necessary for successful military diplomacy.

The father of the U.S. Navy, John Paul Jones, once shared his thoughts on the qualifications of a naval officer. His definition, in turn, has been memorized and regurgitated by midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy as a guidepost for years. He wrote, “It is by no means enough that an officer of the Navy should be a capable mariner. He must be that, of course, but also a great deal more. He should be as well a gentleman of liberal education, refined manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor (Jones, 2023)”. Naval attachés should ascribe to this definition and more. Refined manners are essential, of course, but interpersonal relations serve as force multiplier in establishing rapport – the necessary driver of closer relations and deepened trust.

Conclusion

The importance of military dialogue remains central to international peace and stability. Partnerships and alliances in particular are the foundation upon which global maritime security is anchored. Combined operations and collaborative teaming have had tremendous success on recent military operations and historic geopolitical design. Lasting, effective, and mutually beneficial partnerships have been predicated on trust and open dialogue. Conflict resolution and mitigation efforts between adversarial nations are similarly reliant on honest conversation and a willingness to listen. Naval attachés are uniquely suited to understand and communicate information and intentions. To do so effectively, professional comportment is essential. Personal rapport, however, is a force multiplier. Small talk can offer a pathway to a multitude of opportunities, but, to butcher an old adage, the journey of 1,000 miles begins with the willingness to talk.

Captain David Varona is the current Director of U.S. Navy Attaché Affairs on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. He has worked international relations across multiple tours and enjoys his collaboration with active members of the Corp of Foreign Naval Attachés. He a former U.S. naval attaché with staff and operational experience at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.  

The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.

Endnotes:

Jones, C. b. (2023, Mar 29). United States Naval Academy. Retrieved from U.S. Naval Academy Strategic Plan: https://www.usna.edu/StrategicPlan/archives/2011-2020/naval_officer_quals.php

Morrison, T., & Conaway, W. A. (2006). Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries (2nd ed.). Avon, Mass: Adams Media.