US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK701

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 000701 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DIA FOR HUMINT DIRECTOR BRIGADIER GENERAL ENNIS FROM 
AMBASSADOR BOYCE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2010 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TH, POL/MIL 
SUBJECT: STAFFING ISSUES AT DAO BANGKOK 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce.  Reason 1.4 (a and d) 
 
 3.  (C)  General Ennis, I wanted to advise you of the superb 
cooperation and support provided by DAO here since I've come 
to Post a little over three weeks ago.  As you can imagine, 
since my arrival we have been focused primarily on tsunami 
relief efforts.  DAO and JUSMAG have operated smoothly and 
collegially throughout this experience.  The issues you and I 
discussed in December have not surfaced and I am confident 
both DAO and JUSMAG will continue to work together to support 
the Country Team. 
 
2.  (C)  That said, I am concerned about another matter.  We 
face a serious staffing shortfall in DAO/Bangkok starting 
this summer and am hoping you can assist.  As you know, our 
present Air Attache, Col Stephen McKeag, is scheduled to 
assume responsibilities as Defense Attache this summer. 
Steve has performed well as Air Attache and I am certain he 
will be a superb DATT.  This summer our present DATT, COL 
Scott Page, is scheduled to depart post and his Assistant 
Army Attache, LTC Dan Tarter, will also leave us for an 
onward assignment in Rangoon.  LTC Tarter will be the senior 
DAO officer in Burma and will be replacing an officer moving 
to Afghanistan.  I understand that the replacement for LTC 
Tarter has not been announced and that COL Page's successor 
as Army Attache is not scheduled to arrive at post until 
December 2005 -- leaving us with an unexpected gap of three 
to six months without an officer exclusively covering Army 
issues.  Complicating matters, we are expecting a number of 
visitors with an Army focus in the fall, including the Army 
Chief of Staff.  Meanwhile, the security situation in 
southern Thailand remains a concern, and we need DAO to be 
consistently engaged in covering that. 
 
3.  (C)  Part of the solution to this could include COL Page 
remaining in his position into August rather than departing 
in June.  This would cover the period of the U.S. Army Chief 
of Staff counterpart visit program with the Royal Thai Army 
CINC in late June and the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference in 
early August when the U.S. Army Chief of Staff will visit 
Bangkok.  However, even if we go that route, we would still 
face a gap from August to December. 
 
4.  (C)  To best cover that broader gap, I write to inquire 
whether DIA can provide an Army officer, ideally an 
experienced attache, to serve here on TDY to augment our DAO 
upon COL Page's departure, whether in June or August, through 
the arrival of the new Army Attache.  I recognize that 
officers with DAO experience or training are in short supply, 
but seek your assistance in identifying a qualified 
individual at DIA Headquarters or elsewhere.  Please advise 
me soonest on your thinking about the likelihood of such a 
move. 
 
 
 
5.  (U)  Best Wishes, Skip Boyce 
BOYCE