20231220_Vocabulaire militaire français-anglais.pdf — page 74

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L ’ A S S I S T A N T  D E  L ’ A T T A C H É  D E  
D É F E N S E  ( A A D )  
 
Operations coordinator (OPSCO) 
 
 
What if you could score shore duty (= obtenir une affectation à terre) in places like Paris, London, 
Tokyo or Santiago, Chile, locations that most people could only dream about visiting let alone live 
in? (= des endroits que la plupart des gens n’ont pas les moyens de visiter, et encore moins d’y 
habiter). Better yet (= et mieux encore), what if your shore duty in one of these dream cities 
propelled you to the top of American diplomacy by awarding you the opportunity to work hand 
in hand with America’s ambassadors, leaders of foreign militaries and learn a new language to 
boot? (= par dessus le marché) 
 
Meet Chief Supply Clerk Kirk Flint. 
 
Flint is an operations assistant assigned to DOD Attaché Office (DAO) as the operations 
coordinator (OPSCO) for U.S. Ambassador Stephen D. Mull, the U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania. 
As a chief petty officer, Flint is used to shouldering a lot of responsibility, but the demands of 
working in an American embassy are different. 
“The DAO does at least two things that are important to the United States and Lithuania,” said 
Mull. “Obviously, it connects our two militaries (= nos armées), so it’s important that we know 
each other, work well together and ‘talk the same language’ in planning and executing 
military missions. In addition, the DAO is our action office for such things as aircraft 
clearances (= autorisations de survol) for the U.S. government planes that frequently fly into 
Lithuania, the arrival and departure of official delegations, visits of U.S. government 
officials to military sites or exercises and so on.” 
Flint said his job is more than just serving as a liaison for the Lithuanians; he’s a friendly face and 
welcome voice to visiting Americans. “I’m an American’s warm, fuzzy blanket here in a foreign 
land,” said Flint. 
Flint, as the OPSCO, is tasked with managing the operations assistants within the American 
embassy and works directly for the defense attaché. Since Lithuania is so small, Flint handles 
all of the operations assistant and coordinator roles for the American embassy. He is typically the 
first person Americans meet when they step off the plane in Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius. In fact, 
making travel easier is what Flint does best as an OPSCO. 
“Our relationship with the Lithuanian airport in Vilnius is my proudest accomplishment,” said Flint. 
“We can get Americans in and out of the airport faster than anyone else, and for anyone who 
travels internationally, having someone who knows how to deal with the host nation’s customs and 
regulations as well as our DAO here does, makes all the difference in the world.” 
Along with a hearty handshake and a quick trip through customs, Flint is the resident expert for 
Americans visiting Lithuania. He speaks the language, knows the country, can recommend 
where to stay, is familiar with the local laws, knows what places to avoid—and even where 
to get the best deals on Lithuanian souvenirs. 
Whether Flint is greeting American delegates, coordinating multinational military maneuvers, 
or translating Lithuanian for an air crew trying to get their aircraft fixed, his significance is felt all 
the way to the top of the diplomatic chain of command. 
“The chief is a key figure in a large chunk of the operational activities of this embassy. I know that 
the defense attaché would not be able to work without him, and the embassy would really be 
missing a lot without a well-functioning DAO,” said Mull. 
If the thought of working in Lithuania, a fertile country with miles of rich farmland, evergreen 
forests and a small-town charm, doesn’t appeal to you maybe you might like Intelligence Specialist 
1st Class Patrick Overstreet’s address.