Attachés, Military

Military attachés, military officers assigned to a diplomatic mission, have become fundamental, if unheralded, members of embassies and consulates across the globe. Their missions run the gambit from diplomatic negotiations to the passive gathering of military intelligence. The mere assignment of a military attaché to a specific post signifies some type of foreign policy decision of a nation. Thus, military attachés may be assigned to capitals of friendly nations to strengthen military ties or posted to nations whose foreign policies may lead to confrontations. In both these instances, and the many cases that lay between, the military attaché is an asset, serving with the diplomatic corps overseas, a professional military officer trained to work within diplomatic circles. This entry discusses the history and mission of ...