Interesting post - I'm a 48J Major currently serving as the SAO in Djibouti.

There are existing organizations (recently designed) to do exactly what you suggest - place FAOs with deploying units. They are the International Military Affairs (IMA) organizations at Army Service Component Commands - ARCENT has stood theirs up, and Army Africa is starting to man theirs. The expressed intent is to use the FAOs assigned to the IMA to support BCT and Division level commanders - I'm not sure if it is actually working that way. When not deployed, the FAOs work with their region's countries on Security Cooperation programs.

Also, there has been a lot of talk lately about a single-track FAO "Path to General Officer" including Army centrally selected positions for COLs to support their selection - Serving as IMA Chief as an 06 has been proposed as one such job.

As of a few weeks ago, FAOs of all areas of concentration will be considered for command of training teams in Iraq and Afghanistan. YG92 will be the first to be considered.

Matt Romagnuolo