afsa news march 2003/rep - american foreign service

American Foreign Service Association • March 2006

AFSANEWST he year 2005 saw regime change both

at the State Department and at AFSA.Secretary Condoleezza Rice brought

wholesale transformation to the buildingand a very different approach from that ofher predecessor on many issues. The bud-get situation for the foreign affairs agenciescontinued to deteriorate. In mid-July a newGoverning Board was installed at AFSA. Weimmediately sought to adapt to the new real-ities, while maintaining our long-term objec-tives of advancing the interests of our mem-bers, promoting the FS to Congress and thepublic, and fostering a heightened esprit decorps within our ranks.

SOUND, INDEED THRIVINGAFSA has never been more funda-

mentally sound, nor in a better position topromote the interests of the ForeignService. It has benefited from theDiplomatic Readiness Initiative, with mem-bership having increased by 30 percent thisdecade, to about 13,250. We sense we aremaking progress on boosting AFSA mem-bership among retirees, a major long-termgoal, where the 26-percent level is only aboutone-third of the active-duty level. The asso-ciation’s 28 employees are exceptionally wellled, at both the senior and department headlevels, where the average tenure is about 10years. This continuity and institutionalmemory offer many advantages and serveour members well. Financially, we haveabout half a year’s working requirements inreserve and our scholarship fund’s endow-ment stands at over $4.4 million. However,the AFSA headquarters building is in seri-ous need of renovation, a costly proposition.

This has led us to explore ways totake better financial advantage ofour small but prime piece of prop-erty, something we expect todecide on in the next few months.

BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUESWe fought hard and made

modest progress on our priorityissues in 2005 and expect the con-siderable headwind to persist for the fore-seeable future. After unexpected success inthe House of Representatives earlier in theyear, we pulled out all the stops to getOverseas Comparability Pay for all employ-ees passed into law in the session’s hectic finaldays. Our lack of ultimate success, even afterreceiving key support in the Senate, was dueto one thing: opposition by the WhiteHouse. Based on informal soundings, weare cautiously optimistic that OCP will makeit into the administration’s budget requestthis year, but with a quid pro quo. Thetradeoff will be the conversion of the entireForeign Service personnel system to “payfor performance.” This won’t entail radi-cal changes in how we are evaluated, but itwill eliminate the annual 3-percent “stepincrease” that accounts for about half of theaverage employee’s salary growth over acareer. While AFSA by law has no role inthe tradeoff decision, we can and will defendour members’ interests in negotiating thedetails and implementation.

A more tangible, albeit more modest,victory was getting the caps on danger payand hardship differentials raised to 35 per-cent. Unfortunately, management sum-marily dismissed our initiative for increas-

ing the Separate MaintenanceAllowance to levels that wouldmake it possible to actually meetthe cost of maintaining familiesaway from post.

This year our priority legisla-tive goals are to get the educationaltravel regulations expanded, toenhance the “death gratuity” toeliminate the bias against spe-

cialists and more junior employees, and toliberalize the rules on WAE employment.We also hope to stop the bleeding in termsof overseas personnel needlessly payingVirginia sales tax on all catalog and onlinepurchases shipped to the Dulles, Va.,pouch address, and to work with manage-ment to promulgate a list of best practicesfor posts to adopt on treatment of mem-bers of household. We have also formallyproposed to management a joint effort tofix the numerous problems in the securityclearance suspension/revocation process.

OUTREACHAFSA has made progress in terms of out-

reach to the general public, the media andCongress. Our Speakers Program, publi-cations and the rapidly expandingElderhostel program are highly effective. Forthe print and electronic media, AFSA is the“go to” source for authoritative, unbiasedinsider perspectives on a range of foreignaffairs issues, particularly relating to man-agement and resources. o

2005 PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Transition at State and AFSA; Tough Times Arrive

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J. Anthony Holmes

AFSA News begins on page 10.

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2 AFSA NEWS • MARCH 2006

JANUARYAFSA State VP Louise Crane intervenes withCitibank and the Charleston Financial Centeron behalf of members whose bank accountshad been emptied by criminal elements.Citibank eventually refunds all their losses.

AFSA successfully intervenes on behalf ofthree entry-level officers who spent sixmonths in Baghdad before reporting to theirfirst post. Their Iraq time will now counttoward home leave accrual and eligibility.

FCS VP Chuck Ford and AFSA PresidentJohn Limbert send a letter to new CommerceSecretary Carlos Gutierrez to set the tone formore positive relations between Commerceand AFSA.

Longtime AFSA Elderhostel CoordinatorWard Thompson retires; Janice Bay andÁsgeir Sigfússon take over the responsibilityfor all of AFSA's Elderhostel programs.

AFSA meets with the GovernmentAccountability Office to discuss its yearlongstudy on protecting “soft targets.”

FAS VP Laura Scandurra coordinates withEEO to compile and distribute diversity data,and works with HR to develop and imple-ment a Senior Foreign Service pay package.

AFSA releases the 2005 revised edition ofInside a U.S. Embassy. The State Departmentpurchases 10,000 copies for the recruitingdivision.

FEBRUARYAFSA’s Labor-Management team againprotests the protracted and opaque procedurefor vetting employees for assignments to criti-cal-threat countries.

USAID VP Bill Carter finishes negotiationswith management on a new, simpler AnnualEvaluation Form, which is well received byemployees.

AFSA/FAS coordinates with the humanresources division to revise the lateral entryprocess to do a better job of bringing in can-didates with the desired competencies.

AFSA arranges for retired FSOs to moderatethe National Youth Leadership Foundation’sdiplomacy panels for over 500 top-flight highschool students.

Sixty Academic Merit Award, 16 Art MeritAward and 96 Financial Aid Scholarshipapplications are submitted for the 2005-2006academic year.

The 2004 Fund for American DiplomacyAppeal, which ran from Nov. 2004-Feb. 2005,raises $21,575.

Legislative Affairs Director Ken Nakamuraconducts wide-ranging meetings with con-gressional members and staff to discussAFSA’s main legislative priorities, includinglocality pay, the FS death gratuity and the FY2006 budget.

AFSA meets with the Office of Managementand Budget to discuss AFSA’s position onOverseas Comparability Pay and other fund-ing issues.

AFSA lines up nine retiree speakers forGeorge Mason University's professional stud-ies program to explain the critical role of theForeign Service in defending global U.S. inter-ests.

MARCHLabor-Management writes on behalf of diplo-matic couriers carrying pouches into Baghdadto seek better safety arrangements in cargoaircraft.

In response to an AFSA proposal to exemptFS personnel serving in critical posts frommilitary reserve call-up, State disavows anyintention to seek any deferments.

AFSA asks OPM to cover FS personnel underproposed new rules for granting compensa-tory time off for travel, and requests thatcomp time be granted for travel in businessclass.

USAID VP negotiates new time-in-class regu-lations for Senior Foreign Service members.

AFSA arranges a panel for four senior retireespeakers to explain Foreign Service careers tosome 170 students at American University.

APRILLabor-Management asks State to reviewrequirements for the inclusion of minor chil-dren on the OF-126 and orders when theemployee’s divorce decree has granted him orher sole custody.

AFSA writes to the department concerningthe crime/security situation at five Mexicoborder posts, noting that RSOs are assigned atonly two of them.

Donald Businger succeeds Bill Crawford asAFSA Rep for Commerce. Crawford heads toEmbassy Baghdad.

Luncheon is held for Job Search Seminar par-ticipants at the FSI Career Transition Center,hosted by AFSA to explain transitioningmembership into retirement via annuitydeduction.

AFSA arranges for senior retirees to partici-pate in two Johns Hopkins University“Evergreen” continuing education programs.

AFSA testifies before the HouseSubcommittee on Africa, Global HumanRights, and International Operations.

Media campaign is launched by AFSA to pro-mote locality pay through placements inmajor media including the Washington Post,Federal Times and NPR.

MAYOn Foreign Affairs Day, May 6, UnderSecretary of State Nicholas Burns and AFSAPresident John Limbert unveil the AFSAMemorial Plaques to reveal the addition ofthree FS employees who lost their lives over-

seas in the line of duty. Two of the individu-als honored were killed in Iraq, and the thirdindividual had been killed in a plane crash off

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At the May 6 AFSA Academic Merit and ArtMerit Awards ceremony, 23 winners areawarded a total of $26,750 in scholarships.

AFSA hosts Foreign Affairs Day Reception forretirees at HQ.

AFSA intervenes on behalf of two retiringoffice management specialists to ensure theyreceive waivers for repayment of R&R costs,and, in the other case, repayment of HSTA.

AFSA staff and officers take retirees to CapitolHill to meet members of Congress andstaffers during AFSA’s “Day on the Hill” fordiscussions on issues affecting both active-duty and retired Foreign Service members. Ina new initiative, AFSA asks retirees unable toattend to participate in a “Virtual Day on theHill” by writing letters to their senators andrepresentatives during this timeframe.

AFSA suggests that State make a greater effortto ensure that employees called up for mili-tary reserve duty are aware of their rights, par-ticularly with regard to inclusion of militaryevaluations in their official performance files ifdesired. The department agrees to do so.

AFSA protests the selection of three mid-levelofficers as deputy assistant secretaries in theBureau of European Affairs.

State VP Crane negotiates and agrees to the2005 Procedural Precepts for Promotion, toinclude removal of the 5-percent low-rankingquota for certain groups of employees, newlanguage concerning classwide competitionand career development, and a statement thatensures low-ranking is not solely based ondisciplinary letters.

AFSA/FAS creates and leads a working groupthat recommends improvements to the agen-cy’s performance management system.

Newly-hired Retiree RecruitmentCoordinator Norma Reyes initiates telephonerecruitment campaign to New Englandretirees.

JUNE

On June 17, the AFSA awards ceremony isheld in the State Department’s BenjaminFranklin Diplomatic Reception Room. AFSApresents three awards ($2,500 each) for con-structive dissent and other awards for extraor-dinary contributions to effectiveness, profes-sionalism and morale.

Deputy Secretary Robert Zoellick presentsAFSA’s annual Lifetime Contributions toAmerican Diplomacy Award to SenatorRichard Lugar, R-Ind., in recognition of hissupport for diplomacy and the ForeignService.

Beginning this month, the entire FSJ (ratherthan excerpts) is posted on the Members’Page of the Web site. (Each issue will also beavailable to the general public with one month’s lag time.)

AFSA protests the inclusion of invalid securityincidents in employees’ official performancefiles.

Labor-Management asks State to find a wayof compensating employees on TDY orders inthe D.C. area for the penalties incurred byearly termination of a lease for the needs ofthe Service.

AFSA agrees on changes to the decision crite-ria for tenure and promotion (“CorePrecepts”) to include greater emphasis onspecialist requirements, public outreach andcustomer service.

AFSA/FCS is notified that the midterm nego-tiations on five items from the 2003-2005period have been approved by Commercewith minor changes.

At AFSA’s request, the FAS administratoragrees to create a human-capital workinggroup.

AFSA/FAS assists and counsels employees onperformance evaluation and home-leaveissues.

AFSA Retiree Recruitment Coordinator initi-ates major drive aimed at retirees in the D.C.area, home to the largest pool of retirees.

Marc Grossman and his wife MildredPatterson, along with friends and associates,establish the $12,000 perpetual MarcGrossman and Mildred Patterson FinancialAid Scholarship.

Stacy Session, a student at Florida A & M, ischosen as the 2005 AFSA/ThursdayLuncheon Group summer intern, to spendthe summer working in the StateDepartment’s Office of Oceans, Environment,Science and International Health.

JULY

AFSA’s National High School Essay Contestwinners are honored at the 2005 YouthAwards Ceremony, garnering positive mediacoverage.

The new Governing Board takes office on July15.

AFSA protests to the House Committee onInternational Relations a proposal to requireall federal employees serving overseas to waivetheir right to challenge investigations of offi-cial misconduct.

State proposes to amend the requirement forgeneralists’ eligibility to cross the SFS thresh-old from service at a 5-percent differentialpost to a 15-percent post, for those promotedto FS-1 in 2005 and later. AFSA concurs.

AFSA FCS VP Donald Businger works onvarious issues related to the new EER processand continues to pursue ongoing initiativessuch as the Domestic Relocation Allowance.

AFSA Retiree VP David Reuther has lunchwith Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., asAFSA-PAC representative to advocate onbehalf of retiree and active-duty ForeignService members. The majority of PACdonors are retirees.

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Legislative Affairs discusses with State theimplications of the administration’s efforts tomove federal personnel toward a perfor-mance-based pay system.

The July-August Journal, one of the mostpopular issues in years, focuses on theForeign Service Institute and FS training. It also features the results of a survey ofAFSA members’ views on family-memberemployment.

AUGUSTAFSA writes State on behalf of severalemployees who exceeded the premium paycap as a result of service in Iraq.

Thanks to AFSA’s intervention concerningunhealthful conditions within diplomaticfacilities overseas, particularly InformationProcessing Centers, the Information ResourceManagement Bureau is now co-operatingwith the Bureau of Overseas BuildingOperations to rectify the problems.

AFSA/USAID membership reaches an all-time high of 910, representing 80 percent ofeligible members within the agency.

AFSA/FCS signs an MOU allowing perfor-mance awards for officers in certain time-in-class situations.

VP Retirees meets with officers of the SeattleRetirees Association.

Retiree Representative Larry Lesser serves asone of three retiree WAEs on an InspectorGeneral team reviewing rule-of-law activitiesin Iraq, illustrating that retirees serve asWAEs overseas on every continent and con-dition.

AFSA participates and recruits at FSI CareerTransition Center’s Job Search Seminarreception hosted by DACOR.

AFSA bestows the first half of the 2005/06need-based Financial Aid Scholarships to 64students, totaling $60,350. (A total of$125,000 will be awarded as Financial AidScholarships in the 2005/06 school year, withthe second disbursement to follow inDecember.)

Legislative Affairs Director meets with SenateGovernment Affairs Committee staff to dis-cuss the administration’s Working forAmerica Act and its implications for theForeign Service.

SEPTEMBERMembers of the new Governing Board partic-ipate in an all-day retreat to discuss prioritiesfor the 2005-to-2007 term.

AFSA meets with State’s White House LiaisonOffice to request data on current non-careerappointees in Senior Executive Service andSchedule C positions in the department. Todate, AFSA still has not received this informa-tion.

AFSA/FCS submits three mid-term proposalsto FCS management on time-in-class policies,language testing for incentive languages byentities other than the Foreign ServiceInstitute and eligibility rules for promotioninto the Senior Foreign Service from suchpositions such as DCM and CG.

AFSA/FAS solicits input from members onthe strategic review process and passesresponses to management.

AFSA/FAS creates a committee to review andmake recommendations for additionalimprovements to the lateral-entry process.

USAID distributes the initial funds from anew student-loan repayment program, whichAFSA had lobbied for continuously.

Retiree Coordinator Bonnie Brown initiatescontact with FS retiree Hurricane Katrina vic-tims and connects one to the services ofSenior Living Foundation.

AFSA President J. Anthony Holmes and otherGoverning Board members attend FARNO-VA lunch with Virginia retirees to answerquestions on AFSA’s agenda and retireeissues.

FSJ coverage of the sensitive issue of AFSAmembers whose security clearances are sus-pended for years attracts widespread mediaattention (including stories in the WashingtonPost and on National Public Radio). Theissue’s focus on the Bureau of DiplomaticSecurity continues to generate a lively corre-spondence extending into early 2006.

AFSA meets with a wide range of StateDepartment and congressional officials andstaffers regarding possible alternatives if a for-eign affairs authorization bill does not pass.

OCTOBERAFSA protests, at all levels in the department,the arrangements for reorganizing the TBureau, noting secrecy and lack of consulta-tion with AFSA.

Labor-Management achieves a change to reg-ulations to allow members to view officialpersonnel files at their request.

AFSA writes to Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Belart, R-Fla., concerning the treatment of four ForeignService employees of the Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service when their posi-tions transferred to the Department ofHomeland Security. It also continues toadvocate on behalf of these employees inother fora.

Two days after the Oct. 12 swearing-in ofIsrael Hernandez, the new director general ofthe US&FCS, AFSA President Holmes,accompanied by FCS VP Businger and repre-sentative Will Center, meets with the newDG.

FCS VP informs management that it had vio-lated an MOU concerning notification ofAFSA in the event of post closings. Follow-upexchanges led to an informal agreement thatmanagement would in the future informAFSA on post closings.

FAS VP Laura Scandurra hosts a session onthe differences and similarities of the perfor-mance management and evaluation processesat the various foreign affairs agencies.

Retiree VP speaks to Job Search Seminar par-ticipants at the Career Transition Center,encourages them to transition their member-ships via annuity deduction and invites themto AFSA-hosted luncheon reception.

Retiree Recruitment Coordinator NormaReyes institutes a $20 one-time-only discountfor current members to convert to annuitydeduction when renewing membership.

The first one-day AFSA Elderhostel programtakes place at AFSA headquarters; its successleads to 13 more being planned by the end of2006.


Y E A R I N R E V I E WThe 2005 Scholarship FundAppeal raises $24,455.

NOVEMBERAFSA makes proposals toincrease the SeparateMaintenance Allowance whenan employee is serving at post

with dependents elsewhere. State does notaccept the proposals.

Labor-Management protests the manner inwhich the Bureau of Diplomatic Security hasimplemented recommendations of anAccountability Review Board regarding anemployee’s responsibility for his or her per-sonal security. AFSA awaits a response fromDS.

AFSA offers suggestions to improve theBureau of Diplomatic Security’s trainingagreement for special agents, particularly inrelation to the procedures for removing anagent from initial training. The departmenttakes these proposals into account in the finaldocument.

AFSA urges State to ensure timely payment ofthe cash award for those recommended bythe Promotion Boards for a MeritoriousService Increase when they have reached thehighest step in their class.

AFSA files grievances on behalf of fiveDiplomatic Security officers seeking to over-turn the department’s decision to deny waiv-ing overpayment of premium pay obtainedwhile the officers were serving in Iraq.

AFSA and USAID finally settle longstandingcourt cases emanating from two successfulgrievances, allowing the employees to be rein-stated.

FCS VP meets with two members ofCongress concerning proposed export pro-motion legislation.

FCS VP submits a special report toCommerce management on the issue ofdelays in implementation of Senior ForeignService performance pay.

AFSA/FAS conducts a human capital surveyand makes recommendations to FAS man-agement.

AFSA posts the “Consumer Checkbook’s2006 Guide to Health Plans” on its RetireeWeb page. During the last quarter of 2005,the retiree Web page receives over 11,000 hits.

Newly-formatted Retiree Directory, withexpanded “Retiree Resources” section, goesout to members.

AFSA implements a new, integrated scholar-ship database (which took over two years todevelop) to manage the AFSA Scholarshipapplication and awarding process.

Legislative Affairs Director Ken Nakamurameets with House committee members andstaffers, including Frank Wolf, R-Va., to dis-cuss the foreign affairs authorization bill andother pending matters.

DECEMBERIn 2005, AFSA Labor Management attorneysand staff handle hundreds of grievances, disci-plinary cases, DS investigations and securityclearance cases, and field over 1,000 requestsfor information or advice on a wide variety ofissues.

Labor-Management reviews the CareerDevelopment Plans for most specialist skillcodes, negotiating changes where necessary.

AFSA protests State’s unilateral implementa-tion of new cyber-security rules. Subsequentconsultations produce changes that alleviateAFSA’s concerns.

AFSA reviews and comments on the depart-ment’s proposed changes to the ForeignService Grievance System. AFSA does notagree to many of the changes and will havediscussions with the department in 2006.

AFSA/FCS meets with US&FCS DirectorGeneral Hernandez to get an update onreorganization, budget, personnel and assign-ment issues including post closures, govern-ment reform (“pay for performance”) and theexport promotion legislation proposed byCongressmen Mica and Manzullo.

For the first time, AFSA/FCS posts the com-plete AFSA-FCS Collective BargainingAgreement as a Web-enabled library of thebasic agreement of 1996, as well as allMemoranda of Understanding signed byAFSA and management over the last 10 years.

AFSA hosts a table at the retirement receptionfor 2005 State retirees and signs up new retireemembers.

AFSA receives a $50,000 bequest from theestate of Naomi Pekmezian to establish a per-petual financial-aid scholarship.

Joanna and Robert Martin donate $25,000 toAFSA for establishment of two perpetual aca-

demic merit scholarships.

AFSA bestows the second half of the 2005/06financial aid scholarships to 64 students total-ing $64,650.

The FSJ sets an all-time record for total annu-al advertising revenue, topping $500,000.

AFSA selects 12 winners for the 2005 SinclaireLanguage Awards for the study of hard lan-guages and their associated cultures.

H.R. 4436, introduced by the chairman of theHouse International Relations Subcommitteeon Africa, Global Human Rights, andInternational Operations, becomes law. Itincludes two AFSA provisions: the increase inthe caps from 25 percent to 35 percent on theHardship Differential and the Danger PayAllowance, and the restoration to the ForeignService Grievance Board the authority to stayactions by the Department of State in casesthat were “not for cause” until a grievanceproceeding was completed.

AFSA Public Affairs efforts and retiree contri-butions place 71 articles promoting U.S.diplomacy in leading media outlets nation-wide, including the New York Times,Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, theAssociated Press, and major TV networks.

AFSA programs a record 480 speaker eventsin 2005 to explain the importance of U.S.diplomacy to 27,000 attendees in 43 states andWashington, D.C. Most of the speakers areForeign Service retirees.

During 2005, AFSA and USAID settle sixpotential grievances without having to file atthe Grievance Board level, saving all involvedparties the time and inevitable financial bur-den. In addition, the AFSA labor-manage-ment team at USAID resolved severalemployee financial claims matters successfully.

AFSA Retiree Coordinator Bonnie Browncounsels 367 retiree members in 2005

During 2005, AFSA hosts 17 recruitment lun-cheons for incoming Foreign Service employ-ees. Over 80 percent of these employees joinAFSA as full members in 2005. Membershiptotals 13,232 at year’s end.

AFSA welcomes 29 new life members in 2005.

AFSA Post Representatives serve our mem-bers in 170 embassies and missions overseas.

Emphasis on encouraging retirees to use theannuity deduction for AFSA membershipincreases total number of deductees to 589.Retiree membership climbs to 3,704.




Front Row left to right: Roger Dankert (RetireeRep.), Makila James (State Rep.), Steve Kashkett(State VP), Brad Bell (State Rep.), Joyce Winchel-Namde (State Rep. and Liaison to Editorial Board),Francisco Zamora (USAID Rep.). Back row left toright: Sheldon Daitch (IBB Rep.), Laura Scandurra(FAS VP), Andrew Winter (Treasurer), David E.Reuther (Retiree VP), J. Anthony Holmes(President), Don Businger (FCS VP), Brian Cook(State Rep.) and Larry Lesser (Retiree Rep.). Notpictured: F.A. “Tex” Harris (Secretary) WilliamCarter (USAID VP), Alan Misenheimer (State Rep.),Hugh Neighbour (State Rep.), James Roseli (StateRep.), Andrew Young (State Rep.), Will Center (FCSRep.), Robert Curtis (FAS Rep.), Len Baldyga(Retiree Rep.), Gil Sheinbaum (Retiree Rep.).

ON THE WEB atwww.afsa.org

The total number of visitors to the AFSA Website increased dramatically in 2005. We had over180,000 visitors to our site in just the fourth quar-ter of 2005, a 75-percent increase over the fourthquarter of 2004. Members and non-Foreign Servicevisitors return to our site repeatedly to find content-rich information and a variety of foreign affairsresources. Articles from the Foreign Service Journaldraw the greatest interest, with visitors readingboth current and past issues.

In addition to getting vital information from ourWeb site, thousands of our members choose tosign up for the AFSANET Listserv. This e-mail ser-vice provides weekly updates on items of interest tothe foreign affairs community directly to your homeor work e-mail address. To sign up for theAFSANET Listserv visit us at www.afsa.org/forms/maillist.cfm.

Front row, from left: Kay Webb Mayfield, Anthony Chan, Stephen Buck, KentBrokenshire and Governing Board Liaison Joyce Winchel-Namde. Back row, fromleft: William W. Jordan, Christopher Teal, Chair Ted Wilkinson and Josh Glazeroff.Not pictured: Laurie Kassman and Lillian deValcourt-Ayala.

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Staff

Labor Management

Front row, from left: Office Manager Christine Warren, General CounselSharon Papp and Grievance Attorney Neera Parikh. Back row, from left:Labor Management Specialist James Yorke, Grievance Attorney CharlesGarten, Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich and USAID AFSAOffice Manager Asgeir Sigfusson. Not pictured: USAID AFSA Senior LaborManagement Advisor Doug Broome.

- Negotiations- ProtectingBenefits

- GrievanceCounseling

- OIG & DSInvestigations

- Member Inquiries- Informing theField

Finance and Administration

From left: Executive Director Susan Reardon,Controller Steven Tipton and Accounting AssistantJon Reed.

- Accounting- FinancialManagement

- Staff Recruitment &Supervision

- BuildingAdministration

- Board andCommittee Support

Outreach ProgramsPublic Outreach- Speakers Bureau- Elderhostel- Memorial Plaque- Foreign Service Day- Diplomats Online- AFSA Awards- Inside a U.S. EmbassyBook

Congressional Affairs- Lobbying- Tracking Legislation- Hill Testimony- Grassroots Campaigns

Retiree Services- Member Inquiries- Retiree Newsletter- Retiree Directory

Member Services- MemberRecruitment

- Post Reps- Insurance Programs- Address Changes- AFSANET- AFSA Web Site

Scholarships

From left: Congressional Affairs Director Ken Nakamura, Executive Assistant AustinTracy, Retiree Recruitment CoordinatorNorma Reyes, Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brownand Director of Communications TomSwitzer. Not pictured: Professional IssuesCoordinator Barbara Berger and ElderhostelCoordinator Janice Bay.

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- Financial Aid- Merit Awards- Art Merit Awards- Committee on Education

From left: Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez, Membership Director Janet Hedrick and Membership Representative Cory Nishi.

Foreign Service Journal

From left: Business Manager Mikkela Thompson, Advertising &Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger, Editor Steve Honley, Senior Editor Susan Maitra and Associate Editor Shawn Dorman. Not pictured: Art Director Caryn Suko Smith.

- Editing- Writing- Design- Advertising- Subscriptions and Sales

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Membership by Constituency



INCOME .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$Dues ............................................................2,150,000Foreign Service Journal Advertising ..............517,400Insurance Programs..........................................25,000Legislative Action Fund ....................................55,000Other ................................................................69,000Professional Programs and Outreach ............278,300Scholarships ..................................................358,620TOTAL ..........................................................3,453,320

EXPENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$Membership Programs................................1,194,393Foreign Service Journal..................................853,378Legislative Affairs............................................182,006Professional Programs and Outreach ............399,153Scholarships ..................................................358,359Administration................................................433,908Contribution to Endowment and Reserves......32,123TOTAL ..........................................................3,453,320

Budget in Brief

Membership by Function

Associate 1%

Active-DutyGeneralist48%

Retiree 30%

Active-Duty Specialist 21%

14,000

13,000

12,000

11,500

11,000

10,500

10,000

9,500

9,000

8,5001990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Record High13,232 Members

State 61%

IBB 0.2%

USAID 6%

FAS 1%

Retiree 30%

FCS 1%Associate 1%

AUDIT REPORT for AFSA AFSA’s audited financial

statements for 2005 will beavailable on the AFSA Web site (www.afsa.org) in May.

Total Membership 1990 to 2006



AFSA BY THE NUMBERS IN 200513 Number of Elderhostel programs held29 New Lifetime AFSA Members30 Number of known course adoptions for AFSA’s book, Inside a U.S. Embassy71 AFSA articles and letters placed in newspapers nationwide97 AFSANETs sent in 2005480 AFSA speaker programs nationwide700 Number of Elderhostel participants1,074 New active-duty and retired members7,651 Subscribers to the AFSANET Listserv13,232 AFSA members at year’s end27,000 Attendance at AFSA speaker programs nationwide125,000 Financial Aid Scholarship dollars awarded to 64 students517,400 Dollar amount of advertising in the Foreign Service Journal

Benefits of AFSA MembershipLABOR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS: AFSA negotiates the regulations affecting employees’ careers.We work to make the Foreign Service a better place in which to work, live and raise a family. Ournetwork of AFSA post representatives provides on-site assistance to overseas members.CONGRESSIONAL ADVOCACY: AFSA is your advocate before Congress on issues affecting the careersof active members and the annuities of retired members. OMBUDSMAN: We work to resolve member problems with pay, allowances, claims, annuities, healthcare and many other issues.VOICE OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE: As the professional association of the Foreign Service since 1924,AFSA works to strengthen our profession and is ever vigilant for threats to the career Foreign Service. GRIEVANCE REPRESENTATION: AFSA’s legal staff provides hands-on assistance with grievance pro-ceedings when your rights are violated. OUTREACH: AFSA communicates the views of the Foreign Service on professional issues to the newsmedia and directly to the general public.FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL: Our monthly magazine offers provocative articles that will keep youcurrent on developments in the foreign affairs profession. AFSA NEWS: AFSA’s monthly newsletter, inside the Foreign Service Journal, highlights issues affect-ing your daily life. AFSA WEB SITE: Our online member area includes a member directory and member forums. AFSANET: Regular e-mail updates keep you current on issues of importance to the Foreign Servicecommunity. LEGAL SERVICES: We offer free legal advice and representation on employment issues, includingsecurity and OIG investigations, discipline cases and security clearance proceedings.INSURANCE PROGRAMS: You can choose among competitively priced insurance programs designedfor the Foreign Service community, including professional liability insurance, accident, dental andpersonal property/transit. RETIREE SKILLS DATABASE: Our online database lists AFSA members who are available for jobs,college teaching and speaking engagements in a wide variety of areas. AFSA SCHOLARSHIPS: Approximately 100 merit-based and financial-need scholarships are grant-ed every year to Foreign Service family members. Since 1926, AFSA has awarded approximately$4,450,000 in scholarships. AFSA AWARDS: This unique awards program honors constructive dissent and outstanding per-formance.RETIREE NEWSLETTER: This bimonthly newsletter is exclusively for retired members. DIRECTORY OF RETIRED MEMBERS: This invaluable annual listing, by state, of contact informa-tion for retired members is provided to all retired AFSA members. MAGAZINE DISCOUNTS: AFSA members are eligible for special discounts on subscriptions to majorforeign affairs journals. ESPRIT DE CORPS: We work to build a sense of common cause and professional pride among allForeign Service members: active and retired; officer and specialist; entry-level and senior.

AFSA MEMORIAL PLAQUES: Established in 1933, and maintained by AFSA, these plaques in the

Truman Building lobby honor members of the Foreign Service who lost their lives overseas in the

line of duty.

AFSA Core ValuesMISSION

The American Foreign Service Associationwill provide foreign affairs leadership in thetwenty-first century by:

Promoting and safeguarding the interestsof its members;

Building a better sense of common pur-pose and pride in the foreign affairs pro-fession; and

Working to increase the effectiveness andpublic support of the Foreign Service ofthe United States.

— RESPONSIVENESS: We listen to ourmembers and actively promote theirinterests.— EFFECTIVENESS: We act with a sense ofurgency, get results and make a difference.— INTEGRITY: We demonstrate openness,honesty and fairness in everything we do.— EFFICIENCY: We carefully expend ourresources where they can have maximumimpact.— COMMUNITY: We foster teamwork,respect each other and enjoy our timetogether.— COURAGE: We encourage responsiblerisk-taking in order to achieve results.— PATRIOTISM: We are faithful to the grandand enduring ideals that gave our nationbirth.— EMPOWERMENT: We trust each other togive our best efforts guided by these corevalues.


Staff:Executive Director Susan Reardon: [email protected]

Business DepartmentController Steven Tipton: [email protected] Assistant Jon Reed: [email protected]

Labor ManagementGeneral Counsel Sharon Papp: [email protected] Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] Management Specialist James Yorke: [email protected] Attorneys Neera Parikh: [email protected] and

Charles Garten: [email protected] Manager Christine Warren: [email protected] Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: [email protected] Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: [email protected]

Member ServicesDirector Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Cory Nishi: [email protected] & Database Associate Meijing Shan: [email protected] Assistant Ana Lopez: [email protected]

Outreach ProgramsRetiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: [email protected] of Communications Thomas Switzer: [email protected] Affairs Director Ken Nakamura: [email protected] Relations/Executive Assistant Austin Tracy: [email protected] Director Lori Dec: [email protected] Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: [email protected] Recruitment Coordinator Norma Reyes: [email protected] Coordinator Janice Bay: [email protected]

AFSA HEADQUARTERS:(202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE:(202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087

AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.orgAFSA E-MAIL: [email protected] NEWS: [email protected]: [email protected]: [email protected] VP: [email protected] VP: [email protected] USAID VP: [email protected] FCS VP: [email protected] VP: [email protected]

AFSA NewsEditor Shawn Dorman: [email protected](202) 338-4045 x 503; Fax: (202) 338-8244

On the Web: www.afsa.org/news

How

to C

onta

ct U

s: Governing Board:

PRESIDENT: J. Anthony HolmesSTATE VICE PRESIDENT: Steven Kashkett USAID VICE PRESIDENT: Bill Carter FCS VICE PRESIDENT: Donald BusingerFAS VICE PRESIDENT: Laura Scandurra RETIREE VICE PRESIDENT: David Reuther SECRETARY: Tex Harris TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPRESENTATIVES: Bradford Bell,

Brian Cook, Hugh Neighbour, Alan Misenheimer, Joyce Namde, MakilaJames, James Roseli and Andrew Young

USAID REPRESENTATIVE: Francisco Zamora FCS REPRESENTATIVE: William Center FAS REPRESENTATIVE: Mike Conlon IBB REPRESENTATIVE: Sheldon DaitchRETIREE REPRESENTATIVES: Leonard J.

Baldyga, Roger Dankert, Larry Lesser andGilbert Sheinbaum

V.P. VOICE: USAID n BY BILL CARTER

By The Numbers: The Changing Face of USAID

Whether it is batting averages, mutual-fund returns orthe amount of megabytes on our PCs, we havebecome a society of unrepentant number-crunch-

ers and data freaks. Without a "numbers fix," individuals andbureaucracies alike are often frozen in inaction. Why else dowe need all those studies and estimates before proceeding withalmost anything these days? This column hopes to satisfy someof those primal numerical cravings, by supplying a satiating slewof numbers related to USAID personnel. The analysis may bewanting, but we leave you to draw your own conclusions.

After a lengthy hiatus, USAID began bringing in new recruitsunder the New Entry Professional program in 1999 and restart-ed the moribund International Development Intern programin 2003. To date, there have been 15 classes. Under these twoemployment categories, 449 officers have been hired. The attri-tion rate among this group has been what appears to be a rea-sonable 7 percent, with most of the departing officers comingfrom the early start-up classes. The gender breakdown is 55percent men versus 45 percent women; of these, 11.6 percentare African-American; 5.3 percent are Hispanic-American; 6.2percent are Asian-American and 0.5 percent are Native-American.

Significantly and surprisingly, over a relatively short peri-od of time, NEPs and IDIs have come to represent 40 percentof USAID’s Foreign Service work force. That, dear reader, isa number that hardly seems possible. The DNA of numbersshould not have a mendacity gene.

Let me throw some other statis-tical factoids at you. Approximatelyone-third of current Foreign Service members in USAID areeligible to retire. The annual agency attrition rate is 8 percent.The average age of Foreign Service officers in USAID is 47. Tiredof all these numbers yet? I am getting to the point; bear withme just a paragraph or two more.

I won't renege on the earlier promise to let you do yourown analysis, but do the numbers tell you that USAID hasan increasingly inexperienced total work force? Do they tellyou that, through no fault of their own, NEPs and IDIs arebeing propelled quickly into leadership and management roles,perhaps before they have had a chance to fulfill all of the nec-essary technical competencies and gain the experience nec-essary to become effective leaders? That is unfair to them andto USAID.

In the midst of this, there is another number, a disturb-ing number that comes from USAID’s operating expense bud-get. It is $50 million, the current OE shortage. The trainingbudget is being slashed, which means that, among other cuts,the opportunities for some of these NEPs and IDIs to receivethe skills instruction and staff development tools they needfor their accelerated journey will also be lost. This all addsup to (or should I say subtracts to) a recipe for a rocky road— and I am not talking about ice cream.

If some parts of this column have you steamed, rememberto count to 10! o


V.P. VOICE: STATE n BY STEVE KASHKETT

Iraq: Question-and-Answer Time

The Foreign Service has courageously stepped up to the plateover the past three years to take on the challenges and haz-ards of serving in Iraq, which some consider to be the defin-

ing assignment for this generation. Many hundreds of our col-leagues have volunteered for war-zone duty in Iraq since the earlydays of the Coalition Provisional Authority, much as our pre-decessors did during the Vietnam era.

It is undeniably true that assignments in Iraq present simi-lar dangers, similar opportunities for career advancement andsimilar debates within the department as was the case in the late1960s and early 1970s. The Foreign Service Journal ’s survey onthis subject, which drew responses from nearly 60 members whoare currently assigned in Iraq or have recently served there —the results of which are published in this issue — raises morequestions than it answers.

The picture that emerges from this survey, in which the FSJeditors promised to keep employees’ names confidential so theycould feel free to speak candidly, is one of patriotism, self-sac-rifice and a gritty determination to get the job done, temperedby very real concerns about the conditions of work in the BaghdadGreen Zone and at the regional embassy offices in the provinces.As revealed by this survey, our people serving in harm’s way havelegitimate questions that call out for answers. They have earnedthe right to ask these questions. AFSA believes it is our oblig-ation to air them and to seek answers in an open dialogue withmanagement.

• Why do we need such a large embassy staff in Baghdad,considering the severe security constraints on employees’ abil-ity to move freely about the country and conduct the normalbusiness of diplomacy? Do the elaborate, expensive and time-consuming precautions required whenever anyone needs to moveoutside the Green Zone make it prohibitively difficult for manyof our employees to do their jobs? What is the rationale behindthe staffing pattern?

• Why do many State employees still live in temporary trail-ers that are vulnerable to incoming fire? How have certain otheragencies managed to provide better protection for their people’squarters?

• In Iraq, why does the State Department dismiss the nor-mal security “tripwires”— conditions that trigger a drawdownor evacuation — that we apply uniformly to every other postaround the world?

• What will be the future role and influence of the many non-career appointees, “3161” temporary employees and contrac-tors who outnumber the career Foreign Service contingent atour diplomatic missions in Iraq? Will Foreign Service profes-sionals be subordinate to non-career people, many of whom

may lack the necessary international,regional or public-policy experience?

• What will be the role of the dozensof Foreign Service members who willbe assigned to the newly created Provincial Reconstruction Teamsscattered across the provinces of Iraq beginning this summer?Considering that these PRTs will function in sometimes remote,hostile environments without the security infrastructure of theGreen Zone, how does the department plan to protect theseemployees?

• If the department cannot guarantee preferential treatmentto Baghdad bidders for onward assignments after Iraq, why doesthis implied promise still figure prominently in the efforts toencourage people to volunteer?

• Finally, if the Secretary and other senior department offi-cials assert that it is the patriotic duty of Foreign Service mem-bers to volunteer for Iraq service on the grounds that bringingabout a stable, democratic Iraq is the number-one priority forU.S. foreign policy, how does this assertion reconcile with —and have an impact on — other vital U.S. interests around theworld? Is it acceptable for other U.S. embassies and consulatesin the Middle East and in other critical regions to continue suf-fering staffing gaps and resource shortfalls in order to feed thegrowing Iraq mission? Is the task of bringing about a stable,democratic Iraq more important than the other key U.S. for-eign policy goals that members of the Foreign Service are strug-gling to achieve everywhere else?

No one makes the decision lightly to volunteer for servicein a war zone, separated from family and friends. We in theForeign Service are not soldiers — we have neither the sametraining nor the same duties as our military colleagues. In fact,with the exception of security personnel, FS employees in Iraqare expressly forbidden to carry weapons, unlike their militarycolleagues with whom they serve side-by-side in the same dead-ly environment.

But we are nonetheless prepared to do our duty and face therisks of serving in Iraq as long as the department is prepared tolevel with us on these matters of vital concern. The career pro-fessionals of the Foreign Service, including our colleagues nowin Iraq who furnished these questions — who are heroicallyputting their lives on the line to carry out the president’s objec-tives —have earned the right to ask them openly, without beingaccused of disloyalty. o

(NOTE: This column focused exclusively on Iraq because that is the theme ofthis issue of the Journal. AFSA nonetheless fully understands that our colleaguesposted in the “other” war zone, Afghanistan, face many of the same challengesand concerns.)


LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS UPDATE

Success on the Hill: Yes to 35 PercentBY KEN NAKAMURA, LEGISLATIVEAFFAIRS DIRECTOR

The authorizing bill signed by PresidentBush on Dec. 22, 2005 — H.R. 4436,now designated Public Law 109-140

— contains two provisions for which AFSAfought hard: an increase in the cap for posthardship differentials and danger-payallowances from 25 percent to 35 percent;and the restoration of Interim Reliefauthority to the Foreign Service GrievanceBoard.

The first session of the 109th Congressclosed on Dec. 22, 2005, and the second ses-sion officially opened Jan. 3, 2006. AFSA’stop priority for the first session was to seekenactment of Overseas Comparability Payprovisions for those FS-1s and below whoare serving abroad. We came closer than

we had imagined we could when Represen-tative Chris Smith, R-N.J., the Chairmanof the House International RelationsCommittee’s Subcommittee on Africa,Global Human Rights and InternationalOperations, put it in the State authoriza-tion bill, H.R. 2601 and, working withHIRC Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., gotthe bill with the provision through theHouse. However, the legislation stalledwhen the Senate could not pass its foreignrelations authorization bill. We soughtother vehicles without success. AFSA willcontinue to work for Overseas Compar-ability Pay in the second session.

When AFSA saw that the main autho-rization bill was not moving forward andthe first session was in its final days, theHouse and Senate authorizing committeessought instead to move a small, narrow-ly-defined authorization bill — H.R. 4436.In the end, this bill contained eight sections,two of which AFSA very much supportedand worked for. One of the provisionsrestores “interim relief” authority to theForeign Service Grievance Board. This pro-

vides the FSGB with the discretionaryauthority to “stay” disciplinary action bythe State Department in “not for cause”cases until the grievance process is com-pleted. The second provision AFSAworked for increased the caps for post hard-ship differentials and danger allowancesfrom 25 percent to 35 percent of base pay.AFSA argued that the world was gettingincreasingly dangerous, as evidenced by thelarge number of posts at maximum levels.We also argued that among these posts atthe 25-percent level, there were sharp dif-ferences in the degree of danger and so theability to recognize this difference was need-ed. Thus AFSA sought the increase in theceilings to allow the department to furtherdifferentiate among the posts that aredeservedly at the 25-percent level.

AFSA appreciates both the membersand staffers of the House InternationalRelations Committee and the SenateForeign Relations Committee for theirwork to enact H.R. 4436. The bill containedimportant provisions for the ForeignService. o

AFSA is pleased to announce the win-ners of the 2005 Matilda W. SinclaireLanguage Awards. The winners are:

William Davnie, FinnishBradley R. Evans, AlbanianJeanne Gallo, PolishDaniel Gadacht, PolishEric A. Johnson, EstonianPeter Kaufman, LithuanianStephen Mull, LithuanianLong Nguyen, TagalogRebecca Owen, KoreanJessica Patterson, HebrewJohn Senior, BulgarianNingchuan F. Zhu, Albanian

Sinclaire winners are honored for out-standing accomplishments in the study ofa “hard” language. Candidates for theaward are nominated by the language-train-ing supervisors at the FSI School of

Language Studies, and selected by a com-mittee composed of volunteer AFSAmembers, the AFSA coordinator for pro-fessional issues and a member of the AFSAGoverning Board, who serves as chairman.Each of the winners receives a check for$1,000 from the Matilda W. SinclaireEndowment and a certificate of recogni-tion signed by the AFSA president and thechair of the AFSA Awards Committee.

The Sinclaire endowment was estab-lished in 1982 with a $175,000 bequest fromMatilda Sinclaire to AFSA. A formerForeign Service officer who spent the lastyears of her life in Italy, Ms. Sinclaire soughtto promote and reward superior achieve-ment by career officers of the ForeignService who study one of the “hard” lan-guages, either at the Foreign ServiceInstitute School of Language Studies, at one

of the language field schools or at a post.The guidelines were amended and updat-ed in October 2001 to expand eligibility forthe awards to any career and career-con-ditional member from any of the foreignaffairs agencies: Department of State,USAID, FCS, FAS and IBB.

The committee reviewed 21 nomina-tions — 14 from this year and 7 carryoverssubmitted too late for consideration lastyear. The committee was favorablyimpressed by the quality of the nominees,as well as their quantity, but noted withsome disappointment the absence ofnominees for any of several high-priorityhard languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japaneseand Russian. The members of the com-mittee have recommended that, in thefuture, a greater effort be made to empha-size and recognize these “critical needs” lan-guages, as well as Farsi, Dari, Hindi andUrdu, which are vital to our foreign poli-cy goals today.

AFSA congratulates all the winners ofthis year’s Sinclaire Language Award. o

AFSA HONORS ACHIEVEMENT IN HARD LANGUAGES

2005 Sinclaire Language Award WinnersBY BARBARA BERGER, PROFESSIONAL ISSUES COORDINATOR


CHEAP SHOTS DIARY

AFSA Defends theForeign Service BY SHAWN DORMAN

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’sspeech on Transformational Diplo-macy and the Global Repositioning

Initiative — which AFSA supports —inspired a number of critics to take swipesat the “recalcitrant” State Department andForeign Service. Using a number of tiredold stereotypes, and in some cases, newlibels and vitriolic language, articles criti-cal of the career Foreign Service appearedin the Washington Times (Fred Gedrich andPaul Vallely), the Los Angeles Times (WalterRussell Mead) and the New York Post(Ralph Peters). The general viewpointexpressed was that the Foreign Service willoppose the changes and needs to start doingsome real work outside of their cushyEuropean retreats.

The New York Post op-ed is not worthquoting here, the criticism was so unin-formed. Walter Russell Mead, who shouldknow better, writes in the LA Times that theannouncement of the global repositioninginitiative would upset “old style” diplomacy,focused on English-speaking elites and gov-ernments. “However frustrating theseorders are for Foreign Service veterans look-ing forward to restful years in Paris andRome, the transfers signify an importantand long-needed transformation of U.S.foreign policy.”

AFSA has responded to these cheapshots, and AFSA members have been con-tacting headquarters in support of theseefforts to defend the Service. Letters ofresponse by AFSA President J. AnthonyHolmes were printed in the Los AngelesTimes (Feb. 9), the Washington Times (Jan.31) and the New York Post (Jan. 23). Weexcerpt the Washington Times letter hereand provide the AFSA response.

“The Secretary called for, among otherthings, a global repositioning of diplomaticpersonnel and recalibration of the agency’smission. The plans will surely stir the hor-net’s nest. Career Foreign Service officers,

who handle the bulwark (sic) of U.S. diplo-matic activity, have a notorious record inresisting change and the legitimacy of pres-idential and congressional control anddirection. Some have been accused of pur-posely undermining President George W.Bush’s global war on terror and national-security strategy.

“It’s apparent to many outsiders that thedepartment must make fundamentalchanges to the institution and culture andimplement new strategies to effectively copewith the daunting 21st-century nationalsecurity and foreign policy challenges. It’sabout time the folks at Foggy Bottom real-ized it, too.”

AFSA President J. Anthony HolmesResponds

Letter to the Editor, Washington Times,Feb. 4, 2006

Fred Gedrich and Paul E. Vallely’s tiradeagainst the Foreign Service (“Change atFoggy Bottom,” Op-Ed, Tuesday) is woe-fully biased and far off the mark.

The fact is that the American ForeignService Association and the vast majorityof individual Foreign Service officersstrongly support Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice’s “transformationaldiplomacy” initiative. AFSA is publiclycommitted to doing everything it can tohelp her get the devilish details right, thingssuch as providing security for our peopleand facilities overseas and garnering ade-quate resources from Congress so the relo-cated diplomats can, indeed, do transfor-mational work.

The men and women of the Foreign

Service are not strangers to “transforma-tional diplomacy.” We have been pro-moting democracy and economic reform,advancing U.S. interests and American val-ues abroad, combating the root causes ofextremism and terrorism, and protectingU.S. borders and national security fordecades.

It is absurd to accuse America’s careerdiplomats of “purposefully undermining”the global war on terrorism and the pres-ident’s national security strategy. It is aninsult to the thousands of Foreign Serviceprofessionals faithfully carrying out the pres-ident’s foreign policy, often at great personalrisk, in the most difficult and dangerousplaces in the world.

More than two-thirds of our 264 mis-sions overseas are formally classified as hard-ship posts. More than half of all ForeignService personnel overseas serve in them.This year, they will fill 700 positions in“unaccompanied posts,” places so dan-gerous their families must remain behind.Since the Vietnam War, more Americanambassadors have been killed in the line ofduty than generals and admirals.

The solution to every one of the“problems” with the Foreign Serviceassignment system that Mr. Gedrich andretired Maj. Gen. Vallely raise is to give theState Department sufficient resources to doits job. The most radical and effectivereform of U.S. foreign policy imaginablewould be to fund it adequately. Try as wemight, it simply is not possible to be a super-power on a shoestring.

The Foreign Service is assiduouslyneutral politically. We offer advice basedon unparalleled expertise, implement thepolicies that our political masters chooseand try to get them fine-tuned based ontheir real impact. The authors’ thinly dis-guised call for the subordination of pro-fessional objectivity to short-term politicalexpediency would undermine our nation-al security. As President Ford said on theForeign Service’s 50th anniversary, “Foreignrelations are too important to be left to acorps of ‘yes men.’ You must report with-out fear or favor what you actually seeabroad, not what we in Washington wantto hear.” o

“It is absurd to accuse America’s

career diplomats of ‘purposefully

undermining’ the global war on

terrorism and the president’s

national security strategy.”

— J. Anthony Holmes AFSA President

afsa news march 2003/rep - american foreign service

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