PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION JULY-AUGUST 2013

THE DIPLOMAT’S ETHICAL GROUNDING RETIREMENT PLANNING SHORTFALLS

THE FIRST FEMALE FSO

FOREIGN July-August 2013 SERVICE Volume 90, No. 7-8

FOCUS ON PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AFSA NEWS Presenting the 2013 AFSA Merit Ethics for the Professional Diplomat / 22 Award Winners / 49 A code of ethics is essential to give diplomatic practitioners guidance State VP: On Becoming Foreign with respect to personal, as well as official, boundaries. Service Policymakers / 50 Here are some components of such a code. Retiree VP: Déjà Vu All Over BY EDWARD MARKS Again / 51 2013-2015 Governing Board The Role of Dissent in National Security, Election Results/ 51 AFSA and Santa Fe Retirees Law and Conscience / 27 Sponsor Symposium / 52 One of three officers to resign from the Foreign Service a decade ago Book Notes: Living Longer, in protest of the revisits the ethical implications of that decision. Stronger and Happier / 53 BY 2013 AFSA Awards Winners / 53 AFSA Best Essay Winner: Some My Resignation in Retrospect / 32 Nails, Some Tape / 56 Those of us in the Foreign Service must keep our moral and professional compass PMA Funds AFSA calibrated to that point where integrity and love of country declare, “No further.” Scholarship / 56 BY 2013 George F. Kennan Award Winner / 57 Sponsors: Supporting New Some Thoughts on Dissent / 36 Arrivals from the Get-Go / 58 All government employees should be free to speak their minds as openly FSYF 2013 Contest and Award as possible without endangering national security—a term regrettably Winners / 59 all too often used as an excuse to shut them up. BY JOHN H. BROWN COLUMNS President’s Views / 7 Loyalty: The Hallmark of the Professional Diplomat / 40 Passing the Baton Once a final decision is made by our political masters, it is the responsibility of BY SUSAN R. JOHNSON the professional diplomat to execute it—or step aside and let another do so. FS Know-How / 17 BY ROBERT WILLIAM DRY Retirement Planning Shortfalls BY JOHN K. NALAND

DEPARTMENTS FEATURE Letters / 8 FS Heritage: Lucile Atcherson Curtis, Talking Points / 12 the First Female U.S. Diplomat / 44 Books / 61 Local Lens / 70 In 1922, the first female permitted to take the Foreign Service exam passed with the third-highest score that year. But it was only the first of many hurdles she faced. MARKETPLACE BY MOLLY M. WOOD Classifieds / 63 Real Estate / 66 Index to Advertisers / 68

On the cover: “Rooted” by Allison Davis. This graphite pencil drawing was one of Ms. Davis’ entries in AFSA’s 2013 Art Merit Award Competition. Vice president of the National Art Honor Society at the Ameri- can International School–Israel, Ms. Davis plans to pursue painting with oils, acrylic and water color, as well as methods of drawing, when she begins her freshman year at Abilene Christian University in the fall.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 5 Foreign Service s

Editor Steven Alan Honley: [email protected]

Senior Editor Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected]

Associate Editor contact Shawn Dorman: [email protected] AFSA Headquarters: Labor Management AFSA News Editor (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 General Counsel Donna Ayerst: [email protected] State Department AFSA Office: Sharon Papp: [email protected] (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 Deputy General Counsel Ad & Circulation Manager USAID AFSA Office: Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] Ed Miltenberger: [email protected] (202) 712-1941; Fax (202) 216-3710 Labor Management Specialist Art Director FCS AFSA Office: James Yorke: [email protected] Caryn Suko Smith (202) 482-9088; Fax (202) 482-9087 Labor Management Counselor Janet Weber: [email protected] Editorial Intern Governing Board Senior Staff Attorney Jesse Smith President: Neera Parikh: [email protected] Susan R. Johnson: [email protected] Advertising Intern Staff Attorney State VP: Andreas Dorner Raeka Safai: [email protected] Daniel Hirsch: [email protected] Staff Attorney Editorial Board USAID VP: Andrew Large: [email protected] James P. Seevers, Chairman Francisco Zamora: [email protected] Office Manager Judith Baroody FCS VP: Christine Warren: [email protected] William D. Bent Keith Curtis: [email protected] USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Clayton Bond FAS VP: Douglas Broome: [email protected] Gordon S. Brown David Mergen: [email protected] USAID Staff Assistant Stephen W. Buck Retiree VP: Chioma Dike: [email protected] Ruth M. Hall Mary Ellen Gilroy: [email protected] Richard McKee Secretary: Vacant Member Services Jed Meline Treasurer: Andrew Winter Member Services Director Gregory L. Naarden State Reps: Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Beth Payne Matthew Asada Member Services Representative William Bent Kristy Pomes: [email protected] E. Alex Copher Administrative Assistant and Office Manager The Magazine for Foreign Affairs Tim Corso Ana Lopez: [email protected] Professionals Kenneth Kero-Mentz The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Elise Mellinger Communications, Marketing and Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published Joyce Namde Outreach monthly, with a combined July-August issue, by the Ted Osius Director of New Media American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a private, Lillian Wahl-Tuco Ásgeir Sigfússon: [email protected] nonprofit organization. Material appearing herein repre- sents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily David Zwach Director of Communications represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or USAID Reps: Vacant AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, prefer- Jason Singer Special Awards and Outreach Coordinator ably by e-mail. The Journal is not responsible for unso- Andrew Levin Perri Green: [email protected] licited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising FCS Rep: Steve Morrison Editor/Publisher, FS Books inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements FAS Rep: Rachel Nelson Shawn Dorman: [email protected] herein does not imply endorsement of the services or IBB Rep: Andre de Nesnera Speakers Bureau Director goods offered. Journal subscription: AFSA member–$20, Retiree Reps: Thomas Switzer: [email protected] included in annual dues; student–$30; institution–$40; others–$50. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; Robert Houdek Web and Graphics Assistant foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid Edward Marks Jeff Lau: [email protected] at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Hugh Neighbour Indexed by the Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). Molly Williamson PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS Coordinator, Retiree Counseling E-mail: [email protected] Staff and Legislation Phone: (202) 338-4045 Executive Director Bonnie Brown: [email protected] Fax: (202) 338-8244 Ian : [email protected] Associate Coordinator, Retiree Counseling Web: www.afsa.org/fsj Executive Assistant to the President and Legislation Patrick Bradley: [email protected] © American Foreign Service Association, 2013 Matthew Sumrak: [email protected] Advocacy Director Printed in the U.S.A. Business Department Javier Cuebas: [email protected] Director of Finance Legislative Assistant Postmaster: Send address changes to Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] David Murimi: [email protected] AFSA Controller Scholarship Director Attn: Address Change Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] Lori Dec: [email protected] 2101 E Street NW Assistant Controller Scholarship Assistant Washington DC 20037-2990 Cory Nishi: [email protected] Jonathan Crawford: [email protected] Washington DC 20037-2990 www.afsa.org

6 July-August 2013 | the foreign Service journal PRESIDENT’S VIEWS

Passing the Baton

BY SUSAN R. JOHNSON

s I complete my fourth and final advance American diplomacy and provide reactive to innovative, from resisting year as AFSA president, I have the capacity that our Secretaries of State change to embracing and shaping it, been reflecting on what we and presidents need. and from ignoring the need for new A have achieved together and on In that quest, we should always strive approaches to professional education and the challenges and opportunities ahead. to meet the aspirations set forth in the training to seeking them out and valuing I do so with a strong sense of the honor it 1980 Foreign Service Act. That landmark them. has been to lead AFSA and to represent legislation stipulates that “a career Foreign Finally, rather than pretending that they the Foreign Service. Service on the AFSA Service, characterized by excellence don’t exist, we must address institutional Governing Board has been an even more and professionalism, is essential to the weaknesses and deficiencies with resolve important responsibility than I had antici- national interest” and must be “preserved, and confidence. The Quadrennial Diplo- pated, but it has also been highly satisfying strengthened and improved to carry out macy and Development process must and rewarding. its mission effectively in response to the focus on increasing Foreign Service profes- In carrying out my responsibilities, I complex challenges of modern diplomacy sionalism and making the Department have been indebted to current and past and international relations.” It also calls for of State the primary vehicle of American board members, committee chairs and a Senior Foreign Service “characterized by diplomacy. AFSA must be involved in the members, and AFSA’s professional staff for strong policy formulation capabilities, out- QDDR process to bring about reform and their cooperation and support. I also want standing leadership qualities, and highly restructuring grounded in our experience. to thank the many members who have developed functional, foreign language With those goals in mind, the cur- been regular correspondents, providing and area expertise.” rent AFSA Governing Board identified information, feedback and good sugges- Toward that end, we need to nurture four strategic issues in a January letter to tions. Your wealth of professional expe- a culture of excellence and esprit de Secretary of State John Kerry which are rience and individual perspectives are corps based on shared values and self- worth recapping here: security/diplomacy inspiring and have helped advance AFSA’s confidence, which are the attributes of a and effective risk management and the fundamental mission: promoting a strong, premier diplomatic service. imperative for continued engagement professional career Foreign Service and In my previous columns, I have tried to in the field; strengthening professional thereby strengthening American diplo- consistently highlight the issues that shape education and training in the practice of macy and our nation’s interests. the Foreign Service and the Department of diplomacy; tangible recognition and fair The professional career Foreign Service State, U.S. Agency for International Devel- compensation for the Foreign Service; and that I am proud to belong to will cel- opment, the Foreign Commercial Service institutional reform and restructuring to ebrate its 90th anniversary next year. That and Foreign Agricultural Service, and the ensure that the Foreign Service and State milestone should inspire all of us to reflect International Broadcasting Bureau—and are institutions consistently capable of upon the history and future of our institu- are therefore central to AFSA’s agenda. complex diplomacy. tion, as well as the challenges I have also called on AFSA to I leave the office of AFSA president with that all foreign affairs agencies use its voice to identify and confidence that the incoming board will face. advocate for the cultural and build on and carry forward what has been Looking through the prism organizational changes that will achieved. I urge AFSA members, wherever of my four years at AFSA’s helm, strengthen the Foreign Service they may be, to come together in support I see more clearly than ever and American diplomacy. of a strong and revitalized that those challenges demand We must shift from being Foreign Service. n a Foreign Service of the high- est standards, one equipped to Susan R. Johnson is the president of the American Foreign Service Association.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 7 LETTERS

The Persistence of FS Women at State Far- veteran of more than Gender Imbalance ing?” To fully understand 50 years of government Margot Carrington’s article, “How the context, please find service (20 in the Army Are FS Women at State Faring?”, was an the full report online at and 30 in the Foreign excellent addition to your May issue’s uccox foundation.org Service), I know that focus on diversity. The State Depart- under “Professional professionalism and ment made promoting gender diver- Develop-ment.” diversity are not mutu- sity a priority during the Quadrennial ally exclusive. To the Diplomacy and Development Review, Let me also take this contrary: When they are but we at home must also model what opportunity to thank handled correctly, they we teach. the Una Chapman can be mutually reinforc- When I came into the Foreign Ser- Cox Foundation for ing. vice, my A-100 class was very evenly its continued support The key is that an balanced for gender. Yet the data indi- of the Foreign Service and for promot- institution must recruit for cate that somewhere between entry and ing a more diverse, and hence stronger, talent, but in doing so, must reach out the Senior Foreign Service, that balance Foreign Service corps. broadly across the society it represents. gets lost. Margot Carrington This, unfortunately, is something that If the State Department is serious FSO the Foreign Service did poorly for a about ensuring diversity at senior levels, Washington, D.C. good part of its history; ask any female it must identify why this is happening FSO who just a few decades ago was and devote the necessary resources to Professionalism and forced to resign when she got married. reverse the trend. Diversity It is his second point, though, with Coney Patterson In his April letter, “Professionalism which I most vehemently disagree. The FSO vs. Diversity?”, retired FSO Richard W. question that should be asked is this: Washington, D.C. Hoover seems to imply that the search “Why have the Department of State for diversity in employment and the and the Foreign Service not taken the Promoting Transformative desire for professionalism are mutually responsibility to train and educate their Inclusion exclusive undertakings. In one pas- officers in the ways of excellence, dis- I was proud to be among the con- sage, he was quite explicit: “Hiring and cipline and professionalism?” After all, tributors to the excellent May issue of promoting people with a view to their many other institutions do it. the Journal, which underscored the gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity I would sincerely hope that Mr. importance of “transformative inclu- and skin color necessarily promote both Hoover is not suggesting that there is a sion” for confronting challenges to U.S. the exclusion and the non-retention of ‘diplomacy’ gene that is present in only foreign policy. That term is not mine, top talent.” a narrow segment of the population, but one Ernest J. Wilson III eloquently He then goes on to state: “I do not and all the institution needs to do is defines in his own article in that issue, believe that the professional problems find those people, hire them and then “Diversity and Cultural Competence: raised by the AFSA president are as turn them loose. That has never been a Mission-Critical Elements of U.S. For- amenable to structural and training recipe for long-term viability or success, eign Policy.” reforms as she goes on to suggest. and in today’s complex world, it’s a Because I hope some of the recom- Besides, why should State be tasked to prescription for disaster. mendations I made in my 2010-2011 train up officers in the ways of excel- Is the Foreign Service so different Una Chapman Cox Sabbatical Fellow- lence, discipline and professionalism? that it can’t take a reasonably intel- ship report might be useful in helping Are new FSOs no longer expected to ligent, dedicated individual (regardless us achieve “transformative inclusion,” I have such qualities?” of gender, ethnicity or other markers) am pleased that AFSA chose to repub- I simply must take strong exception and mold that individual into a profes- lish them as part of my article, “How Are to both of Mr. Hoover’s positions. As a sional diplomat through a program of

8 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL training, education and mentoring? The embassy that the only way to protect U.S. Marines do it. IBM did it. ourselves and other Americans would Once we pull our heads out of the be to evacuate. Instead, our ambassador sand of the past, when the Foreign Ser- ordered a small number of us to remain. vice was overwhelmingly pale, male and Rebel forces took over the city and Yale, we can do it, as well. Indeed, as the attacked the consulate on Aug. 5, 1964. premier foreign affairs arms of our gov- Although the “simba” attackers could ernment, the State Department and the not break down the vault door, they Foreign Service must do so to serve the held us captive there for 111 days, dur- long-term interests of the United States ing which period we underwent many and its people. beatings and threats to our lives. By the And yes, we can do it while still rep- time of our Nov. 24, 1964, rescue by a resenting the diversity that is America. joint U.S.-Belgium parachute mission, Charles A. Ray we were among a hundred hostages. Ambassador, retired Although 20 hostages died in a hail North Potomac, Md. of bullets during the rescue, in a real sense it was “safety in numbers” that State (not USIA) Visitors saved us. (You’ll find more details about In Allen Hansen’s May review of this episode in my book, Captive in the Nicholas Cull’s book, The Decline and Congo: A Consul’s Return to the Heart of Fall of the United States Information Darkness, Naval Institute Press, 2000.) Agency, both the reviewer and the Based on that experience, I believe book’s author err in describing the Amb. Stevens would have been better International Visitor Program as a U.S. protected in a downtown hotel than an Information Agency program. isolated, suburban “consulate.” It was actually a State Department Michael P.E. Hoyt program. I ought to know, because in FSO, retired the 1970s I was director of the Office of Santa Fe, N.M. International Visitors in State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Double-Talk on Benghazi Yale Richmond Last September I listened closely to FSO, retired President ’s Rose Garden Washington, D.C. remarks the day after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on our facility in Benghazi. I also Captive in the Congo reread the transcript several times after- I agree with the main point of Guy ward, just as I did as an FSO in Zagreb, W. Farmer’s February letter, “A Bad Moscow, Warsaw and Brussels, and on Decision,” that it was Ambassador Chris the Soviet desk in Washington, when- Stevens’ own choice to visit Benghazi ever I analyzed statements by foreign- last September—a choice that had fatal government officials. consequences. On that occasion Pres. Obama I say that as someone who was referred 10 times to Benghazi and its serving in Stanleyville, in what is now perpetrators, giving him 10 chances to the Democratic Republic of the Congo label the incident “terrorism,” and the (formerly Zaire), as rebels approached attackers “terrorists”—but he never the city in 1964. I had advised the once did so. True, he called the event

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 9 an “attack” (three times), as well as an Beirut, 1983 William Palfrey, lost “outrageous, shocking attack,” “sense- In his April letter, “More Memories at sea in 1780. less violence,” “brutal acts” and “this of ,” Tim Lawson By the time I terrible act,” and identified the culprits recalls a truly sad date: Oct. 23, 1983, retired in 1996, the as “attackers” (twice) and “killers who when 241 Marines were killed in Bei- number of names attacked our people.” But he never rut. He goes on to describe the bomb had grown to the referred to “terrorism” or “terrorists.” that blew up the Marine barracks as point that AFSA Nonetheless, on May 10 “the largest non-nuclear explosion had to add a second spokesman Jay Carney three times e v e r.” plaque. Now there is assured the press that last September, That 1983 terrorist attack was indeed a third, on which AFSA inscribed eight “The president called it an act of terror.” tragic. But so far as I know, it has never more names, unveiled at this year’s The president himself repeated that been ranked among the world’s largest ceremony during Foreign Affairs Day, claim in a press conference following non-nuclear explosions, much less May 3. That brings the total number to his May 15 meeting with British Prime deemed the largest in history. 236, more than triple the number when Minister David Cameron: “The day after To keep things in perspective, I I began my Foreign Service career. it happened, I acknowledged that this would point to some of the mines used With so high a toll, it’s a pity so few was an act of terrorism.” by the Allies on the Western Front in Americans know anything about sacri- No matter how many times the presi- World War I. The largest of those fices Foreign Service members and their dent and his defenders I have read about used 455 tons families make to serve our country. repeat that claim, it does of explosives to kill thousands Most people in New , where I not make it true. Instead, of Germans. Then there is the live, are amazed when I tell them that by declaring, “We reject accidental December 1917 there is such a thing as the Foreign all efforts to denigrate the explosion of a munitions ship Service. religious beliefs of oth- in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which It would be nice if there were some ers,” Pres. Obama clearly killed more than 2,000 people. public recognition for the Foreign advanced a fable: that the The horrific 1944 Port Service, such as a license plate or other Benghazi attack was the Chicago, Calif., explosion commemorative item. result of a hitherto obscure took some 320 lives, most of Judy Chidester video whose producer still languishes in them African-American sailors, while FSO, retired U.S. prison, while already identified and a 1947 ammonium nitrate ship explo- Las Cruces, N.M. easily identifiable terrorists gleefully sion in Texas City, Texas, killed at least stroll the streets and lounge in cafes of 581 people and triggered the first-ever The Foreign Service the . class-action lawsuit against the U.S. at the Oscars The president’s single reference to government. Thank you to AFSA for putting on a terror—“No acts of terror will ever shake In comparison, the 1983 Beirut wonderful Foreign Affairs Day memo- the resolve of this great nation”—came attack is estimated to have been carried rial plaque service at State. I attended only after evoking the “memory of the out using the equivalent of six tons of both the State and USAID 9/11 [2001] attacks,” which are univer- explosives. memorials, and sally recognized as terrorism. But his Steve Flora found them to be use of that term cannot retroactively be FSO, retired moving tributes to applied to the Benghazi attack, since he Canberra, Australia our colleagues. so scrupulously avoided identifying that I also would like as terrorism. Recognizing Sacrifices to take a moment John B. Thompson When I joined the Foreign Service in to let you know how Senior FSO, retired 1960, there were 72 names on the AFSA impressed I was that Pompano Beach, Fla. Memorial Plaque. First on the list was “Argo” star and direc-

10 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL tor Ben Affleck talked about the Foreign Service at the Oscars. I understand that he did so in response to a question from AFSA News Editor Donna Ayerst. I received notes afterward from people who saw that exchange. It seems we get a lot more attention when a movie star talks about what we do. Great job! Susan Reichle USAID FSO Washington, D.C.

Language-Designated Positions Regarding AFSA State VP Daniel Hirsch’s May AFSA News column, “All Overseas Positions Should Be Lan- guage-Designated,” I would note that not all Foreign Service staff are created equal. While we may have excellent skills as couriers and nurses and office managers, we may not have that spark that enables us to obtain a 2/2 in Uzbek, Ukrainian, Polish or Mongolian, or even Russian. Moreover, classifying each posi- tion as language-designated locks an employee into a linguistic region. Will you ever get out of Lusophone countries once you speak Portuguese? While I do not disagree that we should expand the number of language- designated positions, I think a sweeping change applying to all positions would be as bad as, if not worse than, the cur- rent system. Llywelyn C. Graeme III Office Management Specialist Embassy Kyiv n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 11 TALKING POINTS

Honoring Public vate positive and fruitful working Diplomacy’s Best relationships with local journal- ffective public diplomacy requires ists, expand the consulate’s social Estrategic thinking, creativity, com- media reach, and effectively use mitment and sound judgment in the use music diplomacy to deliver strate- of resources. Each year the Public Diplo- gic messages to key audiences. macy Alumni Association recognizes the The individual awardees are: achievements of those PD practitioners, Shayna Cram, public diplomacy whether overseas or in Washington, officer; Saif Ullah, public affairs D.C., that best exemplify these qualities. specialist; Salman Wahab, public Although none of this year’s winners affairs assistant; Shahbano Dur- PAS Peshawar: (from left) Shahbano Durrani, Saif were able to attend PDAA’s 16th annual rani, information assistant; Zee- Ullah, Shayna Cram, Saqib Jan, Fakhruddin Fakhar, Salman Wahab. awards dinner, held on May 5 in Wash- shan Khan, Information Resource ington, D.C., their achievements were Center assistant; Saqib Jan, social media and impressive U.S. presence at the expo spotlighted there. assistant; and Fakhar Fakhruddin, in Korea.” The public affairs section at Consul- English-language program assistant. The Public Diplomacy Alumni ate Peshawar received a group award Tashawna Bethea, public affairs Association is a volunteer, nonprofit for its “dedication, courage, creativity, officer in Algiers, was recognized for membership organization that is open to perseverance and unbending profes- her “exemplary leadership, creativity all current and former State Department sionalism—under challenging and often and professionalism in furthering key and U.S. Information Agency employees, dangerous circumstances—in building embassy policy objectives by using the as well as broadcasting and other public long-lasting ties between the people of full range of PD tools—exchanges, Eng- diplomacy professionals from the public, Pakistan and the people of the United lish-language programs, the Information academic and private sectors. Its mission States.” Resource Center and is to foster understanding, recognition Despite understaffing and social media—to of and support for public diplomacy restrictions on their ability broaden relationships through educational and social activities. to move about outside the between the people of For more information about PDAA’s consulate, the PAS team Algeria and the people activities, please visit www.publicdiplo managed to expand their of the United States.” macy.org. You’ll also find a complete list all-important outreach work, Nini Forino, now of PDAA Alumni Association award win- Tashawna Bethea, PAO promote grants programs Algiers, and Ambassador PAO in Hong Kong, ners since 1993 there. and other exchanges, culti- Henry Ensher. was honored for her —Steven Alan Honley, Editor work as public diplo- macy officer for Korean Our New Friend, Burma affairs and the Yeosu Expo n May 20, President Barack Obama coordinator in the State Owelcomed Burmese President U Department’s Bureau of Thein Sein to the White House, the first East Asian and Pacific head of state from that country to visit Affairs. The award citation Washington since 1966. The meet- hailed Ms. Forino for her ing—which came only six months after “professionalism and Obama became the first sitting U.S. dedication…demonstrat- president ever to visit , and less ECA Assistant Secretary of State Ann Stock, USA Pavilion ing leadership, creativity than a year after Derek Mitchell was con- Spokesperson Philippe Cousteau, former EAP DAS for PD and perseverance in har- firmed as the first U.S. ambassador to the Jennifer Park-Stout, Nini Forino, USA Pavilion CEO Andrew Snowhite, and former EAP A/S Kurt Campbell at the 2012 nessing public and private country since 1990—has many speculat- YEOSU Expo. resources to ensure a vital ing on prospects for closer bilateral ties.

12 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL In a telling sign of the dramatic In a Washington Post op-ed, former Rep- chisement of the country’s minority improvement in relations, during remarks resentative Lee Hamilton and David Wil- populations, and a poorly trained and following their meeting Pres. Obama liams hail the TIFA but call for making equipped police force, he points out, repeatedly referred to the trou-bled Asian further trade deals contingent on major are not problems that can be solved by nation as Myanmar, its name since 1989, constitutional and political reform. diplomacy and international investment. instead of Burma, State’s official In the Huffington Post, contribu- In fact, they are likely to worsen unless designation (which, notwithstanding tor Nehginpao Kipgen advocates an Washington and its allies press for mean- recent developments, stands). approach that maximizes Washington’s ingful reform. Washington has already lifted a 1996 economic, political and strategic inter- While the Obama administration’s ban on U.S. visas for most Burmese ests in the region. As Naypyidaw pursues outreach to Myanmar has already proven officials, including President Thein Sein. reform, he says, the United States can beneficial to both nations, there is still Pres. Obama used the visit to signal the step up investment and political ties and a long way to go before it becomes a potential restoration of USAID projects exert geopolitical pressure on China. dependable U.S. ally. designed to improve agricultural pro- Still, some worry that the U.S. is mov- —Jesse Smith, Editorial Intern ductivity, and the two countries signed a ing too fast to fully normalize relations, trade and investment framework agree- citing brutal attacks in recent months by Global Press Freedom ment the next day. Buddhists against Muslim minorities and at 10-Year Low There has been mixed reaction to signs that Myanmar’s military is not yet eparate reports from Freedom House these fast-paced developments. Jim on board with democratization. Joshua Sand the Committee to Protect Jour- Della-Giacoma, of the Global Obser- Kurlantzick, writing for Foreign Policy, nalists paint a grim portrait of the threats vatory, praised the removal of most urges the international community to journalists face all over the world. sanctions on Burma: “The U.S. will have “slow the torrent of aid and investment The criteria the two organizations to stand by Myanmar as it takes steps until ethnic tensions have calmed.” considered when evaluating the state of forward—and back—for years to come.” The displacement and disenfran- press freedom include restrictive laws, censorship, imprisonment, impunity and SITE OF THE MONTH: Long War Journal murders. Surprisingly, while many of the worst peaking at the National Defense University on May 23, President Barack culprits have been plagued by politi-cal SObama suggested that the United States has returned to the state of violence or are known to regularly affairs that existed before al-Qaida toppled the World Trade Center, when ter- impose press suppression, others are rorism was a persistent but not existential danger. largely conflict-free and at least nomi- “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue,” nally democratic. In Brazil, Russia and Pres. Obama declared. “But this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what his- India, for instance, incidents in which tory advises. It’s what our democracy demands.” journalists are murdered with impunity For a more pessimistic view, check out Long War Journal, a website that are markedly higher in comparison to describes its mission as “providing original and accurate reporting and other developing and developed nations. analysis of the Long War (also known as the Global War on Terror).” The site’s News organizations have also noted content draws on contributions from embedded reporters, staff writers, guest that as press coverage increases and commentators and news reports, incorporating maps, podcasts and other becomes more accessible with advances multimedia formats. in communications technology, many A project of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan governments are improving their institution founded by a group of former U.S. officials and supporters shortly methods of censorship to counter these after 9/11, the Long War Journal publishes five sections daily: Featured Articles, developments. Several Asian govern- Threat Matrix, Today In, News Links and News Videos. ments methodically monitor blog activity —Steven Alan Honley, Editor and social media; some South American states block electoral coverage; and Euro-

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 13 pean administrations suffering through dangerous year for journalists worldwide provide the content, including links the economic crisis prosecute against in a decade. to other sources. On the “subreddit” antagonistic reporting. —Jesse Smith, Editorial Intern feature, “IAmA” (I am a), people of all The ’ Plan of Action on kinds introduce themselves and offer to the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Diplomats Offer answer questions (part of “AMA,” or ask Impunity, finalized at the end of 2012, Online Chats me anything). is designed to assist governments in wo recent online Q&A chats with Quite a few notable people, including drafting laws to protect journalists and TForeign Service officers highlight President Barack Obama, have partici- to strengthen the U.N.’s ability to evalu- instructive and entertaining ways that pated in an IAmA session. And this is ate journalist safety. However, as Frank the public can learn about real-life where we find our anonymous FSO, “I Smyth of the CPJ has reported, “The diplomacy. In addition to hundreds of am a United States diplomat,” on April 26 participation of member-states will be Foreign Service blogs, Facebook pages, taking questions a second time: essential to the success of the effort—but Twitter accounts, etc., check out your “I’m (still) a U.S. diplomat serving gaining their cooperation is not a given.” colleagues’ personal engagement with overseas. I’m hoping to answer any ques- In many countries, both central members of the vast Reddit community tions about the U.S. diplomatic corps you governments and allied paramilitary and on the site called Art of Manliness. might be wondering about. groups have actively targeted reporters Reddit is a popular social news and “Ask me almost anything. I won’t for persecution, making 2012 the most entertainment website where users comment on certain topics, but I will give honest answers about my profession. My 50 Years Ago views are my own and do not reflect the view of the Department of State or the ext month [August 1963] marks the tenth anniversary of the United U.S. government. To the potential critics, NStates Information Agency’s debut as an independent U.S. government I assure you that I am doing this on my agency. The Foreign Service Journal, speaking on behalf of those members own time (not your taxpayer-funded of the American Foreign Service Association who are not themselves part of hours) and on my personal computer.” USIA, takes great pleasure in congratulating our friends and colleagues on this This FSO offers articulate and notable occasion. thoughtful responses—in 493 back-and- Millions of words have poured from the presses and through the airwaves forth comments with readers—to a diz- during the short but stormy life of USIA, and many of the men and issues zying array of questions beginning with which loomed large in the foreground during its infancy can now be seen immunity, and including consular issues, somewhat more in perspective. The “Spirit of Geneva” has flown and the foreign assistance misperceptions, politi- “Spirit of Bandung” is sorely wounded, while such issues as Hungary, Suez, cal ambassadors, security, family life and Quemoy and Matsu are at least temporarily in eclipse. Instead, the high- back again to immunity. He’s careful, but tension words of the early Sixties are , the Congo, the Plaine des Jarres still engaging. and outer space. The more the words change, however, the more the problems When asked about the most reward- remain the same, and the need for informed, articulate spokesmen for the ing thing he’s done on the job, he writes: views of the United States is as great as ever. ... “Getting to brief Secretary Clinton on On its tenth anniversary, therefore, USIA can look back with satisfaction at a particular issue during an S visit was 10 years of solid growth. It has labored hard and successfully at its job of keep- pretty cool.” ing open the existing channels of communication with the great world public Another recent glimpse inside the and seeking unceasingly for new channels, new spokesmen and new ways of Foreign Service career can be found in making known the views of the United States to the rest of the world. It can “So You Want My Job” at Art of Manli- also look forward with confidence to the years of challenge that still lie ahead, ness (www.artofmanliness.com), which for there is no shortage of grievous problems on the horizon and beyond it. features interviews with “men who are —From the editorial, “Coming of Age,” FSJ, July 1963. employed in desirable jobs” and asks them “about the reality of their work and

14 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Dear Mr. Secretary: Studies by the Defense Science Board, RAND and other inde- We urge that a career foreign affairs professional pendent groups have found that America’s engagement with be appointed as the next Under Secretary of State for Public foreign publics succeeds best when led by experienced officials Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Such an appointment would having the authority to establish priorities, assign responsibilities, support your efforts fully to integrate public diplomacy into transfer funds and concur in senior appointments. Leaders must U.S. foreign affairs. have direct access to you and the president on critical communi- No career professional has served as Under Secretary cation issues as policies are formulated and implemented. for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Coincidentally or When done well, public diplomacy works. Large numbers of not, today there is a wide consensus that U.S. perspectives foreign heads of government, legislators and social, economic are less well understood abroad, and people-to-people and political leaders—many of them America’s staunch allies and exchanges are less robust than they should be. In today’s stalwart friends—have participated in U.S. public diplomacy pro-

Contemporary Quote Contemporary globalizing but still-threatening world, and as our military grams. The University of Southern California recently reported forces abroad are drawn down, it is more important than that of individuals exposed to U.S. public diplomacy, 79 percent ever that America strengthen its “soft power.” For this, public have used what they learned to bring about positive change in diplomacy is an essential and powerful tool. their own communities by running for political office, organiz- A career foreign affairs professional, with years of overseas ing a civil society group, doing volunteer work, and starting a and Washington experience, is more likely to understand the new business or other projects. Fully 94 percent say the exposure larger world context and how public diplomacy can help achieve has increased their understanding of U.S. foreign policy and America’s policy goals. And it is challenging to direct and ener- America’s people, society and values. gize public diplomacy if the leadership has brief tours or vacan- The president’s and your public engagements are among our cies are lengthy. Prior to the incumbent Under Secretary for country’s greatest diplomatic assets. You have over a thousand Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, leaving after just over a year skilled, culturally aware and language-trained public diplomacy in office, the previous four served, on average, nearly two years. officers ready to leverage advanced technology and person- By comparison, the previous four Under Secretaries for Politi- to-person communications skills in order to change foreign cal Affairs, all career professionals, served, on average, nearly outcomes in America’s favor. All they need is truly professional, three-and-one-half years. The U.S. Advisory Commission on experienced leadership. Public Diplomacy reports that the position of Under Secretary for —A May 24 letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, signed Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has been vacant more than by 51 former U.S. ambassadors and senior U.S. government 30 percent of the time since it was created in 1999. The position officials with extensive foreign affairs experience, urging the selection of a of Under Secretary for Political Affairs has been vacant only 5 career foreign affairs professional as the next Under Secretary for Public percent of that time. Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

for advice on how men can live their as an FSO, he says the most frustrating the world: Iraq, , Yemen, dream.” Jobs highlighted apply equally thing is “the fact that most Americans Sudan, Libya, Papua New , East to women, but the site’s focus is on don’t even know we exist.” Also, he adds, Timor. Although we are not engaged “helping men be better husbands, better “The Foreign Service isn’t an intelligence in combat, we often serve alongside fathers and better men…to uncover the agency, and many people seem to think our military colleagues, and we almost lost art of manliness.” we’re spies for some reason.” always stay behind after they leave.” Here we meet FSO Shawn Kobb, who “Those that do know we exist think Kobb also pitches his own website: answers questions about the Foreign we spend our time going to cocktail www.foreignservicetest.com, where he Service exams and hiring process, about receptions and signing treaties,” Shawn offers tips on how to join the Foreign the challenges and benefits of the job, as continues. “There is certainly a little bit Service and pass the tests. n well as the misconceptions. of that, but most Foreign Service officers —Associate Editor Shawn Dorman When asked what is the biggest are not assigned to Paris or Geneva. and Communications Intern misconception people have about his job We’re in some of the roughest places of Samantha Brew

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 15

FS KNOW-HOW

Retirement Planning Shortfalls

BY JOHN K. NALAND

survey administered to 200 Foreign Service members at Here are some simple steps all FSOs the start of a recent Retire- can take to protect and maximize their A ment Planning Seminar at retirement benefits. the Foreign Service Institute highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in their retirement planning. Strengths included the fact that most of the respondents already had at least a basic understanding of 10 key retire- respondents were not contributing the TSP contributions, but do not receive ment planning topics. But the survey maximum amount. matching government contributions. also identified 12 shortfalls in pre- The TSP is one of three pillars—along Have Not Updated Beneficiary Des- retirement preparations and knowledge. with Social Security and a federal annu- ignations: Ten percent of respondents This article lists those shortfalls, ity—of the retirement financial security said that they knew that their benefi- along with information to help you of employees hired after 1983. Foreign ciary designations were not current bridge any similar gaps in your own Service Pension System employees for life insurance, lump-sum salary retirement planning. While this who are not contributing significant payment, and/or TSP savings. Another guidance applies to Foreign Service amounts to their TSP are not building 17 percent of respondents were unsure members from all five foreign affairs up that crucial nest egg. They are also if their beneficiary designations were agencies, employees from outside the missing out on an upfront tax deduction up-to-date. Department of State will need to ask resulting from the fact that TSP con- Every year, there are cases of death their agency’s human resources office tributions are excluded from taxation benefits not being paid to the immedi- about agency-specific processing pro- when they are made and are only taxed ate next-of-kin because the employee cedures. upon withdrawal years later. (This is not or annuitant had not updated their true of the Roth TSP option, however.) beneficiary designations after marriage, Four Gaps in Pre- In addition, FSPS employees who divorce or other relationship changes. Retirement Actions are not contributing at least 5 percent of So please check your Electronic Official Are Not Contributing Enough to their salary to TSP are not receiving the Personnel Folder to make sure that your Thrift Savings Plan: Ten percent of those maximum agency matching contribu- beneficiary forms reflect your current eligible said that they were not con- tions that could significantly boost their wishes. tributing enough to their TSP account financial security in retirement. Foreign The forms are: retirement ben- to obtain the full government match. Service Retiree and Disability Sys- efits designation (DS-5002), Federal In addition, 39 percent of the survey tem employees may also make pretax Employees Government Life Insurance (SF-2823) and unpaid compensation John K. Naland is the director of the Office of Retirement at the Department of State. A 27-year (SF-1152). In addition, check the benefi- Foreign Service veteran, his overseas assignments include , Mexico and Iraq. He has ciary listed on your annual TSP account twice served as AFSA president and published more than 80 articles and columns in these statement to make sure that your TSP pages, including a previous FS Know-How column on this topic, “Assistance after Retirement” designation (TSP-3) reflects your cur- (November 2012). rent wishes.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 17

The Thrift Savings Plan is one of three of survey respondents had little or no understanding of how retirement ben- pillars—along with Social Security and efits are taxed and what strategies could a federal annuity—of the retirement reduce or defer those tax consequences. The federal government taxes retire- financial security of employees ment income from pensions (excluding hired after 1983. a portion representing your contribu- tions), Social Security (if the recipient’s income from other sources exceeds a base amount) and TSP withdraw- als (excluding those from Roth TSP If any forms need updating, Depart- wills, those laws can vary widely. Unless accounts). The only way to reduce the ment of State employees should submit you know the default inheritance laws tax bite on pension and Social Security new designation forms to the Bureau of your state of residence and are sure income is to reduce income from other of Human Resources Service Center they match the division of assets you sources in order to drop to a lower tax at [email protected]. New TSP-3 forms would want, it is a good idea to execute bracket. should be sent to TSP, as explained on a will or trust and other estate planning Taxes on TSP withdrawals depend on the form. documents. the amount and timing of withdrawals Have Not Obtained Prior Service and can be reduced or entirely deferred Credit: Twenty-seven percent of Eight Gaps in Pre- until age 70½ by limiting or delaying respondents who had federal civil- Retirement Knowledge withdrawals. Roth TSP withdrawals are ian or military service prior to joining Unclear about Impact of Divorce on not subject to taxation as long as vesting the Department of State had not taken Retirement Benefits: Nearly half—47 requirements are met. action to increase their Foreign Service percent—of married respondents had State and local taxation of retirement retirement annuity by obtaining credit little or no understanding of how their benefits varies, with some jurisdictions for that service. pension and other benefits could be excluding them from taxation. Consult In most cases, doing so requires affected by divorce, either before or your taxing authority or AFSA’s annual making a deposit to cover the employee after retirement. tax guide for details. retirement contributions (plus interest) Federal law has provisions govern- Unclear about Pros and Cons of Roth that were not made originally. Employ- ing the division of Foreign Service TSP: Thirty-seven percent of respon- ees should resolve their prior service retirement annuities between former dents had little or no understanding of issues long before they retire. Delaying spouses. Divorce decrees and property the advantages and disadvantages of increases the interest charges that the settlement agreements can also affect contributing to a Roth TSP versus the employee must pay. To apply, Depart- the division of retirement benefits. regular TSP. ment of State employees should go to Employees who want an analysis The Roth TSP combines many of the the Employee Benefits Information of their specific situation may send a benefits of TSP retirement savings with System on HR Online and use the “HR copy of any divorce decree and property the after-tax benefits of a Roth savings Link” module. settlement to the Department of State’s plan. The difference between the Roth Do Not Have Estate Planning Docu- Office of Retirement. Either scan and TSP and traditional TSP is in its tax ments: Thirty-nine percent of respon- e-mail the documents to HRSC@state. treatment. You will not get the benefits dents did not have an up-to-date will gov, or e-mail that address asking for of tax-deferred savings (an upfront tax and/or trust and other estate planning mailing instructions. HR/RET will pro- deduction) on Roth contributions as documents, such as a power of attorney. vide employees with a divorce determi- you do with your traditional TSP contri- While all states and the District of nation letter. butions; however, your Roth savings will Columbia have laws directing the divi- Unclear about How Retirement grow tax-free. Later, when you withdraw sion of assets of people who die without Benefits Are Taxed: Similarly, 46 percent your Roth contributions and associated

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 19 earnings in retirement, you will pay no Far too many employees don’t know how income taxes on them, as long as five years have passed since you made your retirement benefits are taxed and what first Roth TSP contribution and you are strategies could reduce or defer those tax age 59½ or older, permanently disabled or deceased. consequences. The Roth TSP may be most beneficial to persons facing higher tax rates in retirement, persons wary of future tax rates who wish to protect their invest- ment, and younger enrollees who wish to earn the maximum amount on their their spouse, other relative or close based on your life expectancy; (c) a life compounded contributions tax-free. acquaintance. annuity; (d) transfer to an IRA; (e) a one- Unclear about Options for Survi- At retirement, an employee time partial withdrawal; or (f) a combina- vor Benefits: Thirty-two percent of enrolled in FSPS may make his or her tion of the other options. respondents had little or no under- spouse eligible to receive a survivor Unclear about Long-Term Care Options standing of the options and associated annuity equal to 50, 25 or 0 percent and Their Usefulness: Thirty percent of costs for electing survivor benefits for of the employee’s unreduced base respondents had little or no understand- annuity. Selecting one of the latter ing of long-term care insurance options two options may be done only with and costs, or of how they would cover the spouse’s notarized consent. long-term care expenses absent such The retiree’s annuity is reduced by insurance. 10 percent if the 50-percent survivor Long-term care insurance pays for annuity is elected, and is reduced by long-term care services at home, in a 5 percent if the 25-percent survivor nursing home or at another long-term annuity is elected. The percentages care facility. According to the Department for FSRDS participants are slightly of Health and Human Services, at least 70 different. percent of people over age 65 will require Survivor annuities may also be some long-term care services at some You Are Our Eyes & Ears! elected for other relatives, close point—expenses that most health insur- acquaintances or former spouses. A ance (including the Federal Employees Dear Readers: key consideration is that a survivor’s Health Benefits Program) does not cover. In order to produce a high-quality Federal Employees Health Benefits Thus, employees who are concerned product, the FSJ depends on the coverage will terminate upon the about their long-term finances should revenue it earns from advertising. annuitant’s death if no survivor annu- weigh the costs and benefits of long-term You can help with this. ity was elected. care insurance. For information on the Fed- Please let us know the names of Unclear about TSP Withdrawal eral Long-Term Care Insurance Program, go companies that have provided Options: Thirty-one percent of to www.ltcfeds.com. Several private insur- good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto respondents had little or no under- ance companies also offer policies. dealership, or other concern. standing of the TSP withdrawal Unclear about TSP Risk versus Reward: A referral from our readers options at retirement. Twenty-nine percent of respondents had is the best entrée! When you are ready to withdraw little or no understanding of the fact that Ed Miltenberger your TSP account after retirement, TSP bond funds that offer the safety of Advertising & Circulation Manager you can choose: (a) a single payment; capital preservation may not generate Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: [email protected] (b) a series of monthly payments that long-term gains that out-pace inflation. are either a specific dollar amount or Over short periods of time, stock funds

20 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The only way to reduce the tax bite on pension and Social Security income is to reduce income from other sources in order to drop to a lower tax bracket. AFSA Scholarship AFSA.org/Scholar

AKA StayAKA.com can dramatically underperform bond is automatic unless you decline it or Clements Worldwide funds. For example, in 2008 the TSP’s C elect additional optional coverage with clements.com fund fell 36.99 percent, while the TSP’s higher premiums. G fund grew 3.75 percent. However, To carry any level of FEGLI insurance Diplomatic Automobile over long periods of time, stock funds into retirement, you must have had that www.diplosales.com outperform bond funds. For example, same or higher coverage during your between 2003 and 2012, the G fund last five years of employment. Most Embassy Risk Management had an average annual return of 3.61 employees carry basic FEGLI coverage Embassyrisk.com percent, while the C fund had an aver- (which pays approximately one year’s age annual return of 7.12 percent. Thus, base salary) into retirement. That cover- The Hirshorn Company in selecting a TSP portfolio, employees age is automatically reduced after age hirshorn.com/afsa must decide how much risk they are 65 (unless you pay a higher premium willing to take. to avoid that) until it reaches 25 or 50 McGrath A key consideration is your time percent of its starting level (depending McGrathRealEstate.com horizon. If you will not start withdraw- on the option you pay for). Many private ing from your TSP account for many insurance companies offer their own ProMax years, or you hope to remain invested plans. promaxrealtors.com in the TSP for several decades after retirement, then you may want to take To Learn More Tetratech more risk now in your TSP account More information on these topics is Tetratech.com to increase the likelihood of generat- available at a variety of locations. HR/ ing gains over a period of decades that RET’s Internet site, The Retirement WJD outpace inflation. Network (RNet) at ww.RNet.state.gov, wjdpm.com Unclear about Post-Retirement Life offers a wealth of information, including Insurance Needs: Twenty-one percent a searchable database of 340 Frequently of respondents had little or no under- Asked Questions on Foreign Service standing of how much life insurance retirement issues. they would need after retirement. HR/RET’s homepage on the Depart- Life insurance needs during and ment of State’s intranet contains after employment depend on how much detailed retirement planning informa- money you wish to leave for your survi- tion, including copies of HR/RET-issued vors (for example, to pay off a mortgage telegrams. And FSI’s Career Transition or pay for children’s education). Basic Center conducts a four-day Retirement coverage under the Federal Employ- Planning Seminar (RV101) with in- ees Group Life Insurance program depth briefings on retirement topics. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 21 FOCUS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

ETHICS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMAT

A code of ethics is essential to give diplo- matic practitioners guidance with respect to personal, as well as official, boundaries. Here are some components of such a code.

BY EDWARD MARKS

iplomats have suffered from bad press for a long time. Back in the 17th century, Sir Henry Wooton famously quipped that a diplo- mat is “an honest man sent to lie abroad for his country.” The profession of diplomacy can- not seem to shake Sir Henry’s witticism. Yet the remark also implied that there were layers of behavior involved, between Dstates or governments with their raisons d’état on the surface, and individual agents or diplomats with their personal ethical concerns just underneath. Against that backdrop, practitioners of diplomacy have worked hard to make their profession more respectable. In 1716, French diplomat Francois de Callieres published De la manière de négocier avec les souverains (“On the Manner of Negotiating with Sovereigns,” often translated as “The Practice of Diplo-

22 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL macy”), a seminal text in the development of modern diplomacy Diplomacy Does Not Equal Foreign Policy and accompanying professional ethics. It is important to differentiate ethics in diplomacy from eth- In the 19th century, European governments began to take on ics in foreign policy, as the word diplomacy has two general the form of the modern nation-state. For these states, diplomacy meanings. In the policy sense, it refers to “a government’s increasingly became a regularized bureaucratic function, mov- diplomacy;” in the operational sense, it describes the conduct ing from personal art to organized profession. Ethical standards of business between and among governments, carried out began to emerge, as well, drawing both on traditional personal through bureaucratic institutions and processes. The former is standards of conduct and the rules and regulations essential to also more generically called “foreign policy,” while the latter is modern bureaucracies. the domain of the foreign policy bureaucracy. In his 1957 study, The Foreign Office, Lord Strange remarks: Ethics for Professionals “The word diplomacy has always been a liability of the thing The belief that civil servants need ethical guidelines arises it represents. Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind naturally from their role as professionals who exercise special- that by mere chance the dog was given a bad name, which has ized knowledge and skill. As such, they are capable of mak- made it peculiarly liable to be blamed, if not actually hanged, ing judgments, applying their skills and reaching informed for the sins of its masters. The master is called correctly ‘for- decisions in situations that the general public is not qualified eign policy.’” to review. How the use of this knowledge should be governed Although morality is often a matter of judgment, most com- when providing a service to the public can be considered a mentators would classify governments as essentially amoral in moral issue, to be managed or regulated by a set of standards, their external behavior. As Strange observes, “Diplomacy as an or code of ethics. institution can never have morals markedly superior to those Such a code gives officials and practitioners boundaries of the governments whose tool it is; though, owing to the force to stay within in their professional capacities. But no set of of its corporate traditions, they are likely nowadays to be never guidelines can cover all ethical or moral considerations. As worse, and usually rather better.” Francis Fukuyama observes in The Origins of Political Order: Despite the distinction between foreign policy and diplo- From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution (Farrar, Straus macy, the inevitable, intimate relationship between power & Giroux, 2011): “In most political hierarchies, principals hold politics and the functions of diplomacy means that the two authority and delegate the implementation of their policies can never be completely separated, at least in the mind of the to agents, whom they appoint. Many governance dysfunc- general public. This has contributed to a popular image of tions arise because the agents have different agendas from the diplomats as untrustworthy double-dealers. principals.” Quotations along those lines are numerous. Here are just a For all these reasons, a code of ethics is essential to give few from Ambassador Charles W. Freeman’s Diplomat’s Dic- practitioners guidance with respect to personal, as well as tionary (U.S. Institute of Peace Press, 2010): official, boundaries. • Diplomacy is to do and say the nastiest things in the nicest way. (Proverb) Edward Marks spent 40 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, including • Diplomacy: the patriotic art of lying for one’s country. an assignment as ambassador to Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. (Ambrose Bierce) Ambassador Marks is the director of the Simons Center for the Study • Diplomacy is to speak French, to speak nothing, and to of Interagency Coordination, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at speak falsehood. (Ludwig Boerne) George Mason University, and a director on the board of American This traditional view of diplomacy has been reinforced Diplomacy magazine, as well as a retiree representative on the AFSA by a modern popular attitude that focuses on one particular Governing Board and a member of the AFSA Awards and Plaques aspect: its secrecy. Americans, in particular, remain influ- Committee. enced by ’s famous call for “open diplo- This article was originally developed for and presented at the 2012 macy.” Fort Leavenworth Ethics Symposium co-sponsored by the Command In some respects, the depreciation of diplomacy in the and General Staff College Foundation, Inc., and the U.S. Army Com- modern world reflects a lack of faith that it can really make a mand and General Staff College. difference. As Hans Morgenthau notes: “There is nothing spec-

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 23 tacular, fascinating or inspiring, at least for the people at large, does not necessarily constitute policy since it is about policy in the business of diplomacy.” in its formative stage. As Hannah Gurman says in The Dissent Papers: The Ethics for the Individual Diplomat Voices of Diplomats in the Cold War and Beyond (Colum- While diplomats do many of the same things most bureau- bia University Press, 2012), this conversation is often about crats do, they also perform, collectively and individually, the “informing and shaping policy through prophetic report- additional defining functions of official communicator and ing and analytical writing.” Or, to put it another way, it is an interpreter between the external and internal worlds of a given internal dialogue. Individual messages generally have little nation-state. This gives diplomacy and diplomats a Janus-like standing; it is the totality of diplomatic correspondence which character, since they are responsible not only for transmitting is important. official messages and reporting the responses, but also for It is in the performance of this function that the distinction describing and interpreting the environment even before the between the master and the agent arises. While the state may message is prepared, as well as interpreting the responses. act amorally, the agent is required to conduct this internal dia- The obligation of the career public servant as an agent is logue to some standard of professional ethics—or betray any made more complicated in the case of the diplomat because pretense of performance as an objective public servant. the agent-principal rela- In addition, of course, tionship takes two forms. failure to act to acceptable Internally, within the After firmly presenting his or her standards can eventually bureaucracy, the diplo- own country’s views and policies, destroy the diplomatic mat represents his or her agent’s reputation among agency. Externally, the the truly professional diplomat his peers and colleagues— diplomat is the agent for must then report objectively on both of his own county and the government as a whole. among foreigners—which Diplomacy as a govern- the local response. will also destroy his ability ment activity is marked by to function. Only the trust- this peculiar attribute. worthy diplomat is useful The job also has an interesting mirror aspect: the diplo- to his or her government. mats of each country engaged in this activity are simultane- During the McCarthy era, dedicated officers like Jack Ser- ously matched by their counterparts from the other country vice and John Paton Davies were hounded out of the Foreign in the relationship. The general code of ethics for professional Service simply for reporting accurately on developments and public officials as a class must therefore include an additional trends in postwar China. And Wikileaks’ release of thousands subset of personal diplomatic ethics for this intermediary of confidential documents may have done comparable dam- agent role. age to the ability of U.S. diplomats to gather information, since local contacts are much less likely to speak candidly when they Threading the Needle fear being quoted publicly. The role of official reporter and observer—the official -inter Though different in motivation, both these types of threats preter of George Kennan’s “great external realm”—has always strike at the very essence of a diplomat’s professional ethics: been fundamental to the definition of a diplomat. This has the obligation to report, comment and advise objectively on remained true at every stage of the development of communi- matters of importance to his or her country. cations technology: from the spoken report, handwritten dis- It is always tempting to prepare a report to satisfy the views patch and telegram or cable, to today’s e-mail and encrypted of the recipient, or to justify the decisions made or about to be voice conversation. made by headquarters. Indeed, many senior officials, espe- The most characteristic manifestation of the diplomat’s cially political figures, expect this. writing constitutes a form of dialogue or conversation Instead, after firmly presenting his or her own country’s between the diplomat in the field and his or her master back views and policies externally, the truly professional diplo- in headquarters. This conversation is, of course, official; but it mat must turn around and “report” objectively on the local

24 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL response—without slanting his or her observations and com- The ethical quality that stands out in such situations is ments to satisfy the report’s recipients. honesty: the requirement that each diplomat, serving as rep- resentative and interpreter, must somehow earn and maintain Don’t Rock the Boat? credibility with two “masters”—each of whom may well see In their seminal 1953 study, The Diplomats, 1919-1939, Gor- that effort as betrayal. don A. Craig and Felix Gilbert decry “the growing tendency of This is a tricky and dangerous situation for the profes- home governments to give attention, and preferment, to those sional diplomat, as evidenced by the case of Ambassador April diplomats who reported what their superiors wanted to hear, Glaspie. Following her instructions in a 1990 meeting with rather than to those whose analyses of the developing situa- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, she carefully laid out the U.S. tion has been justified by history.” This is a persistent tempta- position regarding the ongoing Iraqi-Kuwaiti border dispute. tion for all governments, but especially in democracies with When Hussein nonetheless invaded Kuwait soon thereafter, lively domestic political environments. After all, the careers of some accused Amb. Glaspie of having given Hussein a “green the political leadership depend on policy success, or at least light” for the invasion by how she phrased her message. avoidance of blame for failure. No one who was not there can really say what transpired. Moreover, because political leaders tend to value personal But given her professional reputation and her reporting on her loyalty, career officials who introduce opinions and informa- demarche, most knowledgeable commentators consider the tion at variance with the charge unfair and irrespon- official policy line risk sible. Still, that does not stop adverse consequences. the Monday morning quar- Another temptation for As George Kennan puts it, the terbacks and others seeking any diplomat in the field is diplomat’s job is to be “the bearer scapegoats. to gild his or her own lily. (No drafter of a memoran- of a view of the outside world.” Recognizing Dissent dum of conversation has Welcome evidence ever reported losing an that proper apprecia- argument.) And then there is the ever-present threat of “locali- tion of this ethical dilemma is not yet a lost cause, despite tis”: giving too much weight to the pressures and temptations the lingering wounds of the McCarthy era and the persistent of the local environment. demands of party politics, comes from two quarters. In 1968, The intellectual center of gravity of the diplomat’s profes- as the Vietnam War was raging, the American Foreign Service sional perspective has two dimensions: the need to balance Association began conferring two annual awards to recognize the present against the future, viewing the world objectively and encourage constructive dissent and risk-taking within the from both perspectives; and the need to protect one’s cred- Foreign Service: the W. Averell Harriman Award for junior ibility as an agent by not uttering falsehoods deliberately. The officers (FS-6 through FS-4) and theWilliam R. Rivkin Award first half of the equation may seem obvious, though it is often for mid-level officers (FS-3 through FS-1). ignored by commentators. As for the second, the distinction The Harriman and Rivkin Awards were joined the following between misleading one’s interlocutors and not lying to them year by the Christian A. Herter Award, honoring construc- is subtle, and lost on many. tive dissent by Senior Foreign Service officers. And in 2000, Self-delusion is dangerous for countries as well as indi- with the support of the Delavan Foundation, AFSA created the viduals, so the diplomat’s job is to introduce into political and F. Allen “Tex” Harris Award for dissent by Foreign Service policy deliberations the realities of that “vast external realm” specialists. All four of these awards have proven to be helpful which lies outside our borders. As Edmund Burke observed to most recipients’ careers, not harmful. two centuries ago, “Nothing is so fatal to a nation as an Separately, in 1971 the Department of State instituted the extreme of self-partiality, and the total want of consideration , through which any employee may submit of what others will naturally hope or fear.” The ability to resist a message to the Secretary on any subject. (That mechanism that tendency requires a robust adherence to ethical principles remains unique, by the way; no other federal department or by Foreign Service officers. agency has anything similar.)

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 25 The Eternal Dilemma municating with other governments concerning his or her own Diplomacy in modern terms focuses on the political and government’s interests and aspirations. As Kennan puts it, the bureaucratic process and institutions by which political enti- diplomat’s job is to be “the bearer of a view of the outside world.” ties—traditionally nation- These sometimes con- states, but also non-state flicting obligations between actors and international Because political leaders tend the amorality of the state— organizations—establish and to value personal loyalty, career especially when consciously manage their official rela- practicing realpolitik—and tions. Writing in the May 1961 officials who introduce opinions the professional morality of Foreign Service Journal on and information at variance the diplomatic agent create a “Diplomacy as a Profession,” with the official policy line risk murky, ethically ambiguous George Kennan declared: situation. In a fundamen- “This is the classic function adverse consequences. tal sense, the professional of diplomacy: to effect the diplomat cannot effectively communication between one’s own government and other gov- perform the agent’s task without acting with at least a modicum ernments or individuals abroad, and to do this with maximum of professional ethics. accuracy, imagination, tact and good sense.” Ironically, even an immoral government is badly served by The diplomat is thus charged with a double task: studying an immoral agent. Herein lies the ethical dilemma which often and comprehending the nature of the outside world, and com- faces the individual diplomat. n

26 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FOCUS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

THE ROLE OF DISSENT IN NATIONAL SECURITY, LAW AND CONSCIENCE

One of three officers to resign from the Foreign Service a decade ago in protest of the Iraq War revisits the ethical implications of that decision.

BY ANN WRIGHT

ver the past decade, spanning two different presiden- cies, the U.S. government and its individual employees have faced extraordinarily important issues at the intersection of national security, law and conscience. Major American policies promulgated in the name of national security regarding war, invasion and occupa- tion, kidnapping, extraordinary rendition, torture, indefinite detention, curtailment of civil liberties, extrajudicial killings, targeted assassinations and eavesdropping have all been called into legal question. OFor women and men in our government, these ethical issues should create crises of conscience. Public servants face the dilemma of how, within the system, to challenge policies that are ill-considered at best, or illegal at worst. Can one continue working for a government carrying out policies it claims are critical to national security, if one believes those policies constitute moral, ethical or legal failures?

Ann Wright was a Foreign Service officer from 1987 until 2003, when she resigned from the Service in protest of the Iraq War while serving as deputy chief of mission in Ulaanbaatar. She had previously served as DCM in Freetown, Kolonia and (for a short time) Kabul, in addition to assignments in , , Krygyzstan, , and Washington, D.C. She received the State Department’s Award for Heroism for her work as chargé d’affaires in leading the evacuation of 2,500 people from in 1997. The co-author with Susan Dixon of Dissent: Voices of Conscience (foreword by ; Koa Books, 2008), Ms. Wright spent 13 years in the U.S. Army and 16 years in the Army Reserves, retiring as a , before joining the Foreign Service. From her home in Honolulu, she continues to write and speak out for peace and justice, and has been arrested numerous times all over the world because of her nonviolent protests.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 27 These issues transcend administrations. Despite the urging to Secretary Powell in early March 2003, just weeks before the of President Barack Obama to “look forward, not backward” war began. My concerns were dismissed in the response from in terms of transparency and accountability for governmental the department, signed by Policy Planning Director Richard actions, I firmly believe it is imperative to take a look back over Haass. His response paralleled the daily press guidance from the the policies of the past 10 years. That is the only way to evalu- department, which rehashed the administration’s rationale for ate how to approach ethical, moral and legal challenges in the why Saddam Hussein’s regime was dangerous to the interna- future. tional community and should be eliminated. Ten years ago, I faced such After revising many drafts, a dilemma myself. I had been a I believe it matters that on March 19, 2003—the eve of federal government employee the invasion—I sent my letter of for more than 35 years, first in even a handful of U.S. resignation to Secretary of State the U.S. military and then at the government employees . I became one of only Department of State, serving eight resigned in opposition to three U.S. government employees, presidents going back to Lyndon all Foreign Service officers, to Johnson. Many of those adminis- Bush administration policy. resign over the issue. Several other trations, of both parties, espoused FSOs apparently resigned later for controversial policies that I did not agree with. But like many the same reason, but did not make their resignations public. In other public servants, I sought to carry out programs and poli- addition, an unknown number of FSOs retired from the Service cies with which I concurred, morally and ethically. much earlier than they had planned because of their opposition to the war. The Road to War However, neither dissent within the government, nor else- In late 2002 and early 2003, I became increasingly concerned where, affected the Bush administration’s decision to wage war about the George W. Bush administration’s march to war in on Iraq. Iraq. I had just returned from Afghanistan—having been on the small team that reopened the U.S. embassy in Kabul in Decem- “Dissent Is Difficult” ber 2001 and remained there until the first permanent embassy A decade later, I still wonder whether the resignation of a staff arrived in April 2002—when I proceeded to my scheduled senior policymaker might have had an effect on that decision. assignment as deputy chief of mission in Ulaanbaatar. In a 2006 interview, Sec. Powell’s chief of staff, Larry Wilkerson, The war rhetoric from President Bush, Vice President Dick reflected: “My participation in that presentation at the U.N. Cheney, Secretary of Defense , National Secu- constitutes the lowest point in my professional life. I participated rity Adviser and my boss, Secretary of State in a hoax on the American people, the international community Colin Powell, increased weekly, as did my unease. I was unable and the United Nations Security Council.” to figure out how Iraq could still have had weapons of mass Wilkerson went even further in 2011, when he said that his destruction after intense U.N. inspections, sanctions, quaran- role in preparing the presentation was “probably the biggest mis- tines and blockades for 10 years, the imposition of two no-fly take of my life.” He regrets both his participation and his decision zones and regular U.S. attacks on military and civilian installa- not to resign over it. tions there. Six years after the Iraq War began, Richard Haass—who had On Feb. 5, 2003, I watched live from as Secretary of delivered the official response to my Dissent Channel mes- State Powell pitched to the United Nations the “evidence” that sage—described his own reservations about the decision to go Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. His presentation did not to war in a 2009 Newsweek article, “The Dilemma of Dissent.” convince me, and it did not convince the hundreds of Foreign In it Haass, now chair of the Council on Foreign Relations, says: Service colleagues who got in touch with me later. Nor did it “Had I known then what I know now—namely, that there were deter the millions of U.S. citizens who marched in the streets, no weapons of mass destruction and that the intervention would much less the U.N. member-states. They quickly voted against be carried out with a marked absence of good judgment and authorizing any military operations against Iraq. competence—I would have been inalterably opposed. Still, even I used the Dissent Channel to express my concerns in a letter then, I leaned against proceeding.”

28 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Haass added: “Dissent is difficult. It can constitute a real dilemma for the person who dis- agrees. On one hand, you owe it to your conscience and to your bosses to tell them what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. Speaking truth to power is actually a form of loyalty. It is the best and at times only way to make sure that government (or any organization) lives up to its potential. “No matter how good the advice, however, there will be times when it is resented or rejected,” Haass concluded. “It may be rebuffed on the merits, or because of politics or personalities. Some- times, smart people just see things Can one continue working

differently. It doesn’t matter.” for a government carrying out policies iStockphoto.com/Ayzek But in issues of war and peace, it it claims are critical to national security, does matter—to the thousands who will kill and be killed, or spend the if one believes they constitute moral, rest of their lives maimed physi- ethical or legal failures? cally or emotionally, due to the decisions of those in power. It also matters to the rest of the world, symbolically and practi- employees who have experienced retaliation, either for trying cally, when the country with the strongest military in the world to work within the system to end these practices or becoming decides to attack and occupy a small, oil-rich country that had whistleblowers: Peter Van Buren and Matt Hoh (State); Jesselyn been under extreme sanctions and inspections for 10 years. Radack and Thomas Tamm (Justice); Mike Gorman, Coleen And it matters that even a handful of U.S. government employ- Rowley and (FBI); Bunnatine Greenhouse, ees resigned in opposition to that policy. We became symbols to Commander Matthew Diaz, Specialist Joe Darby and Specialist the rest of the world that not everyone in the U.S. government was Samuel Provence (Defense); (CIA); and Russell willing to go along with a war opposed by the member-states of Tice and Thomas Drake (National Security Agency). the United Nations, and by the people who voiced their concerns One can add to this list and , in the largest stop-the-war marches in history. both British whistleblowers, and Danish Major Frank Grevil, all of whom were accused of criminal acts. Murray was fired from The Lessons of History his job, Grevil was court-martialed, and Gun was threatened We now know the lengths to which Bush administration with prosecution in civilian court, though the British govern- officials went to ensure the silence of those who opposed their ment dropped the charges against her the night before the trial. policies, by classifying controversial and illegal policies and In addition, Private First Class Bradley Manning was court- operations. As a result, anyone trying to challenge those policies martialed in June for releasing classified cables from both in public automatically risked being charged with revealing clas- Defense and State that have rounded out our knowledge of sified information. U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other coun- Those brave souls who challenge such policies anyway have tries. While I recognize that many Journal readers may be seldom fared well. Here is just a partial list of U.S. government extremely concerned about his disclosure of a large volume

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 29 There is no doubt that dissent may cut short your government career. But living dishonestly may cause you a lifetime of anxiety and grief.

of classified information, and do not see him as a dissenter, I see Manning’s actions as similar to those of Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who believed Americans had the right to know the secret history of their government’s involvement in Vietnam. The point of my including Manning in this list is that in each case, the government’s response appears to be dispro- portionate retaliation that does not take into account the rationale for disclosing the information (whether classified or unclassified): a government coverup of malfeasance. Moreover, many inside and outside the government note the lack of investigation, much less prosecution, of senior officials (across all administrations) who leak classified information to advance official policy. In contrast, Uncle Sam seems eager to go after anyone who reveals classified information that documents criminal activity committed by government officials. Sadly, despite its pledges to be open and transparent, the Obama administration has continued in its predecessor’s foot- steps. For example, it refuses to make public the memoranda that authorize the assassination by drone of American citizens and the rationale for its “signature” assassination program targeting Afghans, Pakistanis, Yemenis and Somalis. Despite efforts to cover up the truth, we now know a great deal about the machinations that led up to the Iraq War—both through the Downing Street memos and the huge cache of documents released through Wikileaks (although I understand that U.S. government employees have been told not to look at the Wikileaks cables). We know the pervasive untruths told by senior government officials to take the nation into war, as well as the protection of criminal acts committed by government officials: kidnapping, torture, eavesdropping and assassination. Whether such mea- sures were authorized via secret memoranda or by legislation that attempted to retroactively legalize previously illegal acts, the truth has now been exposed. Of special note, this past March the bipartisan Constitution Project released a report documenting the torture of prisoners detained by the United States. One of America’s most expe-

30 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL rienced ambassadors, Thomas Pickering, summarized the damage done by those policies in an April 16 Washington Post op-ed: “By authorizing and permitting torture in response to a global terrorist threat, U.S. leaders committed a grave error that has undermined our values, principles and moral stature; eroded our global influence; and placed our soldiers, diplo- mats and intelligence officers in even greater jeopardy.” Yet whistleblowers who revealed the torture program years earlier have lost their jobs and even gone to jail.

Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide In the decade since our resignations, John Brown, Brady Kiesling and I have spoken to thousands of groups, both in the United States and all over the world, about our decisions to resign from the Foreign Service. We are treated with great respect for that decision precisely because resignation on principle from the United States government is so rare. I have worked with many veterans and their families, and have traveled to countries to meet with families uprooted and destroyed by U.S. wars. I have visited Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Syria, and interviewed victims of torture in U.S. prisons in Iraq. I have met with families of prisoners who have been released from Guantanamo and with families of prisoners who have been cleared for release years ago, but are still held by the United States. And I have met in Pakistan and Afghanistan with families of victims of U.S. drones. I’ve also met hundreds of U.S. military personnel who did not have the luxury of resigning to protest war policies they decided were wrong. The consciences of these men and women serving in Iraq or Afghanistan would not allow them to continue killing others in wars they believed were based on lies. Many of them have gone to prison for their decisions to refuse to go along with policies they oppose. Their statements leave no doubt of the severe conflict they experienced after volunteering to join an organization imple- menting policies that were fundamentally wrong—and know- ing that refusal to help carry them out could mean jail time. That, of course, is the great dilemma inherent in confront- ing policies that one disagrees with—particularly when the policies concern life and death. There is no doubt that dissent may cut short your government career. But living dishonestly may cause you a lifetime of anxiety and grief. Ultimately, the nagging feeling you have in your stomach that something is profoundly wrong is a much better guide than the comments of senior government officials on whether policies are right or wrong, legal or illegal. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 31 FOCUS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS MY RESIGNATION IN RETROSPECT

n the process of justifying to foreigners the policies Those of us in the Foreign Service of a moralizing, occasionally overbearing super- must keep our moral and professional power, U.S. diplomats develop formidable powers compass calibrated to that point of rationalization. Our understanding of our For- where integrity and love of country eign Service oath harmonizes elegantly with our declare, “No further.” professional ambitions and personal convenience. But what happens when suddenly it doesn’t— BY JOHN BRADY KIESLING when we can no longer rationalize away some fun- damental analytical or moral intuition we have? Then we confront the fundamental career decision of whether Ito carry out a bad policy, obstruct it from within or resign. My moral intuition tells me that I did not violate my oath as a Foreign Service officer by abandoning the modestly impor- tant post of political counselor at Embassy Athens at a critical time for U.S. global interests. My wife can confirm that I still flagellate myself, decades after, for other things I said and did, or failed to say and do, as an FSO. But I have never flagellated myself over my decision to resign in February 2003 as the Iraq War loomed. Ten years later, I am still proud of the resignation letter I leaked to . I am ashamed only that I did not have the forethought and ruthlessness to make my resignation a more effective policy tool.

John Brady Kiesling entered the Foreign Service in 1983, serving in Tel Aviv, Casablanca, Washington, Yerevan and Athens (twice, the second time as political counselor). He resigned from the Service in February 2003 in protest of the impending war with Iraq. Now a writer and lecturer, he is the author of Diplomacy Lessons: Realism for an Unloved Superpower (Potomac Books, 2007).

32 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL My Decision-Making Process • If our goal was instead to readjust the regional balance of To be persuasive, one of my ambassadors taught me, you military power in favor of Israel and Saudi Arabia, who would need to come up with a minimum of three reasons why your counterbalance Iran once we had taken out Saddam Hussein? chosen decision is the right one. Here are some of mine: You and I know the answers to all these questions in hind- Point One: When a Foreign Service officer can no longer sight, of course. But they were knowable and known in 2002. well and faithfully perform his or her duties, resignation is the As the U.S. government’s expert professionals, we had a duty honorable course. I was a good analyst, able to read between to provide those correct answers and insist on them. the lines of a National Intelligence Estimate or my own effi- ciency report. I had taken justifiable pride in what the U.S. Supporting and Defending the Constitution government was doing and my role in doing it. But by mid- Some may say that the wisdom or folly of a president’s 2002 I no longer did. Diplomats have a duty to their country policy is above our pay grade as FSOs. I would disagree. The to be competent. I could no longer competently represent Nuremberg war crimes trials established that certain orders President George W. Bush and his administration’s policies to are intrinsically unlawful, and officers and officials have a duty the world. under international law to recognize and disobey such orders, Point Two: By November 2002, the faithful performance of despite any oath of obedience they have sworn. diplomatic duties in Foreign Service offi- was of no importance to cers—unlike a handful of anyone who mattered in When a Foreign Service CIA colleagues who led Washington. On the con- death squads and torture trary, the political agenda officer can no longer well teams—dodged the clearly of the White House was and faithfully perform his or illegal orders. But we did incompatible with the hon- her duties, resignation is the implement policies that est assessment of costs and undermined the economic benefits—in this case, of the honorable course. security and basic freedoms Iraq War—that is a diplo- of the American people. mat’s basic duty to provide. Our oath of office puts Point Three: By the fall of 2002, the Bush administration had our official duties last and defending the U.S. Constitu- convinced me of its inability to answer fundamental questions tion first, for good reason. America’s external threats can be of national interest: managed, if we choose, with our civil rights intact and with a • Was there truly an imminent military threat to the United national security establishment much smaller and cheaper States or its allies that justified a war the Iraqis themselves than the one we pay for currently. The darker threat we face were desperate to avoid? comes precisely from the politicians and government officials • Were the arguments we could present for that war who serve their personal ends by preying on the public’s fear. adequate to protect the hard-won, fraying legitimacy of U.S. The so-called Global War on Terror was first and foremost leadership of the international community? an assault on the U.S. Constitution. After 9/11, most Ameri- • To the extent our motives were humanitarian, would mili- cans embraced the massive intrusion of executive power into tary intervention to decapitate a blood-drenched dictatorship our homes and correspondence, drone-sanitized death squads preserve more lives than it destroyed? and, most recently, the useless lockdown of a whole city. • Could we replace Saddam Hussein with an Iraqi gov- Foreign Service officers serving in the many countries ernment willing to take our orders and legitimate enough to around the world where the state wields arbitrary power learn implement them? Would we not be stuck with a permanent, to value the rule of law, by talking to activists whose friends costly U.S. military presence that delegitimized any Iraqi gov- are in jail or have become unrecognizable corpses dumped by ernment we installed? the side of the road. We are also the first to pay the price when • Was there any successful model we could point to for U.S. policy, or a perception of it, outrages the sensibilities of democratizing a bitterly divided tribal society with no tradi- ordinary foreigners and leads to violence. As public servants tion of representative government? living under the constant threat of terrorism, our views on the

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 33 The post-resignation book tour: Brady Kiesling signs Diplomacy Lessons at Olsen’s in Alexandria, Va.

nal policies, potentially deterring future abuses. I had the wrong personality to pursue these attainable goals with the necessary single-mindedness. In particular, I was too squeamish to taint with my own disloyalty— the one unforgivable bureaucratic sin—colleagues who shared my analysis but had hefty mortgage and tuition obligations. All the same, I offer the following advice to future dissenters. Regina Tassitano Tassitano Regina First, when the national interest tradeoff between freedom and security calls for resignations, it is our duty to involve as large and are inherently worth hearing. And our credible a group of colleagues as possible. In this age of social unique experiential baseline gives media, that task is much easier than a decade ago. us standing to challenge disgraces Dissent cannot be kept secret from our superiors, and like Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib as should not be. Indeed, rumors of a looming bureaucratic directly harmful to the safety of the uprising might cow our political masters when the reality of American people. one would not. Second, my resignation letter was a communications Some Advice for Future Dissenters success because I struck the right emotional tone. I was not, No one should dismiss resignation as a tactic because of however, as clear, explicit and quotable as I should have been my own limited impact. Obviously, an unknown political on why the Iraq War would be so costly to Americans. So don’t counselor in Athens had no hope of steering America clear of take your main point for granted. Write, wait, reread; solicit the Iraq quagmire. The State input from loyal friends; and Department, however, could continue refining your mes- have done so, given suffi- My only regret is that sage until it cannot possibly be cient unity, the courage of its I did not have the forethought misunderstood. expertise, commitment to the Third, the impact of a resig- oath we all swore, and leaders and ruthlessness to make nation depends on perceived willing to sacrifice their careers my resignation a more standing and sacrifice. An to their country’s good. effective policy tool. excellent reason to work hard A very public resignation and well in difficult assign- from the Foreign Service has ments over decades is to build two goals. First, on the internal level, it dramatizes for waver- a résumé that validates your expertise and your sacrifice. ing colleagues the stakes for American national interests and My analysis of the folly of the impending invasion of Iraq can be a catalyst for the department-wide soul-searching that was sound, but my standing was marginal (so my admirers inspires known, credible leaders to take a stand. And on the routinely promoted me to ambassador). Ann Wright’s dissent, public level, the vote of no confidence sent by resignations of because her curriculum vitae included both a Foreign Service career officials increases the political cost of foolish or crimi- tour in Kabul and the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve,

34 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL better accommodated the public’s desire for heroes. (That your resignation as seriously as fellow idealists demand. I lost said, paper credentials such as Superior Honor awards have my sense of the importance of my gesture far too soon. more impact on the public imagination than we may realize.) Fourth, the corollary to this principle is that the more My Best Decision politically potent your message, the more strenuously critics I would resign better next time, but with resignation there is will look for material with which to discredit the messenger. no next time. Never mind. A heartwarming number of people The State Department behaved quite well in its public por- still come forward even now to thank me, perhaps because trayal of our resignations, but it helped that our closets seem at a dark hour, my gesture seemed a welcome reaffirmation to have contained no frightful skeletons. When the White that our system was capable of better things. If that were the House feels seriously threatened, any lapse from the rigorous only result, my resignation would still be the best decision I personal integrity of the ideal diplomat will be used against have ever made. I encourage young people to take the Foreign you mercilessly. Service exam, partly because so few other careers include the Fifth, the public responds warmly to sacrifice, but it must right to such a life-transforming last resort. be real sacrifice or it doesn’t count. Rather than jump ship to a Diplomats rationalize well and faithfully, serving America rival political party, disarm cynicism by spending time in the well and faithfully in the process. But as we grow in experience wilderness, ideally with the specter of famine draped compan- and influence, we must keep our moral and professional com- ionably on your shoulder. pass calibrated to that point—usually, but not always, comfort- Finally, keep faith in the meaning of your deed. A new and ably remote—where integrity and love of country declare, excellent life awaits you, provided you take the message of “No further.” n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 35 FOCUS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

SOME THOUGHTS ON DISSENT

All government employees should be free to speak their minds as openly as possible without endangering national security—a term regrettably all too often used as an excuse to shut them up.

BY JOHN H. BROWN

hough dissent is sometimes thought Make Love, Not War of as un-American, it dates back to Dissent tends to reflect unique personal experiences. In my the very founding of our country. own case, the influence of my father, John L. Brown, a diplo- As President Dwight Eisenhower mat and poet during the anti-establishment spirit of the 1960s, observed, “Here in America we are shaped my eventual decision to leave the Foreign Service in descended in blood and in spirit from 2003. revolutionists and rebels—men and His career with the U.S. Information Agency (1950-1968) women who dare to dissent from molded how I saw the Foreign Service: as a way to share ideas accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may about America with the best and brightest in other countries we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.” and to learn more about their own language, culture and poli- TIndeed, throughout our history dissent has been seen as an tics. My father made it clear that his most important work took expression of the best of the “American mind,” the term used place outside the embassy’s walls, as he met people who were by Jefferson regarding the Declaration of Independence. Still, not everybody agrees that challenging government John H. Brown, a public diplomacy officer, joined the Foreign Service policy is laudable. Richard Perle, a cheerleader for the war in in 1981 and was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service in 1997. Iraq, once warned: “We may be so eager to protect the right He served in London, Prague, Krakow, Kiev, Belgrade, Moscow and to dissent that we lose sight of the difference between dissent Washington, D.C., before resigning in protest of the Iraq War in 2003. and subversion.” In addition to publishing John Brown’s Public Diplomacy Press and Because dissent is essentially a matter of individual choice Blog Review, he teaches a graduate-level course at Georgetown Uni- and conscience, formulating detailed standards for its applica- versity, “Propaganda and U.S. Foreign Policy: A Historical Overview,” tion within a hierarchical bureaucracy like the State Depart- and is a consultant to the Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund ment is an inherently challenging task. program.

36 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL making a difference in their societies. As my father memora- bly put it in an article about cultural diplomacy in the June 1964 issue of The Foreign Service Journal: “The [cultural affairs officer] soon comes to realize that his job is really a form of lovemaking, and that making love is never really successful unless both part- ners are participating.” His diplomatic career was not one long love-in, however. In a recent article for the Jour- nal of Belgian History (“Taking off the Soft Power Lens: The United States Information Service in Cold War Belgium, Because dissent is essentially a matter 1950-1958”), Frank Gerits

recalls that while my father of individual choice and conscience, iStockphoto.com/Ayzek was posted in Mexico, “a col- formulating detailed standards for league threatened to punch him on the nose.” its application within a hierarchical While I am not sure the bureaucracy like the State Department degree to which my father’s is an inherently challenging task. opposition to the Vietnam War underlay his decision to leave the Foreign Service in 1968, I know he was glad to return to toward the United States anywhere. academic life. As a press and cultural officer involved in arranging For most of my own time in the Foreign Service (1981- official media and social events, I felt my priority was not to 2003), I enjoyed my work and had no intention of leaving. It debate the intricacies of policy but—aside from carrying out certainly helped that most of the countries where I served, public diplomacy programs and staying in touch with local mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, had populations that contacts—to get the logistical details right: making sure micro- were generally pro-American despite their leaders’ constant phones for press conferences worked, providing timely tran- criticism of the United States. scripts of statements by U.S. officials, having the right people True, the degree of admiration varied from country to on the guest list for a lunch at the ambassador’s residence, and country during that period. In Poland and Czechoslovakia, so forth. Not glamorous work, to be sure, but satisfying. many people saw America as a kind of paradise—the exact I should note that I had few, if any, moral qualms about opposite of the they despised. The Federal exercising “message control” while serving overseas. I did my Republic of Yugoslavia, where I served from 1993 to 1995 best to present American policy to local newspapers, radio (even though the United States did not officially recognize its and television as rapidly and coherently as possible, and did government), and the Russian Federation, where I was cultural not feel it was appropriate for mission personnel to volunteer affairs officer in Moscow from 1998 to 2001, were less positive their personal opinions about policy with local media—either about Washington. But as a rule, I seldom faced open hostility off or on the record.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 37 While I was handling media matters for Embassy Belgrade I was sad to abandon a profession I loved, but relieved no during the delicate negotiations leading up to the 1995 Dayton longer to be part of an unjustified, and unexplained, military Peace Accords, I was keenly aware that a single misspo- adventure that was a catastrophe for the U.S. and its public ken, “leaked” word, especially if attributed to anyone in the diplomacy. embassy, could derail the fragile, unofficial agreements being reached behind closed doors. The mission had to speak with Dissent from Policy one official voice. Let me now turn to the perplexing question of deciding Throughout my career I agreed wholeheartedly with this how and when to dissent from policy, while staying within view, even though I know it sounds rather doctrinaire now, in the system. Perhaps the best way for me to provide a tentative the age of Twitter. answer is to cite my May 2012 review (in the online journal American Diplomacy) of The Seeds of Dissent Hannah Gurman’s The In 2001, I returned to Throughout my 22-year Dissent Papers: The Voices Washington as a faculty of Diplomats in the Cold adviser at Georgetown Foreign Service career, I did War and Beyond (Columbia University, where I taught my best to present American University Press, 2012). courses on public and cul- policy accurately to local media, The key point of this tural diplomacy. Suddenly, scholar’s monograph, after many years overseas whether I agreed with it or not. which is well-researched engaged in work that took and largely devoid of far more than eight hours a academic jargon, is that the day, I again had time to read in depth and reflect on the role of “voices” of dissenting U.S. diplomats, expressed by the written America—and its diplomats—in the new, post-Cold War world word, have been all too often ignored or dismissed by formula- of the 21st century. tors of foreign policy in the nation’s capital, to the detriment of In preparation for my courses, I came across a passage from America’s national interests. Jacques Ellul’s 1973 book, Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s The individuals on Gurman’s roster of Foggy Bottom nay- Attitudes. It reminded me of the dangers of a “public diplo- sayers share some characteristics. First, in an often isolation- mat” becoming a crude propagandist: ist country marked by a “long history of antipathy toward “Even in the actual contact of human relations, at meet- traditional diplomacy,” these dissenting diplomats, like their ings, in door-to-door visits, the propagandist is…nothing more conformist State Department colleagues, were the object else and nothing more than a representative of the organiza- of hostility from the White House and Congress. tion—or, rather, a delegated fraction of it. ... His words are Second, the dissidents were paid by an organization that no longer human words but technically calculated words. did not, as a rule, encourage dissent or independent thinking. ... In the very act of pretending to speak as man to man, the In the United States, dissenting diplomats—when no longer propagandist is reaching the summit of his mendacity and numbered among those in seats of power—are, as Gurman falsifications.” puts it, “transformed from false prophets of the U.S. foreign The more I learned about President George W. Bush’s plans policy establishment into true prophets of the nation’s foreign regarding Iraq, the more I was appalled. His administration policy.” failed to explain why the United States was invading a Middle Also worth pointing out: The subjects of Gurman’s study, Eastern nation that, no matter how despicable its regime, had as she notes, were “not necessarily and absolutely wise.” never attacked us. More important, from her perspective, the dissenters can’t The whole enterprise seemed senseless to me—as it did, be reduced to modern-day successors of John the Baptist, I believe, to most of the world. So I left the Foreign Service preaching in the wilderness. Rather, they were skeptical about shortly before the March 2003 invasion, and set forth my rea- “the predictability of foreign affairs and about the possibility of sons in an e-mail to Secretary of State Colin Powell that I later knowledge more generally.” shared with the media. I also agree with Gurman’s view that the State Depart-

38 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL I was sad to abandon a profession I loved, but relieved no longer to be part of a military adventure that was a catastrophe for the U.S. and its public diplomacy.

ment Dissent Channel is basically a fraud. As she states, “The mechanism does more to pacify than empower dissenters.”

Dissent as Steam Valve Gurman cites a group of reformers during the 1980s, known as “the Sages,” who declared that the channel was “merely a management tool for letting the system vent bottled-up pres- sures...without affording these dissenting voices a real impact on policy.” “The metaphor of a steam valve,” Gurman adds, “is apt. The system will allow internal dissenters to let off steam, provided that it doesn’t seep out of Foggy Bottom.” I thought that resignation, rather than going through the Dissent Channel, was the most effective way to publicize my dissent and give it an impact—not only within State but, more Moving? importantly, throughout the world. Ten years on, I still think that leaving the Foreign Service was the best way to express my dissent in a significant way. Take AFSA With You! I’d like to close with two thoughts. First, let me express my admiration for former FSO Peter Van Buren, whose blog— Change your address online, named for his 2011 book, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose visit us at www.afsa.org/address_change.aspx the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People—docu- Or ments his struggle with the State Department over his use of Send change of address to: the Internet to express his personal opinions. Unlike me, he AFSA Membership Department did not resign from the Service, but instead challenged the 2101 E Street NW department’s procedures for dealing with social media. He Washington, DC 20037 deserves praise for this. Second, I would note that deciding how “free” diplomats should be in sharing their personal views on foreign policy questions in cyberspace is a thorny issue (which the must-read blog DiploPundit deals with superbly). Though it has legal implications that exceed my competence to evaluate profes- sionally, I think all government employees should be allowed to speak their minds as openly as possible without endanger- ing national security—a term regrettably all too often used as an excuse to shut them up. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 39 FOCUS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

LOYALTY: THE HALLMARK OF THE PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMAT

Once a final decision is made by our iplomatic literature—from political masters, it is the responsibility Machiavelli’s advice to his prince to that of contemporary ambas- of the professional diplomat to execute sadors recounting their experi- it—or step aside and let another do so. ences for the benefit of new Foreign Service officers—doesn’t BY ROBERT WILLIAM DRY spell out codes of conduct for practitioners. But such sources do offer valuable insights into the attributes of the ideal diplomat. DA common theme in the literature is that the purpose of a diplomat is to pursue, with every fiber of his or her being, “the national interest.” Defining that term can be tricky, it is safe to say. But particularly for any diplomat serving at an embassy or consulate (as opposed to those based at international or intergovernmental organizations), veering from the official policy of their countries continues to be the equivalent of pro- fessional suicide. (However, I certainly do not mean to suggest that sending an appropriate, constructive Dissent Channel message is a bad idea.) I offer the following reflections on loyalty in diplomacy,

Robert William Dry, an FSO from 1981 to 2010, serves on AFSA’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and at New York University’s Wilf Family Department of Politics.

40 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL which I consider valid for American diplomats of any rank. mats work to advance issues for the greater good—even if they After all, every member of the Foreign Service takes the same encroach on their respective countries’ sovereignty. oath, works together toward a common goal and is subject to the same high expectation of trustworthiness. Loyalty to the International System Although “My country, right or wrong” has been the Loyalty to Country watchword of the professional diplomat ever since the era of Kishan Rana, a retired Indian ambassador, is a prolific Richelieu, it may no longer have the same resonance in some author of books about diplomacy. His considerable diplomatic countries. For instance, while the authors of most of the essays experience includes stints in the United States, where he had Martin Florian Herz has compiled in The Modern Ambassador: a chance to observe not only American diplomats, but also The Challenge and the Search (Georgetown University Press, Americans and their culture. He now serves on the faculty 1983) seem to subscribe to a strict interpretation of loyalty, of DiploFoundation, a European-based institute devoted to Hideo Kitahara, a former Japanese ambassador, has this to say: teaching diplomatic skills. “Ambassadors [i.e., diplomats] must certainly strive to pro- Rana includes a short segment on ethics in his book, The mote their country’s national interests, but should not follow 21st-Century Ambassador: A Practitioner’s Guide (Bloomsbury narrowly nationalistic impulses to which people are subject Academic, 2011). In it, he approvingly quotes Sir Harold Nicol- who have not made international relations their career. A good son’s classic 1939 work, Diplomacy: ambassador must be a patriot—that goes without saying; but “The professional diplomatist is governed by several dif- he must always bear in mind that every country is part of an ferent, and at times conflicting, loyalties. He owes a loyalty to international system, and that the future of the world depends his own sovereign, government minister and foreign office; he on at least a tolerably good functioning of that system.” owes loyalty to his own staff; he owes a form of loyalty to the Kitahara arrives at that conclusion after describing how diplomatic body in the capital where he resides; he owes loy- during his own lifetime the world had changed dramatically, alty to the local expatriate community and to its commercial requiring diplomacy to adapt. For that reason, he identifies the interests; and he owes another form of loyalty to the govern- key attribute of an ambassador as “broadmindedness,” which ment to which he is accredited and to the minister with whom he defines as the ability to appreciate cultural diversity and to he negotiates.” use it to suggest effective approaches for attaining diplomatic In Rana’s view, such ties should be considered the “profes- objectives.

The issue of loyalty to one’s own values can be particularly challenging for diplomats.

sional obligations” of any diplomat, which do not rise to the In other words, Kitahara is of the school that sees modern level of loyalties. Still, he acknowledges, ambiguity about these ambassadors as being part of the policymaking process, not differences can arise when a diplomat works for an epistemic merely executing directives. community like the United Nations or other multilateral and intergovernmental bodies—that is, a transnational network of Loyalty to the Sovereign knowledge-based experts who help decision-makers define Many of the essays in The Modern Ambassador discuss the the problems they face, identify various policy solutions and perennial question of the loyalty of diplomats to their own assess the policy outcomes. governments. This has been a large issue in the United States He cites the cases of national diplomats working to pro- from its earliest days. Politicians often look askance at our mote the European Union or negotiating binding, multilateral diplomatic corps, somehow deeming Foreign Service person- environmental agreements. In such situations, he notes, diplo- nel “unpatriotic” when they advise new administrations about

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 41 Secretary of State John Foster Dulles asked Foreign Service personnel to exercise not merely loyalty to the new administration, but “positive loyalty.”

how foreign governments might react to U.S. positions. can’t, they must resign. In my experience, noncompliance In my own A-100 course, back in 1981, I remember a White with settled administration policy is rare.” House political appointee lecturing us on this very issue. He He then hammers this point home: “The claim that politi- said something like, “You Foreign Service people are great at cos are more reliable than professionals is not only self-serv- telling us what another country thinks about our policies, but ing. It is unfair, unfounded in fact and an insult to the Foreign you are terrible at selling our policies abroad.” Service. The career Foreign Service is professionally commit- In his foreword to The Modern Ambassador, Dean Krogh ted to president and country.” of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service observes: “New administrations frequently distrust the professionals in foreign Loyalty to Oneself affairs whom they have inherited to carry forward the new The issue of loyalty to one’s own values can be particularly policies that they wish to institute.” By way of example, Krogh challenging for diplomats. Some individuals may rationalize mentions that Secretary of State John Foster Dulles asked that if their country asks them to do something, their job is Foreign Service personnel to exercise not merely loyalty to the to do it—no questions asked. But for others, it can be simply new administration, but “positive loyalty.” impossible to reconcile their own views with those of the state. Krogh adds: “It is natural that every new government Humans have consciences; states do not. should seek, among the professionals it inherits and among Mindful of this balancing act, AFSA recognizes “construc- people outside, individuals who it believes will be particularly tive dissent” by FSOs through four annual awards. In addition, attuned to the new policy approaches and with whom it thus the State Department offers a Dissent Channel, to which offi- feels especially comfortable.” But he contrasts this with the cers occasionally resort to generate greater scrutiny of policy situation found in many other foreign ministries: “While most issues. This mechanism not only gives a voice to those seeking other countries have found their bureaucracies quite adapt- high-level review of their individual perspectives, but protects able, in the United States it usually takes a long time before them from retribution for doing so. incoming administrations discover that most professionals do However, if such a review fails to budge the system from not wear ideological blinders.” its previous position, as often happens, the dissenter (a most A forceful and articulate advocate for a professional Foreign pejorative term, it seems to me) is left with only two options: Service with fewer high-ranking political-appointee ambas- accepting the policy as is, or leaving the position that would sadors, Ambassador Malcolm Toon also contributed an essay require implementation of the policy. to The Modern Ambassador. In it, he, too, challenges the claim Three Foreign Service officers who used the Dissent Chan- that political appointees are more reliable implementers of nel to oppose the later resigned from the policy than Foreign Service professionals. Service. (All three have contributed articles to this issue of the Toon argues that when the State Department appears to Journal.) One of them, John Brady Kiesling, sent his letter of work at cross purposes with the White House, it is not an resignation, addressed to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, attempt to frustrate the latter’s policies. Rather, “A Foreign to the New York Times. In it, he argued he had a duty to dis- Service officer has an intellectual obligation to fight within sent. the inner councils of government for policies he believes to be Reflecting on that decision in Diplomacy Lessons: Realism right, even if his recommendations go counter to the adminis- for an Unloved Superpower (Potomac Books, 2007), Kiesling tration’s views.” quotes from his letter: “The policies we are now asked to But once the president makes a policy decision, Toon avers, advance are incompatible not only with American values, but “all Foreign Service officers must comply. If they feel they also American interests.” He added that he was “resigning

42 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The purpose of a diplomat is to pursue, with every fiber of his or her being, “the national interest.”

because I have tried and failed to reconcile my conscience Those of us in the Foreign Service will be well advised to with my ability to represent the current U.S. administration.” bear in mind that the view from the field and the view back at headquarters are often sharply different, as are the priorities To Thine Own Self Be True at each end. Indeed, the diplomat’s dilemma is that no matter In Positive Diplomacy (St. Martin’s Press, 1997), a former how well he or she knows the host country and what policies British diplomat, Sir Peter Marshall, offers useful advice for all make sense in that environment, the same is not necessarily aspiring diplomats. It is worth quoting the passage at length: true for what is going on back in Washington. “Polonius is not generally regarded as the hero of Shake- For that reason (among others), as Malcolm Toon rightly speare’s ‘Hamlet.’ But the ‘few precepts’ which he offered to points out, once a final decision is made by our political his departing son Laertes bear examination. Their peroration masters, it is the responsibility of the professional diplomat to is comprehensive: ‘This above all, to thine own self be true, execute it—or step aside and let another do so. n and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.’ There is no better watchword for a diplomat. Being true to one’s self is the guarantee of integrity which validates and enhances one’s powers of advocacy. It is the characteristic which in the end carries most weight.” Association for Diplomatic Marshall continues: “Earlier in these lectures I referred to the tendency of experts on diplomacy to draw up long and Studies and Training (ADST) narcissistic lists of the essential qualities of diplomats. These Got an interesting story to tell? lists can be usefully pruned. But there is one quality which Want to read one? cannot be omitted: integrity. It has been rightly said that there is no greater diplomatic asset available to a government than The Association for the ‘word of an honest man’ (or woman). Diplomatic Studies and Training is a non-gov- “‘Word’ does not signify simply the utterances of the ernmental, nonprofit organi- speaker. It also includes the character and commitment which zation located at the State lie behind them. The whole is greater than the sum of the Department’s Foreign Service parts. ‘Word’ expresses the great sum of human aspiration and Institute. Founded in 1986, effort. In our profession it is harnessed to the world’s greatest ADST advances understand- task: building a just, prosperous and sustainable peace.” ing of American diplomacy and supports training of foreign affairs personnel. We sponsor a publishing program and The Diplomat’s Dilemma our collection of more than 1800 oral history interviews During my Foreign Service career, I never saw a colleague includes such fascinating interviewees as Prudence take an action or argue a point to a foreign government that Bushnell, , and Kathleen Turner. was out of line with administration policy. But time and again Excerpts from the collection highlight the monumental, the horrifying, the thought-provoking, and the absurd. I have witnessed Foreign Service personnel challenge policies They reflect the reality of diplomacy, warts and all, mak- as they are being formulated in the corridors of Washington, ing them a great resource for foreign affairs profession- either via cables or secure phone lines. I cannot help but als, scholars, journalists, and anyone else who likes a consider such acts to be signs of a healthy, indeed vibrant, great read. Check us out at www.adst.org. national diplomatic institution.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 43 FEATURE FS HERITAGE

LUCILE ATCHERSON CURTIS: THE FIRST FEMALE U.S. DIPLOMAT

In 1922, the first female permitted to s late as 1924, State Department take the Foreign Service exam passed officials charged with recruiting, with the third-highest score that year. examining and evaluating appli- cants to the U.S. Foreign Service But it was only the first of many remained convinced that women hurdles she faced. were “not fitted to discharge the exacting and peculiar duties of a BY MOLLY M. WOOD Foreign Service officer.” While the State Department had, for several decades, employed women in clerical positions “with great Asuccess,” its leadership had nonetheless concluded that they were unsuited for professional diplomatic or consular work. After the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote in 1920, however, women’s groups began lob- bying actively in Washington for greater access to government positions. On a case-by-case basis, State Department officials allowed a small number of women to take the Foreign Service examination. Lucile Atcherson was the first to pass both the written and oral exams. On Dec. 5, 1922, the U.S. Senate confirmed her appointment, and she was assigned to the State Department’s Latin American Division in Washington, D.C.

Early Life, Education and Woman Suffrage Atcherson was born in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 11, 1894. She attended the prestigious Columbus School for Girls and finished her course of study at the age of 14. One of the head- mistresses at the Columbus School suggested that she attend

44 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Smith College. It was expensive for the family, and a long way from home, but her parents accepted the recommendation. Thinking back on those years, Atcherson, who was consid- erably younger than most of the other students, recalled being homesick much of the time, but also felt that the experience at Smith “opened, in a new way,” the world to her. There she studied economics, French, German, Latin, political science and sociology, among other subjects. After graduating in 1913, at age 19, she returned to her family home in Columbus, admitting, “I didn’t know what in the world I was going to do.” Initially she considered nursing, but her father insisted that she was still too young to attend nursing school. Then, shortly after her return to Columbus, she received a call from the wife of an Oberlin College professor, Mrs. Albert S. Wolfe. Wolfe was working with other local women for woman suffrage, and had co-founded the Franklin County (Ohio) Woman Suffrage Organization. The established women of the Franklin County organiza- tion were on the lookout for younger women to engage in their work. Seeing a notice in the newspaper about Atcherson’s recent graduation from Smith College, they surmised that she might be looking for something to do. Atcherson had been exposed to the woman suffrage movement while at Smith,

though she had not been especially active. However, she Division and Photographs Prints Congress of Library agreed to volunteer at the Suffrage Association in Columbus in Lucile Atcherson, the first female FSO, December 1922. the summer of 1913. Some of the contacts she made there would aid her War in Europe immensely when she began lobbying for a Foreign Service Frederick W. Atcherson tolerated his daughter’s work for appointment in the early 1920s. She later observed of her the suffrage organization, up to a point. But when he con- suffrage work that she had appreciated being in all “kinds of cluded that she was becoming too involved, he decided to circles where there are all kinds of women.” Like so many of distract her by arranging a five-month European tour for Atch- her peers, Atcherson benefitted from extensive woman-to- erson and her mother, even though it was a financial strain for woman networking. the family. Her father’s strategy backfired, however. Not only

Molly M. Wood is a professor of history at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and a past president of the Ohio Academy of History. Her many articles about the history of the U.S. Foreign Service include “Diplomacy and Gossip: Information-Gathering in the U.S. Foreign Service, 1900-1940,” which will be published in the forthcoming book, When Private Talk Goes Public: Gossip in United States History; and “‘Commanding Beauty’ and ‘Gentle Charm’: American Women and Gender in the Early Twentieth Century Foreign Service”(Diplomatic History, June 2007). Her article in the June 2005 issue of the Journal of Women’s History, “Diplomatic Wives: The Politics of Domesticity and ‘the Social Game’ in the U.S. Foreign Service, 1905-1941,” was reprinted in 2007 in Ten Best American History Essays. She is currently completing a book manuscript, The Women and Men of the U.S. Foreign Service, 1890-1940: A Social and Cultural History of Diplomatic Representation. This article is based on the recently opened Lucile Atcherson Curtis Papers at The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America in the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, . A Schlesinger Library Research Grant funded her initial research in this collection, and she wishes to acknowledge the Schlesinger Library for permission to quote from those papers.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 45 Working with officers at women, and it had become monotonous for Atcherson. The ACDF would continue working in France until 1923; but by 1921, the U.S. consulate in Paris, she had become restless again, wondering what to do next. She Atcherson wondered: resigned from the ACDF in May 1921, and sailed for home. “What are these young men Joining the Foreign Service doing that I couldn’t do?” The 19th Amendment had been ratified in 1920, so there was no suffrage job waiting for Atcherson back in Columbus. She later remarked of this time in her life: “I knew I was going to want a job one of these days, and what would I ever find, in the first did she resume her work with the Franklin County Suffrage place, that was as exciting as the Nineteenth Amendment had Association in the spring of 1914, this time as a paid employee been. … I was looking for a place to land.” and organizer, but she began looking for another opportunity to Atcherson had been giving her future much thought, so leave home to travel overseas. when she returned to the United States, she went directly to After World War I broke out, American women began Washington, D.C., to look up some of the men she had met and spearheading ever-growing numbers of relief organizations for worked with while in Paris, including some young officers at the European refugees. Atcherson saw in this work a way to return American consulate. They had socialized as part of the American to Europe, and to do something useful. Through a connection wartime expatriate community, and often worked together on with the rector of a local church, she made contact with Anne issues concerning war relief and recovery. (Atcherson apparently Morgan, daughter of financier J.P. Morgan, and others who had lent her typewriter for their use since it was in better shape than formed the American Fund for French Wounded, headquartered the one at the consulate.) She wondered, “What are these young in . men doing that I couldn’t do?” Both Atcherson and her mother became involved with AFFW In the meantime, rumors had begun circulating that the newly duties in Columbus, and Atcherson eventually traveled to New appointed American ambassador to Paris, fellow Ohioan Myron York to meet Morgan. In 1917, Morgan sent her to France, cover- Herrick, was going to ask Atcherson to be his private secretary, or ing all her expenses, to take on additional responsibilities near that he would personally arrange for her to be appointed to the the war zone. American embassy in Paris. Atcherson later insisted that “I was There Atcherson worked for a year with Morgan and others never going to be anybody’s private secretary.” at the village of Blérancourt, where the AFFW had established Instead, she pursued her contacts at the State Department, an outpost for civilian and refugee relief. She was in charge of calling on several of her friends from Paris, including Tracy Lay organizing the donations coming from the United States and and DeWitt Poole, to see what they might think about her “doing then readying them for redistribution to the locals and refugees the kind of job they were doing.” Lay explained the Foreign who streamed into the area. Service examination process to her and told her that she would After a year at Blérancourt, Anne Morgan split from the AFFW have to study international law, world history and two languages to form a new organization, the American Committee for a Dev- to pass the tests. He recommended some books for her to use to astated France. Atcherson chose to go with Morgan to the new study and advised her to go to a university history department organization, and Morgan sent her to the ACDF Paris Depot, for further resources and instruction. where she worked more directly with organizing the many vol- While in Washington, she also went to see some of her former unteers who came through Paris to work. “I dealt with people,” contacts from her suffrage work, including the influential Ohio she later recalled. “I got to love that job; it was really fascinating. native and activist Harriet Taylor Upton. Upton was acting as an I saw all the new workers.” adviser to President Warren G. Harding on matters relating to Atcherson thrived on her new level of responsibility. “Being women, now recognized as a potentially powerful new voting in charge of one branch of the organization,” she wrote to her bloc. mother, “had made me want to make good more than ever, and When Atcherson told her about the Foreign Service, an I am trying just as hard as I can.” By 1921, however, the recon- incredulous Upton asked: “You said there’s never been a woman struction work was starting to wind down for the American in that Service?” Atcherson replied: “No, there’s never been one.”

46 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Upton said: “Oh, that’s not a bad idea.” Upton indicated that she By early 1924, Atcherson was would support Atcherson’s efforts to find out more about the process of appointment and would speak with the president frustrated enough to decide about it. that if the department refused Atcherson, meanwhile, had officially contacted the State Department, and received permission to take the 1922 Foreign to assign her overseas, she Service exam. She tried to enroll in a well-known “cram course” “wasn’t going to wait forever.” for applicants in the Washington area. The instructor initially refused to enroll a woman in his class, but agreed to take her on as a private student. While Atcherson prepared for the rigorous exam, others lob- purposes of study, for art, music and so on.” bied on her behalf. Letters poured in to the White House and to As an example she cited the “twelve hundred women [who] Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes from women’s groups visit Paris each year,” whose problems “could be much better all over the country. Both Harding and Hughes, attuned to these handled by a woman at the embassy.” For instance, she said, appeals, generally conceded that women should be considered “Very frequently, women present themselves at the embassy eligible for the Service, but Atcherson would have to show her- door with problems for whose solution they wish the advice of self capable of passing the examination in order to be considered another woman. They don’t want to tell their troubles to a man, for appointment. however sympathetic and capable he may be.” She believed it When she passed—with the third-highest score that year— should be “natural” that female diplomats would “assist in col- the U.S. Senate moved quickly to confirm her appointment as a lecting, writing up and transmitting to the authorities in Wash- Foreign Service officer, Class VIII. An eager Atcherson immedi- ington” information about legislation “concerning the welfare of ately traveled to Washington, D.C., to take up the appointment. women and children” in foreign countries. She later characterized her reception by officials at the State Still, she waited for an overseas assignment. When asked Department: “They were suave, courtly, courteous, pleasant and later about this difficult time, Atcherson was both diplomatic and agreeable, but absolutely devastated that this woman had turned reflective about her male colleagues. “They were perhaps a little up so fast.” short-sighted,” she acknowledged; yet, “these were not unkind, Atcherson went to work in the Division of Latin American ungenerous men.” Instead, she concluded, “they lacked imagina- Affairs, where she did research for the head of the division, Dana tion about where women could be.” Finally, the newly formed Munro, who was writing a book on Central America. When her Foreign Service Personnel Board settled on an appointment for work for Munro ended, more time passed with no word of an Atcherson, to Bern, Switzerland, where officials concluded that assignment to the field, and she began to feel adrift, consigned to “women are most active outside the home” and therefore “the the “off jobs” while languishing in the halls of the State Depart- [female] official might attract no particular notice.” ment instead of working at an overseas mission. Others who had That appointment was made, however, over the strenuous passed the 1922 exams were receiving their postings to the field, objections of the American minister, career diplomat Hugh and by early 1924, Atcherson was frustrated enough to decide Gibson. Gibson worried about how a woman would handle the that if the department refused to assign her overseas, she “wasn’t “personal contact” work of “diplomatic protocol” and the work going to wait forever.” She would resign. that depended on “what they do when out of the office” rather than “what they do at their desks.” How, he wondered, would Switzerland Atcherson compensate for being excluded from “the club life of But she did not want to give up after making it this far. She [male] secretaries,” where “friendships are made over wine and encouraged women’s groups and others to continue to pressure cigars”? the administration on her behalf, and took her case for the value , chief of the Foreign Service Personnel Board, of women diplomats to the public during numerous speaking tried to reassure his friend and colleague that Atcherson would engagements. Women, she explained, “could do much to cement undoubtedly “settle into her niche with the least possible splash, international friendship,” especially in European capitals such as and that she will probably prove to be a quiet, dignified and Paris, “where so many American women are congregated for the hard-working member of your staff.”

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 47 She encouraged women’s to her family. “I feel that now the task is almost done; a little field work, and it will be really over; for with another woman, I think groups and others to continue the department is really committed to equality of opportunity for to pressure the administration women as a policy.” Time passed pleasantly in Bern, a quiet post, and Atcherson on her behalf, and took her enjoyed a full social life and satisfactory working conditions. case for the value of women Except for occasional busy periods when everyone else was away, Atcherson spent much of her time reading French and German diplomats to the public. newspapers, reporting on local political conditions, dealing with regular passport work and taking care of routine legation corre- spondence. Grew also tried to prepare Atcherson for the assignment. When Her duties also included, as they did for any Foreign Service he met with her before she left Washington, he advised her to take officer, the “social work” associated with diplomatic representa- a chaperone with her to Bern. But Atcherson demurred: “I lived in tion: the teas, golf outings, dinners and parties, as well as calls France, most of the time in the wicked city of Paris, four-and-one- on and from colleagues at other legations, the local elite and the half years by myself. I didn’t have a chaperone there. ... You know I American expatriate community. In the midst of this social whirl, worked up at the front in France. I really think I can protect myself Atcherson met Dr. George Morris Curtis, a young surgeon from from the Swiss.” Chicago doing a two-year postgraduate medical tour of Europe Atcherson arrived in Bern in the summer of 1925 and was to observe the latest surgical techniques. By early 1927, they were welcomed at her new post. “The Swiss were very kind to me,” making plans for the future. she recalled. “They never made me feel [like] an outcast. … They treated me just like any other colleague.” Her relationship with Resignation and Marriage Gibson was cordial and professional, but mostly distant. Dur- By this time Atcherson had become increasingly frustrated ing much of her assignment in Bern, the minister was in Geneva because the Personnel Board repeatedly passed her over for attending a League of Nations disarmament conference. promotion. In 1927 the board transferred her to the U.S. legation When Gibson also required First Secretary Alan Winslow to in Panama City. By the time she sailed for Panama, Atcherson and accompany him to Geneva, Atcherson was left in charge of the Curtis had decided to marry, and she made plans for her resigna- legation. She was nervous at first, but was determined that she tion and return to the United States. She later admitted that she would “do my best not to disturb them.” She had learned that a would have liked to remain in the diplomatic service, but there previous secretary, who had been left in charge when both Win- was no way to reconcile marriage to Curtis, a surgeon in Chicago, slow and Gibson were away, had “called them for instructions and with life abroad in the Foreign Service. advice all the time and that they were bothered almost to death.” Atcherson was eager to start her new life with Curtis, but she Atcherson was determined to make a better impression. was also determined to delay her resignation until the department She developed more confidence once she observed that announced the next round of promotions. So she bided her time “the people here seemed extremely amused that I am left in in Panama for a few months. She wanted to earn the promotion charge, and rather glad, too, which I think is nice of them.” She she believed she deserved, and to show that it was possible for a also believed that the State Department’s willingness to “leave a woman to succeed in the Foreign Service. woman in charge of its affairs in Switzerland, even if only for a few Shortly after receiving the disappointing news that the Person- weeks,” only “helps to prove my own point that a woman can do nel Board had once again failed to recommend her for promotion, diplomatic work; and moreover, it proves that I can do it.” however, she submitted her resignation to the State Department Meanwhile, Atcherson received the news that a second on Sept. 19, 1927. Several weeks later, she announced her engage- woman, Pattie Field, had passed the 1925 Foreign Service exami- ment to Curtis. They were married on Jan. 16, 1928. nation, “with flying colors.” She seemed relieved that another While raising two daughters, Lucile Atcherson Curtis engaged woman would be entering the Service. “It was discouraging to in numerous philanthropic activities. The State Department hon- think that after so much effort to open the door for women in a ored her for her achievements in 1978, eight years before she died new field, none had proved herself qualified to enter,” she wrote in Columbus, Ohio, on May 9, 1986, at the age of 91. n

48 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSAFOCUS WOMEN NEWS IN SECURITYTHE AND OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATIONAFSA NEWS

Presenting the 2013 AFSA Merit Award Winners

BY LORI DEC, SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTOR CALENDAR

7/4/2013 Independence Day: AFSA Offices Closed

7/10/2013 12:00 - 2:00 PM AFSA Governing Board Meeting

7/11/2013 2:00 - 3:30 PM AFSA Book Notes: “50 Years in USAID”

7/15/2013

PHOTO BY DONNA AYERST DONNA BY PHOTO New AFSA Governing Board On May 3, local Academic Merit Award winners jump for joy after receiving their Merit Award certificates during a Assumes Office ceremony at AFSA. (L to R) Elisabeth Merten, Calder Hannan, David Ernyey, Garrett Healy, Lee-Ellen Myles, Mirelle “Mimi” Verdonk, Aubrey Wahl and David Banks. 7/24/2013 2:00 - 3:30 PM AFSA is proud to announce Lange Schermerhorn and musical arts, performing Benefits Seminar: the 21 Foreign Service high made up of individuals from arts or creative writing. Art Divorce in the Foreign Service school seniors who were the Foreign Service com- applicants were judged on selected as the winners of munity. their art submissions, two 8/7/2013 the 2013 AFSA Merit Awards This year, 67 students letters of recommendation 12:00 - 2:00 PM Competition. These one- competed for the 16 Aca- and an essay. Pallas Riedler AFSA Governing Board time-only awards, totaling demic Merit Awards. They was selected as the Art Merit Meeting $41,500, were conferred on were judged on grade point Award winner for her musical Washington, D.C.-area win- average, standardized test arts (piano) submissions. 8/28/2013 ners on May 3. AFSA con- scores, an essay, two letters Alicia De Jong and Meredith 3:00 - 4:30 PM gratulates these students for of recommendation, extra- Hilton were selected as the Annual Adair their academic and artistic curricular activities and Art Merit Honorable Mention Memorial Lecture: achievements. any special circumstances. Award winners for their visual Ambassador John Campbell Winners receive $2,000 Among the Academic Merit art submissions and creative awards and Honorable Award applicants, Brett writing submission, respec- Mention winners receive Fouss was selected as best tively. $1,000 awards. The best essay winner, and Elisabeth Nine academic merit and Priscilla Becker Family essay award winner and the Merten was selected as com- named scholarships Award; Meredith Hilton and community service award munity service winner. have been established to Lee-Ellen Myles received winner each receive $750. Sixteen students submit- date. These awards were the Carefirst BlueCross Judges are members of ted art merit applications bestowed on the highest- BlueShield Awards; Dorothy AFSA’s Scholarship Commit- under one of the following scoring students: Calder Jones and Pallas Riedler tee, chaired by Ambassador categories: visual arts, Hannan received the John Awards continued on page 55

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 49 AFSA NEWSSTATE VP VOICE | BY DANIEL HIRSCH AFSA NEWS

Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA State VP.

On Becoming Foreign Service Policymakers

Sometime in the past two will either be a Civil Service provide real developmental negotiated with AFSA have years AFSA added a dis- member who has developed counseling, while the bureau begun to reward the neces- claimer to the VP columns, a deep understanding of the assignment process focuses sary skill sets. But change stating that the views organization or government primarily on putting people will be slow, as it always is. described therein were solely through years of Washing- into positions for which they Each evaluation season, I those of the writer. I think it ton service, or it will be an are already fully qualified. am amazed by the number of fair to end my term by taking appointee who has the trust, Through a combination of FS employees who com- advantage of that disclaimer for whatever reason, of the understaffing, underfunding plain about taking time out to voice my own opinion on highest-level officials. It may and failure to recognize the of their important work to an issue other AFSA Govern- be shortsighted of the orga- need to develop leadership evaluate the performance of ing Board members have nization to put its own need skills as a key part of the FS their subordinates. I am also addressed differently. for operational effectiveness member skillset, the Foreign dismayed by the number of In my opinion, the biggest ahead of our need to develop Service (including some in courses or conferences can- impediment to a greater qualifications, but it is neither positions with the author- celed by the department due foreign policy leadership role surprising nor conspiratorial. ity to ameliorate the issues) to insufficient enrollment— for the Foreign Service is not FS members are as much to has lagged in its collective either because employees competition from the Civil blame as any other factor. responsibility to develop don't want to attend, or their Service or political appoin- Outside Influences future leaders. posts/supervisors/bureaus tees, but the shortage of FS Realistically, our own can't afford to give them the members qualified to make Certainly, outside influ- habits have worsened the time to learn something new. policy, rather than expertly ences have played their roles. problem. Many of us bid on If we don't think about our carry it out. Years of suboptimal hiring positions where we will fur- own professional develop- Our Values rates did not allow a training ther refine skills we already ment, or that of our most tal- float, while resource issues possess, and view training ented subordinates, who will? The values advanced resulted in just-in-time train- or a Washington assignment So who is really to blame if— by our meritocracy do not ing over employee develop- as a detour rather than a lacking enough FS members produce enough FS members ment. Wartime politics, par- stepping stone. We pride with the skill sets needed to with the skill sets to recog- tisan politics and the greater ourselves on the depth, formulate policy—our agency nize the larger issues for our familiarity of some members rather than the breadth, of fills vacancies with others country, define and shape of Congress with the military our subject-matter expertise. who possess those skills? those issues as “require- shifted some roles. Different We choose posts based on Honor to Serve ments” and identify—in an administrations empha- personal preference, family integrated interagency con- sized different planning or financial needs, with little It has been an honor and a text—the agents, processes tools, which affected the thought to whether they will privilege serving the Foreign and resources necessary to way some FS members view teach us the skills we will Service for the past 30 years, meet those requirements. planning in general. And for need to climb the ladder and and as your AFSA State vice We must be as knowledge- the past decade, the needs assume leadership roles. president for the past four able about our government's of Afghanistan, Iraq and Significant Strides years. It is my most fervent policymaking structure as Pakistan have forced many hope that the next AFSA we are about foreign affairs, upper and upper-mid-level FS The good news is that Governing Board will focus, the issue of the day or the members to focus on issues things have begun to change. as I have tried to do, on ways cultural fine points of our other than their own profes- With AFSA’s support, the to make FS members better country of assignment. sional development. department has made signifi- supervisors, managers, plan- When there are not Assignment Process cant strides in offering train- ners and leaders. We have the enough FS members to ing in leadership, supervision other skills covered. n do those things, someone Career development offi- and personnel development. else has to do them. That cers are frequently unable to The promotion precepts

50 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL RETIREE VP VOICE | BY MEG GILROY AFSA NEWS

Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA Retiree VP.

Déjà Vu All Over Again Results of AFSA’s 2013-2015

To be perfectly honest, when AFSA members virtually— Governing Board Election I retired at the end of 2009, particularly those who offer service on the AFSA Govern- their time and consider- The AFSA Committee on Elections is pleased to announce ing Board was not among the able energies to organiz- the results of the 2013-2015 AFSA Governing Board top 10 things to be accom- ing regional foreign affairs election. plished in the coming years. groups and promoting the Reflecting on my tenure, first Foreign Service far outside Board Officer Positions as an appointed, and later the Beltway. as an elected member of the My moments of frustra- President: Robert Silverman Governing Board, I realize tion have come from an Treasurer: Charles A. Ford how rich and rewarding—and overwhelming sense of “déjà Secretary: Robert F. Ritchie frustrating—the past three vu all over again.” Reading Retiree Vice President: Lawrence Cohen years have been. the farewell columns of my State Vice President: Matthew Asada It has been an honor to distinguished predecessors, USAID Vice President: Sharon Wayne work with my Foreign Service Bob Houdek and Bill Farrand FCS Vice President: Steve Morrison colleagues on the board, the (and, I suspect, the distin- FAS Vice President: David Mergen Professionalism and Ethics guished predecessors of Committee, and AFSA’s pro- those fine gentlemen), I see Board Constituency Representatives fessional staff. I have learned we have been addressing the a great deal about how same issues over and over Retiree Representatives: Marshall Adair, Tex Harris, David helpful AFSA can be when for the past few years. Greenlee, Edward Marks a retiree or grieving spouse Part of this is due to of a retiree needs help with human nature: we each hear State Representatives: Clayton Bond, Everett “Alex” navigating the department’s what we want to hear; we Copher, Todd Crawford, Chuck Fee, Ken Kero-Mentz, Elise RNet or recorded telephone believe that people will act Mellinger, Nancy Rios-Brooks, Sue Saarnio, Michael D. menus. in certain ways; and find Thomas, Lillian Wahl-Tuco, David Zwach While I did not have the it hard to believe or even opportunity to travel during accept when they say or do USAID Representatives: my tenure as retiree VP, I did something that we did not Jason Singer, Second Rep to be determined get to know many retired expect. n FCS Representative: Barbara Lapini

FAS Representative: Rachel Nelson

Full Coverage of AFSA’s IBB Representative: Andre de Nesnera

Dissent and Performance APHIS Representative: No eligible write-ins. The new Governing Board will appoint an eligible APHIS Awards Will Appear in the Representative. September Issue of Congratulations to all those who were elected, and to those The Foreign Service who demonstrated their dedication to AFSA by declaring as candidates. n Journal

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 51 AFSA NEWS

AFSA and Santa Fe Retirees Co-Sponsor Symposium

BY PATRICIA KUSHLIS, PRESIDENT, SANTA FE WORLD AFFAIRS FORUM

On April 8 and 9, the Santa concerned about our coun- Fe World Affairs Forum’s try’s direction, activities and annual symposium explored presence abroad. “Living in Challenging Times: For the past two years, The U.S. and East Asia” at St. the Forum’s programs and John’s College in Santa Fe, symposia have been held at N. M. St. John’s College in Santa Two years ago, the Obama Fe, N. M. administration announced This year SFWAF a “pivot” or repositioning of expanded its number of military forces and diplo- cosponsoring and partner matic resources from the organizations for the sympo- Middle East to Asia. This sium, reaching beyond New represented a shift of empha- Mexico. We are most grateful sis from a troubled region ED GOFF BY PHOTO to AFSA for becoming a co- that has consumed almost University of New Mexico scholars (L to R) Joseph Giannoto, Nicholas sponsor for the first time— Padilla and Noelle Jeffrey attend the Santa Fe World Affairs Forum’s all of America’s attention for symposium, courtesy of support from AFSA. helping to cover transporta- the past decade, to the most tion for one speaker, and economically dynamic region director of the Center for bers. Its annual symposium underwriting the attendance in the world. U.S.-China Cooperation, part is open to anyone interested of three University of New Of course, the Middle of the Josef Korbel School in foreign affairs. Mexico students majoring in East will continue to con- at the University of Denver, In addition to AFSA economics or international sume American interest and addressed the topic, “A Ris- members, the nonprofit studies. resources for a variety of rea- ing China Seeking Its Rightful organization is comprised For additional information sons for some time to come, Place,” analyzing the intense of former Fulbright scholars on the Santa Fe World Affairs but U.S. neglect of the Far debate going on within and professors, Peace Corps Forum and its programs, East, and especially in light of Chinese foreign policy circles Volunteers, retired military please visit us at www.sfwaf. China’s phenomenal rise, has today. personnel, university profes- org or e-mail waforum@ begun to change. Dennis Blasko, author sors and business people, as gmail.com. n This year’s sold-out of “The Chinese Army well as other professionals event, opened by St. John’s Today: Tradition and Trans- College President Michael formation for the 21st Peters and Forum President Century,”(Routledge, 2005), FSYF Family Welcome Back Picnic Patricia Kushlis, began with then described the role of, On Sunday, Sept. 15, at an overview of the region by and funding for, the People’s 4 p.m. at Nottaway Park, William Itoh, a former U.S. Liberation Army. The sympo- Vienna, Va. The Foreign ambassador to Thailand. This sium concluded with a “last Service Youth Foundation’s was followed by a review of thoughts” overview by the picnic honors FS families U.S.-North Asian relations speakers. who are returning from presented by Chris Nelson, Now nearly a decade overseas. Make new friends,

vice president of Samuels old, SFWAF is dedicated to NEWS BRIEF connect with old friends and welcome home your International and author exploring current foreign colleagues. ALL U.S. FS families are welcome. RSVP of the widely read Nelson policy issues affecting the to [email protected] before Sept. 9. Report blog. U.S. through small-group, Professor Suisheng Zhao, expert-led sessions for mem-

52 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

BOOK NOTES PROGRAM “Master Class: Living Longer, AFSA Proudly Announces the Recipients of the Stronger and Happier” 2013 AFSA Awards BY MATTHEW SUMRAK, ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR FOR RETIREES

On May 22, the AFSA Book The Lifetime Contributions to Notes Program welcomed American Diplomacy Award author Peter Spiers and his new book, “Master Class: Liv- Ambassador George W. Landau ing Longer, Stronger and Hap- pier.” Spiers is a senior vice president at Road Scholar, SIGFÚSSON ÁSGEIR BY PHOTO CONSTRUCTIVE DISSENT (L to R) AFSA FCS VP Keith Curtis, a Boston-based nonprofit author Peter Spiers and AFSA organization dedicated to Executive Director Ian Houston at The William R. Rivkin Award educational travel. AFSA Book Notes. has offered Road Scholar such as learning a musical Theodore Lyng programs since 1996. instrument, playing tennis or His father, Ronald Spiers, volunteering. The W. Averell Harriman Award served as ambassador to Road Scholar partici- , Pakistan and the pants follow many of Spiers’ James T. Rider Bahamas. Spending his suggestions for an enriched childhood in the Foreign lifestyle, and are active in Service and the work of his communities throughout EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE parents helped to shape and the U.S. and more than 150 influence his life, Spiers told countries worldwide. They The Avis Bohlen Award the large audience gathered offer over 6,500 programs, at AFSA. with activity levels ranging Leah Evans, Embassy Kyiv So what is the secret to from easy to challenging. living longer, stronger, and Questions and comments happier? According to Spiers, from the audience reflected The Nelson B. Delavan Award the secret is having an active their excitement and motiva- lifestyle that blends moving, tion to put Spiers words into Mikkela Thompson, Embassy Dhaka thinking, socializing and cre- action. He ended his presen- ating. Through inspirational tation with one last question Runner up: stories from active seniors, for the audience, “When was supported by the latest the last time you tried some- Karen Landherr, Embassy Khartoum research in the fields of psy- thing new for the first time?” chology and neuroscience, To view the event online, “Master Class” shows how please see www.afsa.org/ The M. Juanita Guess Award to build an enriching lifestyle AFSAVideos.aspx. For more on a foundation of favorite on Road Scholar programs Elizabeth Jenkins, Embassy Caracas activities. Spiers provides and educational adventures easy-to-follow charts that see www.roadscholar.org. n and allow the reader to break out of their daily routines by fill- The next Book Notes Program will Jessica McVay, Embassy Khartoum present “50 Years in USAID” on July ing the gaps with a selection 11, 2 to 3:30 P.M. at AFSA. RSVP from 25 “master activities,” [email protected].

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 53 AFSA NEWS

AFSA Merit Award Winners

1. David Banks – son of Jared Banks 9. Natalie Hernandez – daughter (State) and Laura Banks; graduated of Mauricio Hernandez and Sally from Colonel Zadok Magruder High Sternal (State); graduated from School, Rockville, Md.; attending St. Andrew's School, Nassau, Brigham Young University, majoring Bahamas; attending the University in pre-medicine. Recognized as of Pennsylvania, majoring in the Donald S. Memorial and Maria international relations. Recognized Giuseppa Spigler Scholar. as the Joanna and Robert Martin Scholar. 2. Jacob Bills – son of Thomas Bills (State) and Rebecca Bills; graduated 10. Meredith Hilton – daughter from Jakarta International School, of Robert Hilton (State) and Olivia Jakarta, Indonesia; attending Hilton (State); graduated from 1 5 Brigham Young University, majoring the National Cathedral School for in international relations. Girls, Washington, D.C.; attending Columbia University, majoring in 3. Scott Connuck – son of Bruce physics. Recognized as a Carefirst Connuck (State) and Shirley BlueCross BlueShield Federal Connuck; graduated from George Employee Program Scholar and the Mason High School, Falls Church, AFSA Art Merit Honorable Mention Va.; attending the University of award winner for her poem, “Aisha,” Virginia, majoring in political science and short story, “Gaia.” and environmental policy. 11. Dorothy Jones – daughter 4. David Ernyey – son of Alexander of Amb.Stuart Jones (State) and Ernyey and Helen Lovejoy (State); Barbara Jones (State-Civil Service); graduated from George C. Marshall graduated from Phillips Academy High School in Falls Church, Va.; Andover, Mass.; attending Duke attending The College of William and University, majoring in chemistry. Mary, majoring in anthropology and 2 6 Recognized as the Turner C. history. Cameron Memorial Scholar. 5. Brett Fouss – son of Jamie 12. Elisabeth Merten – daughter Fouss (State) and Esmeeh Fouss; of Amb. Kenneth Merten (State) graduated from the American and Susan Merten; graduated from International School of Dhaka, Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Bangledesh; attending Tufts Va.; attending the University of University, majoring in international Virginia, majoring in public policy. relations. Recognized as the Joanna Recognized as the John C. Leary and Robert Martin Scholar and Memorial Scholar and AFSA’s AFSA’s “Best Essay Award” winner Community Service Award winner. for “Some Nails, Some Tape.” See page 56. 13. Lee-Ellen Myles – daughter of Stanley Myles (State) and Amb. 6. Phoebe Galt – daughter of Marianne Myles (State); graduated Jennifer Galt (State) and Frederick from Poolesville High School, Galt ; graduated from the American 3 7 Poolesville, Md.; attending the International School of Guangzhou, University of Maryland, College Park, China; attending The College of major undeclared. Recognized as William and Mary, major undeclared. a Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield 7. Calder Hannan – son of Robert Federal Employee Program Scholar. Hannan Jr. (State) and Lorrie Clark- 14. Pallas Catenella Riedler – Hannan; graduated from George daughter of Tim Riedler (USAID) Mason High School, Falls Church, and Yung Mi Choi; graduated from Va.; attending the University of Stanford University Online High Virginia, majoring in physics and School in Stanford, Calif.; attending music. Recognized as the John and Wellesley College, majoring in Priscalla Becker Family Scholar. music and English. Recognized as 8. Garrett Healy – son of Kevin the Turner C. Cameron Memorial Healy and Sarah-Ann Lynch (USAID); Scholar and the AFSA Art Merit graduated from the Winston Winner for her piano performances Churchill High School, Potomac, Md.; of Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Etude 4 8 attending the , and Beethoven’s “Pathetique” majoring in neuroscience. Sonata.

54 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

15. Tanya Smith-Sreen – daughter Art Merit Award of John Smith-Sreen (USAID) and Poonam Smith-Sreen (USAID); Honorable Award graduated from the International Winners School of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya; Alicia De Jong – daughter of attending American University, Albert De Jong (State) and Helene majoring in international service. De Jong; graduated from Lyford 16. Mireille "Mimi" Verdonk – Cay International School, Nassau, daughter of Ron Verdonk (FAS) Bahamas; attending Calvin College, and Sheri Verdonk; graduated from majoring in secondary education. Montgomery Blair High School, Meredith Hilton – see description 9 13 Silver Spring, Md.; attending the under the “AFSA Academic Merit University of Maryland, College Park, Award Winners” listing. majoring in economics.

Academic Merit Award Best Essay Award Honorable Mention Winner Award Winners Brett Fouss – see description under the “AFSA Academic Merit Award Bobby Hollingsworth – son of Louis Winners” listing. Essay on page 56. Robert Hollingsworth III (State) and Kathryn Hollingsworth; graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary Community Service School, Burke, Va.; attending Award Winner Virginia Tech, majoring in chemical 10 14 engineering. Elisabeth Merten – see description under the “AFSA Academic Merit Shannon Lee Sullivan – daughter Award Winners” listing. of Bruce Sullivan (State) and Kerryn Sullivan (State); graduated from the QSI International School of Awards Chengdu, China; attending Wellesley College, majoring in international Continued from page 49 relations. Aubrey Wahl – son of Curt Wahl received the Turner C. (State, Civil Service) and Ana Cameron Memorial Awards; Baide (State); graduated from Elisabeth Merten received Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Md.; attending Yale the John C. Leary Memo- University, majoring in engineering. rial Award; Brett Fouss and 11 15 Sally Watts – daughter of Robert Natalie Hernandez received Watts (State) and Linda Recht the Joanna and Robert (State); graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in Annandale, Martin Awards; and David Va.; attending The College of William Banks received the Don- and Mary, majoring in government ald S. Memorial and Maria and environmental policy. Giuseppa Spigler Award. For more information on Art Merit Award Winner the AFSA Merit Awards and Pallas Catenella Riedler – see this year’s winners, the AFSA description under the “AFSA Scholarship Program, or how Academic Merit Award Winners” to establish or apply for a listing. scholarship, contact Lori Dec 12 16 at (202) 944-5504, dec@ afsa.org, or visit www.afsa. org/scholar. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 55 AFSA NEWS

2013 AFSA Merit Awards: Best Essay Winner Some Nails, Some Tape BY BRETT FOUSS

A handful of nails in my stroke to pound it home. I pink, blue and yellow weaving form. The best service is mouth, I repeated to myself: worked the way the mechan- past potholes and honking done in small, specific, yet “Don’t swallow.” The last ics at the rickshaw garage horns! I see rickshaw pullers innovative ways. Like a bird thing that the rickshaw pull- had taught me: keep your as the bloodstream of Ban- escaping from a cage, the ers needed was an American ammunition in your mouth gladeshi culture, transport- final rickshaw pedaled away, kid with a punctured stom- for maximum efficiency, use ing millions around the busy carrying the last piece of ach. Carefully, I spat one nail two fingers to secure the nail city, allowing it to function. evidence of our hard work. out into my fingers, aligning and two hammer strokes to With straining backs and The next morning, the it in the upper left corner of drive it in. determined rhythm, rickshaw rickshaw-pullers awoke to the tape with one hand while My fascination with rick- pullers shuttle me home find no perfect world. I’ll gripping the hammer firmly shaws began the moment from school, their kind eyes never know how many lives in the other. I stepped out of the Dhaka and white smiles concealing our reflectors saved. But Whack! airport to meet the dizzying their hard work. Without rick- every time I see a rickshaw The nail sunk halfway into armada of traffic, people and shaws, my home would lose pass by, bearing a reflector the aluminum casing of the dust. Oh, how the colorful the perfect chaos that infects that I hammered in, I am rickshaw with a satisfying painted skeletons of the me every time I step into the reminded why service is so thud; I gave it another clean rickshaws stood out: blurs of streets. important to me. Maybe in Riding home one night, ten years, it will become stan- I felt extremely unsafe and dard practice to install reflec- PMA Funds AFSA Scholarship vulnerable to the speeding tors on rickshaws. Maybe I cars that swerved around me. did make the rickshaw pull- At night, rickshaws become ers’ jobs a little easier. Maybe completely invisible. That I did save a life or two. The night, I recognized an instant, possibility, not measurability, yet pivotal improvement to of positive change is what the safety of rickshaw pullers drives me. In the end, some and their patrons. nails and some tape can A week later, three friends make a huge difference.n and I set out into our com- munity armed with ham- mers, nails and reflective tape. The rickshaw pullers were extremely eager for us to attach reflectors to their rickshaws. As word spread, a Brett Fouss is the son of Jamie Fouss line of twenty soon formed. (State) and Esmeeh Fouss. He gradu- Working over the course of ated from the American International five trips, we attacked more School in Dhaka, Bangledesh and will be attending ,

PHOTO BY LORI DEC LORI BY PHOTO than 200 rickshaws, my ham- majoring in international relations. Ambassador Lange Schermerhorn, AFSA Scholarship Committee mer skills becoming more He is the Joanna and Robert Martin chairperson, accepts a $2,500 check from Public Members Association of adept with every one. Scholar and AFSA’s Best Essay Award the Foreign Service President Dr. Granville Sawyer Jr. AFSA will award the winner. scholarship for the 2013-2014 year to an AFSA member’s child enrolled For me, the Rickshaw in an undergraduate course of study leading to a career in the Foreign Project is service in its truest Service.

56 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

2013 George F. Kennan Award Winner

BY PERRI GREEN, COORDINATOR FOR SPECIAL AWARDS AND OUTREACH

Each year, AFSA participates sons might be learned about in the graduation ceremo- effective state-building from nies awarding the George the relatively stable Somalil- F. Kennan Strategic Writing and and more challenging Award at the National War security environment in other College at Fort Lesley J. parts of Somalia. McNair in Washington, D.C. “Drawing on the research Daniel Hirsch, AFSA Govern- and writings of Somali ing Board vice president for experts and conflict resolu- State, presented this year’s tion professionals. I argue award to Christina Higgins at that peace efforts in Somalia the ceremony on June 7. have been hindered by the

Christina, a member of insistence of the interna- COLLEGE WAR THE NATIONAL OF COURTESY PHOTO AFSA, joined the Foreign Ser- tional community to build a AFSA State VP Daniel Hirsch presents the George Kennan Writing Award to Christina Higgins, while Acting National War College Commandant vice in 1999 as a public diplo- national government before Ambassador James Foley awards the Excellence in Writing certificate. macy officer. She has served ending community-level in Angola, France, Senegal armed conflict. and Jerusalem, as well as “I recommend a greater in several human resources emphasis in policy and Amb. John Campbell to Deliver positions in Washington resources on first achiev- Adair Lecture and was the office director ing negotiated and detailed The seventh annual Caroline and Ambassador for Africa in the Bureau of cease-fire and security Charles Adair Memorial Lecture, which traditionally International Information agreements at local levels, kicks off the academic year at the American Universi- Programs. before attempting more ty’s School of International Service, will take place on Christina summed up her ambitious state-building at Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 3:00 p.m. This year’s speaker experience, “Attending the the federal level. The problem is Ambassador John Campbell. National War College this is essentially one of proper The lecture is generously funded by Marshall year has afforded me a valu- sequencing. Adair (a former AFSA president and newly-elected able opportunity to dive deep “I would like to share my NEWS BRIEF retiree rep on the AFSA Governing Board) through on national security issues. award with all my govern- a perpetual gift to the association’s Fund for Ameri- I wanted to take full advan- ment colleagues working on can Diplomacy. The lectures are designed to expose tage of the extraordinary the “New Deal” for Somalia. students to individuals who have spent their careers experience and resources May all combined efforts practicing diplomacy. to prepare for my onward indeed seize this window of Amb. Campbell is a veteran diplomat who spent assignment as Deputy Chief opportunity to bring peace much of his career in Africa. He will speak on the of Mission in Djibouti. There- and stability to the people of “Challenges Facing U.S. Diplomacy in Africa in the fore, to better understand Somalia.” New Century.” Currently the Ralph Bunche Senior the region, I wrote papers Christina is finishing her Fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on For- on Djibouti, Yemen and a training assignment as a eign Relations, he served as ambassador to Nigeria longer essay on Somali state- member of the National War from 2004 to 2007. building. College Class of 2013. She The Adair Lecture will take place at the Kaye “I am honored to have will enjoy a year with the Memorial Chapel on the AU campus. For additional been recognized by AFSA Board of Examiners before information, please contact AFSA Speakers Bureau for my thoughts on Somalia heading out to Djibouti as Director Tom Switzer at [email protected] or (202) and U.S.-Somalia policy. My Deputy Chief of Mission in 944-5501. paper explores what les- summer 2014. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 57 AFSA NEWS

THE FOREIGN SERVICE FAMILY Sponsors: Supporting New Arrivals Right from the Get-Go

BY MICHELE HOPPER

A familiar Foreign Service arriving, don’t forget the cat scenario: arriving at a litter and food. strange airport at 11 p.m. • Leave a list of phone num- with no one to pick you up; bers with yours at the top. opening the door to your Include the embassy, Post completely unfamiliar new One, health unit, local clinic, home and discovering the vet, hair salon or barber, fridge has 6 eggs, a loaf of school and motor pool. bread and a plate of brown- • Leave some delivery ies to satisfy your family of menus, invite them to your five for 24 hours; finding the home for dinner (if you are welcome kit safely packed up for it, invite a couple of in boxes at 3 a.m. after 36 others, including the AFSA post rep), or plan to take hours of travel. AYERST DONNA BY PHOTO Take the new arrivals for a walk to a local shopping street or neighborhood. It doesn’t have to be this them out. way. A good sponsor can to their queries in a timely stock in enough of the basics • Offer to keep them busy change this all too common manner with a calm and sup- (and any items your new and help them through jetlag. scenario with thoughtful portive voice. arrivals have asked for) to A walk around the neighbor- preparation. As you may have • New arrivals can be anx- last three days times the hood, a visit to the local mar- experienced, first impres- ious, so avoid sharing dirty number of people arriving. ket, shopping mall, or school sions of your new home and laundry, spreading rumors or This is important. Food is helps them to get their bear- ideas about the community bemoaning something that a stressor when there isn’t ings, with the added benefit are made in the wee hours is out of anyone’s control. Be enough to tame a jetlagged of keeping them awake. after landing. blunt about the air pollu- starving toddler, teenager • And lastly, consider arrival • The most important first tion, and suggest ways to or adult! A good lasagna day. Will they arrive a day step: volunteer to sponsor. deal with it. Be fair about the or other prepared meal is before a long weekend when If you have been at post 6 crazy drivers, while giving always appreciated (ask if the city shuts down? Would months or more, you are tips on how best to man- anyone has food allergies). they appreciate some DVDs, ready to share the knowledge age the roads. Temper your It is not your job to foot books or board games? you have gained about your suggestions with reasonable the food bill, so be sure to Yes, it takes a little time post. Sponsor a new arrival expectations and refrain from discuss repayment or if they to be a sponsor, but don’t be that matches your family using the words “always, want to set an expenditure daunted. A good sponsor can dynamic or someone who will never, everyone, or no one.” limit before buying anything help to ease arrivals into their live near you—both options • Offer any assistance you on their behalf. new surroundings and create have benefits. can from post. Do they have • Do a walk-through of a positive first impression, • Once you know who you something they’d like to send their new home a day or something every post can be will be sponsoring, reach out ahead? Kids especially love two before they arrive. Do proud of. n to them right away, provid- to find familiar toys or snacks the keys work? Is the water ing them with your personal waiting in a new home. Keep distiller working? Does the Michele Hopper, an Army brat and FS spouse, has served in sponsorship in the back of alarm function? Ensure e-mail address. Answer their the Philippines, Togo, India and questions, but also ask them your mind during your regu- that the welcome kit is fully currently Jordan. Mom to four and about any needs or special lar errands, especially at the unpacked and ready for use, co-community liaison officer at post, grocery store. the beds are made and sup- she understands the importance of circumstances. Offer support having—and being—a great sponsor. right from the get-go. Reply • Speaking of groceries, plies are laid in. If a pet will be

58 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

FSYF 2013 Contest and Award Winners

Every year, the Foreign Ser- senting FSYF selects the win- 9 to 12 years-old High School vice Youth Foundation orga- ners, and corporate sponsors 1st place: Ethan Banerjee 1st place: Ashley Wee Miller nizes several contests for provide the prize money. 2nd place: Caitlin Chaisson 2nd place: Andrea Salazar Foreign Service youth of all 3rd place: Emily Rose Allen 3rd place: Natalie Hernandez ages. Internationally mobile FSYF COMMUNITY kids and teens—otherwise SERVICE AWARD 13 to 18 years-old KID VID CONTEST known as Global Nomads or Jonathan Schwan 1st place: Helen Reynolds 1st Place (tie): Baku and Third Culture Kids—have a Emily Larsen 2nd place: Avery Coble Maputo unique perspective on the 3rd place: Emily Williams 2nd Place (tie): Shenyang world around them. FSYF ART and Kuala Lumpur The contests offer FS CONTEST FSYF ESSAY 3rd Place: Frankfurt youth an opportunity to 5 to 8 years-old CONTEST share their talents and 1st place: Sabra Elizabeth Middle School Winners will be honored express themselves as art- Goveia 1st place: Krishna Srini at FSYF’s Youth Awards ists, writers, videographers 2nd place: Melody Reynolds 2nd place: Dhara Srini Ceremony on July 19 at AFSA and global citizens. 3rd place: Sophie Nave 3rd place: Thomas Green Headquarters, 2101 E St., A panel of judges repre- NW, Washington, D.C.

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THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 59 AFSA NEWS

New Legislative Assistant Joins AFSA Staff

AFSA welcomes David N. Murimi as AFSA our new legislative assistant. As part of the advocacy department, David has hit the ground running, taking Proudly Salutes Our part in meetings with Senate staff. David graduated from Louisiana Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Tech University in 2007. He followed NEWS BRIEF his passion for government and IAN HOUSTON BY PHOTO politics to Washington, D.C., where he spent three years and Transgender working as a legislative correspondent and as a legisla- tive assistant to Rep. Robert “Marion” Berry, D-Ark. His Members, Colleagues congressional experience is a testament to his ability to work across party lines, having also served as aide to Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La. and Friends David can be reached at [email protected] or (202) 338-4045, ext. 515.

60 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL BOOKS

Statecraft Pays Off tence, principled positions, reinforce norms and agree- power, political adroit- ments (even implicit ones) The Reagan-Gorbachev Arms ness (including constant about restraint and rules of Control Breakthrough: The Treaty consultation with NATO the game still conveys lever- Eliminating Intermediate-Range allies and Congress), age. Nuclear Force (INF) Missiles political courage and Strength helps, as do prin- David T. Jones, editor, Vellum, 2012, $28, pluck. Moreover, the West ciple and nuance. As Goethe paperback, 412 pages. was matched by a more observed, boldness has genius, Reviewed by Douglas Kinney enlightened Kremlin power and magic in it. under Mikhail Gorbachev, The difficulty of hammering The six contributors to The Reagan-Gor- one that faced a six- out interagency policy posi- bachev Arms Control Breakthrough, who minute Pershing II flight time to Moscow tions is not always a bad thing. Force of all worked on the INF Treaty, have col- and mounting socioeconomic pressures arms underpinning long-term thinking, lectively given us an insightful overview to retrench. persistence and principled positions of how a seminal moment in the annals The strategy worked precisely generates maximum synergy and lever- of arms control came to fruition with the because it was a narrow pursuit of age from our military, intelligence and 1987 treaty, which for the first time elimi- limited means toward limited ends in diplomatic assets. nated an entire class of nuclear delivery a largely bipolar world. It was, to cite a In short, diplomacy works. So, too, vehicles. very American concept, “doable.” does pushing back against deliberate As explained in this collection, skill- disinformation. At one point, the U.S. fully compiled and edited by retired Jones’ account reminds delegation offered its Soviet counterparts Senior Foreign Service officer David T. us that the difficulty of a briefing on where precisely their Trans- Jones, the story of the INF Treaty really hammering out interagency porter Erector Launchers were deployed. begins during the 1970s, when Moscow policy positions is not Moscow declined, but the message got unilaterally deployed SS-20 missiles in through. As that episode suggests, the always a bad thing. Warsaw Pact countries. The move was American team shared a mix of ironic intended to cow Western Europe into Impressive as it was in its own right, purposefulness and humor—a genuine effective neutrality. however, the true significance of the INF survival skill that kept everyone sane To counter that deployment, NATO Treaty is that it paved the way for the during the interminable negotiations introduced INF missiles of its own. It continued “builddown” of thermonu- in Geneva. That humor is interlaced then immediately sought agreement to clear stockpiles. Over the past quarter- through the book, keeping the INF tale phase out all ground-launched missiles century, the United States has moved from ever getting dry. with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 from about 30,000 deployed nuclear Those who worked on different stages kilometers (roughly 300-3,300 miles). warheads to roughly 5,000. Mutual of the INF process recently gathered for The positioning of these countervailing drawdowns have enhanced stability conferences and a dinner celebrating systems no doubt raised the strategic at the superpower level and bolstered the 25th anniversary of the treaty. It was temperature in Europe, but the offer of arguments for less proliferation by other a sobering reminder of how much was a way out was adroitly presented and nuclear powers, both declared and at stake, as well as a humbling display produced asymmetrical reductions, undeclared. of the stunning array of talent across the with more than 1,800 Soviet missiles Breakthrough lays out a splendid many elements of the national security and about 800 U.S. systems ultimately example of a purposeful, muscular community devoted to managing this destroyed. national security policy that pairs arms massive, existential threat. How did the West orchestrate this deployment with a willingness to negoti- Today, it is no doubt difficult for most diplomatic success? These essayists ate reductions. As such, it is a bracing of us to feel (not simply know intel- cite many different overlapping factors, reminder that statecraft pays. Intention- lectually) just how frigid the Cold War which might be summed up as persis- ality pays. And forging coalitions that was, and to recall how many people in

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 61 Europe and elsewhere aspired to nothing finest medical care African, the other more than enduring it. Some of them available anywhere American—did not pretended weaponry was irrelevant, or in the world. Yet the always see eye to eye. sought more weapons; many people on couple’s African For example, differ- all sides feared apocalyptic miscalcula- staff could not even ences over cost and tion or apocalyptic calculation. For much obtain basic medical liability issues scotched of that period, it was nearly impossible to care. Recognition plans to expand the pro- envision any clear path toward stability of that distressing gram to offer palliative without compromises on the essentials. contrast spurred their care for the burgeoning Breakthrough reminds us of those remarkable quest to close the gap by South African population challenges and the role the INF Treaty founding an organization in 1985 that afflicted by HIV/AIDS. played in meeting them. they named Medical Education for South The end of the MESAB saga was bit- African Blacks. tersweet. By 2007, 70 percent of students Douglas Kinney is a retired Foreign Service The MESAB project constitutes in South African medical schools were officer. The views expressed here are those a paradigm of what all FSOs should black. A commissioned evaluation con- of the author only and do not reflect the strive for in their careers. As the Kaisers cluded that MESAB had done its job and views of the Department of State or the explain, a practical problem spurred could close down. And so it did. U.S. government. them to act: the lack of medical practitio- Still, the Kaisers can take pride in ners serving the black community. They having fostered the education of more Soft Power in Action then formulated strategies to overcome than 10,000 health care providers, who strong resistance on two fronts. The first, are now treating the needs of all South Against the Odds: Health and emanating from reactionary forces in Africans, black and white alike. And in Hope in South Africa the white community, was foreseeable. the process, they illustrated the best of Herb and Joy Kaiser, CreateSpace, 2013, But the second, driven by those who American “soft power.” $27, paperback, 196 pages. prioritized ousting the apartheid regime Though self-published, this book Reviewed by Bob Houdek over fostering incremental change, was puts to shame most major publishing harder to resist. house products. Its layout, maps, photos As if the title of this book were not clear and graphics make it an enjoyable, easy enough, the foreword by South African The Kaisers can take read, while extensive footnotes, source Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the pride in having fostered citations and a detailed index greatly introduction by Max Price, vice chancel- the education of more than enhance its substance. lor of the University of Cape Town and 10,000 South African For those who wonder what life might former dean of the medical school of be like after the Foreign Service, this health care providers. the University of Witwatersrand, signal book should provide inspiration. As the the reader up front that this is not just Fundraising is essential to successful Kaisers’ example proves, the skills FSOs another retirement memoir. Rather, it philanthropy, and the authors’ incisive acquire and hone overseas can lead to tells the story of Herb and Joy Kaiser, account of all the hard work, networking great things! n whose remarkable vision, dedication and and follow-up required to get MESAB commitment made possible the educa- up and running will be instructive for Bob Houdek served as chief of mission in tion of a generation of black medical anyone motivated to pursue similar Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda, deputy practitioners in South Africa. good works. (The Kaisers are donating assistant secretary for African affairs, and Herb Kaiser’s last Foreign Service all proceeds from the sale of their book national intelligence officer for Africa, assignment was in Cape Town during to the UmThombo Youth Development among many other assignments during his the 1980s, at the height of the apartheid Foundation.) 35-year Foreign Service career. He is cur- era. When he came down with a serious There were bumps along the way, to rently a retiree representative on the AFSA illness there, he received some of the be sure; two separate boards—one South Governing Board.

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EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING FS officers in griev- TAXES FOR US EXPATS: Brenner & Elsea-Mandojana, LLC is a profes- ances, performance, promotion and tenure, financial claims, discrimina- sional services firm that specializes in the tax, financial planning and tion and disciplinary actions. We represent FS officers at all stages of the business advisory needs of U.S. expatriates. Managing member Jim proceedings from an investigation, issuance of proposed discipline or Brenner, CPA/ABV, has been a certified public accountant for over 30 the initiation of a grievance, through to a hearing before the FSGB. We years. He provides U.S. individual tax planning, tax preparation and busi- provide experienced, timely and knowledgeable advice to employees ness consulting services tailored to the needs of U.S. expatriates. from junior untenured officers through the Senior FS, and often work Jim is also an IRS Certified Acceptance Agent for persons needing assis- closely with AFSA. Kalijarvi, Chuzi & Newman. tance with taxpayer ID numbers. Tel: (202) 331-9260. Tel: (281) 360-2800. E-mail: [email protected] Fax: (281) 359-6080. Email: jim@globaltaxconsult WILLS/ESTATE PLANNING by attorney who is a former FSO. Have your Web site: www.globaltaxconsult.com will reviewed and updated, or a new one prepared. No charge for initial consultation. FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR FS FAMILIES. Carrington Financial M. Bruce Hirshorn, Boring & Pilger, P.C. Planning, LLC of Arlington, Va., provides financial planning services 307 Maple Ave. W., Suite D, Vienna VA 22180 to Foreign Service families worldwide. Principal William Carrington Tel: (703) 281-2161. Fax: (703) 281-9464. is a Foreign Service spouse with 19 years of FS experience. Web-based E-mail: [email protected] process provides customized, collaborative, financial planning services. Specially approved to use Dimensional Funds. Fee-Only, Fiduciary-Stan- ATTORNEYS EXPERIENCED IN representing Foreign Service officers dard, Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). Licensed and insured. and intelligence community members in civil and criminal investi- E-mail: [email protected] gations, administrative inquiries, IG issues, grievances, disciplinary Web site: www.CarringtonFP.com investigations and security clearance issues. Extensive State Depart- ment experience, both as counsel to the IG and in L, and in represent- n TAX PREPARATION SERVICE ing individual officers. We have handled successfully some particularly difficult cases confronting Foreign Service and intelligence officers, both BACTRIAN TAX AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES: Experienced, IRS- before the Foreign Service Grievance Board and in the federal and local registered tax accountant with 7+ years of experience preparing U.S. courts. We work closely with AFSA when appropriate and cost-effective. federal and state individual income tax returns for federal employees, Doumar Martin PLLC. contractors and military personnel overseas. Specialized in preparing tax Tel: (703) 243-3737. Fax: (703) 524-7610. returns for overseas taxpayers with foreign earned income, foreign pas- E-mail: [email protected] sive income and foreign tax-paid credit, Foreign Bank Accounts Reports, Web site: www.doumarmartin.com and foreign corporations owned by U.S. persons (Form 5471). Help to deal with IRS notices and delinquent taxes. Fees start from $150 for basic n TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES returns; call or e-mail Ulzii Seitz for a quote and file your tax by June 15 deadline for overseas taxpayers. DAVID L. MORTIMER, CPA: Income tax planning and Tel: (224) 616-9125. preparation for 20 years in Alexandria, VA. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Free consultation. Tel: (703) 743-0272. EXPAT COUNSELING AND COACHING SERVICES offers individual E-mail: [email protected] counseling and psychotherapy, marriage counseling, and executive Web site: www.mytaxcpa.net coaching to the FS community worldwide using Skype. Dhyan Summers, LMFT, founder, and lead therapist has been a California state-licensed PROFESSIONAL TAX RETURN PREPARATION psychotherapist for 35 years. She has been working with the FS commu- Forty years in public tax practice. Arthur A. Granberg, EA, ATA, ATP. Our nity for five years and is an American expat based in New Delhi, India. charges are $95 per hour. Most FS returns take 3 to 4 hours. Our office is Please see her article in the Dec. 2012 FSJ, “The Impact of Transitions on 100 feet from Virginia Square Metro Station. Tax Matters Associates PC, Foreign Service Families.” 3601 North Fairfax Dr., Arlington VA 22201. Tel: (91) 9871232 747. Tel: (703) 522-3828. Fax: (703) 522-5726. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.expatcounselingandcoaching.com

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 63 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS n TEMPORARY HOUSING CAPITOL HILL, FURNISHED housing: 1-3 blocks to Capitol. Nice places, great location. Well below per diem. Short-term OK. GSA small ENJOY YOUR STAY in Washington in historic guest rooms just blocks business and veteran-owned. from the White House! Rooms available to DACOR members and their Tel: (202) 544-4419. guests, $119/night/single, $135/night/double, all taxes and continental [email protected] breakfast (M-F) included. Web site: www.capitolhillstay.com For reservations call: (202) 682-0500, ext. 11. E-mail: [email protected] DC GUEST APARTMENTS: Not your typical “corporate” apartments— Web site: www.dacorbacon.org we’re different! Located in Dupont Circle, we designed our apartments as places where we’d like to live and work—beautifully furnished and FURNISHED LUXURY APARTMENTS: Short/long-term. Best locations: fully equipped (including Internet & satellite TV). Most importantly, we Dupont Circle, Georgetown. Utilities included. All price ranges/sizes. understand that occasionally needs change, so we never penalize you if Parking available. you leave early. You only pay for the nights you stay, even if your plans Tel: (202) 296-4989. change at the last minute. We also don’t believe in minimum stays or E-mail: [email protected] extra charges like application or cleaning fees. And we always work with you on per diem. PIED-A-TERRE PROPERTIES, LTD: Select from our unique inventory of Tel: (202) 536-2500. completely furnished & tastefully decorated apartments & townhouses, E-mail: [email protected] all located in D.C.’s best in-town neighborhoods: Dupont, Georgetown, Web site: www.dcguestapartments.com Foggy Bottom & the West End. Mother-daughter owned and operated. Tel: (202) 462-0200. Fax: (202) 332-1406. FIND PERFECT HOUSING by using the free Reservation Service E-mail: [email protected] Agency, Accommodations 4 U. Web site: www.piedaterredc.com Tel: (843) 347-8900. E-mail: [email protected] CORPORATE APARTMENT SPECIALISTS: Abundant experience Web site: www.accommodations4u.net working with Foreign Service professionals and the locations to best serve you: Foggy Bottom, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase, SERVING FOREIGN SERVICE PERSONNEL FOR 25 YEARS, Rosslyn, Ballston, Pentagon City. Our office is a short walk from NFATC. ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH PETS. Selection of condos, townhouses and One-month minimum. All furnishings, houseware, utilities, telephone single-family homes accommodates most breeds and sizes. All within a and cable included. short walk of Metro stations in Arlington. Fully furnished and equipped Tel: (703) 979-2830 or (800) 914-2802. Fax: (703) 979-2813. 1-4 bedrooms, within per diem rates. E-mail: [email protected] EXECUTIVE LODGING ALTERNATIVES. Web site: www.corporateapartments.com E-mail: [email protected]

SHORT-TERM RENTALS • TEMPORARY HOUSING TURNKEY HOUSING SOLUTIONS. Experience working with Foreign Service professionals on standard and distinctive temporary housing WASHINGTON, D.C., or NFATC TOUR? EXECUTIVE HOUSING solutions in the D.C. area’s best locations (NW DC, Arlington, Alexan- CONSULTANTS offers Metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s finest portfolio dria, Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland). Northern Virginia-based of short-term, fully furnished and equipped apartments, townhomes company offers local customer service and a personalized touch. and single-family residences in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Tel: (703) 615-6591. In Virginia: “River Place’s Finest” is steps to Rosslyn Metro and E-mail: [email protected] Georgetown, and 15 minutes on Metro bus or State Department shuttle Web site www.tkhousing.com to NFATC. For more info, please call (301) 951-4111, or visit our Web site at www.executivehousing.com. n PROPERTY MANAGEMENT n TEMPORARY HOUSING NORTHERN VIRGINIA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. Are you look- ing for a competent manager to take care of your home when you go to ARLINGTON FLATS: 1-BR, 2-BR, and 4-BR flats in 2 beautiful buildings post this summer? Based in McLean, Va., Peake Management, Inc. has 3 blocks from Clarendon Metro. Newly renovated, completely furnished, worked with Foreign Service officers for over 30 years. We are active incl. all utilities/Internet/HDTV w/DVR. Parking, maid service, gym, board members of the Foreign Service Youth Foundation and many rental car available. Rates start at $2,600/month. Per diem OK. other community organizations. We really care about doing a good job in Min. 30 days. renting and managing your home, so we’re always seeking cutting-edge Tel: (571) 235-4289. technology to improve service to our clients, from innovative market- E-mail: [email protected] ing to active online access to your account. We offer a free, copyrighted See 2-BR at Web site: http://www.postlets.com/rtpb/1908292 Landlord Reference Manual to guide you through the entire preparation, rental and management process, or just give our office a call to talk to the DC FURNISHED EXTENDED STAY in Penn Quarter/Chinatown. The agent specializing in your area. Peake Management, Inc. is a licensed, Lansburgh, 425 8th Street NW. 1-BR and 2-BR apartments w/fully full-service real estate broker. equipped kitchens, CAC & heat, high-speed Internet, digital cable TV 6842 Elm St., Suite 303, McLean VA 22101. w/HBO, fitness center w/indoor pool, resident business center, 24-hour Tel: (703) 448-0212. reception desk, full concierge service, secure parking available, con- E-mail: [email protected] trolled-entry building, 30-day minimum stay. Walk to Metro, FBI, DOJ, Web site: www.peakeinc.com EPA, IRS, DOE, DHH, U.S. Capitol. Rates within government per diem. Discount for government, diplomats. Visit our Web site at: www.TheLansburgh.com or call the leasing office at (888) 313-6240.

64 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL n REAL ESTATE n TRANSPORTATION

LOOKING TO BUY, sell or rent property in Northern Virginia? This PET MOVING MADE EASY. Club Pet International is a full-service former FSO understands your needs and can help. References available. animal shipper specializing in domestic and international trips. Club David Olinger, GRI Long & Foster, Realtors. Pet is the ultimate pet-care boarding facility in the Washington, D.C., Tel: (703) 864-3196. metropolitan area. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (703) 471-7818 or (800) 871-2535. Web site: www.davidolinger.lnf.com E-mail: [email protected] Web site: clubpet.com HEADED TO MAIN STATE? Time to Buy or Sell in DC or Virginia? Tap into my 25+ years of experience providing FS personnel with exclusive n USAID ONLINE DIRECTORY representation. By focusing on your needs, my effective approach makes the transition easier for you and your family. References gladly provided. THE USAID ALUMNI ASSOCIATION encourages all former agency Contact Marilyn Cantrell, Associate Broker (licensed in VA and DC), employees to register with its online directory and become contribut- McEnearney Associates, McLean VA. ing members. The UAA Web site (www.usaidalumni.org) and monthly Tel: (703) 860-2096. e-mail newsletters will keep you up-to-date on international develop- E-mail: [email protected] ment issues, networking and discussion events, as well as the activities of Web site: www.MarilynCantrell.com your colleagues. UAA welcomes retired USAID FSOs, General Schedule employees, PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE services provided by John Kozyn of political appointees, Foreign Service Nationals and Third-Country Coldwell Banker in Arlington, Va. Need to buy or sell? My expertise will Nationals from around the globe, as well as those employed through serve your specific needs and time frame. FSO references gladly pro- interagency service agreements (e.g., RASA, PASA) and personal services vided. Licensed in VA and DC. contractors with at least two years of USAID service. Tel: (202) 288-6026. Since UAA is a nonprofit organization, all membership contributions E-mail: [email protected] are tax-deductible. Web site: www.cbmove.com/johnkozyn Join UAA today! n REAL ESTATE n INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION

SARASOTA, FLA. PAUL BYRNES, FSO retired, and Loretta Friedman, ADOPT WHILE POSTED OVERSEAS! Adopt Abroad, Incorporated was Coldwell Banker, offer vast real estate experience in assisting diplomats. created to assist expatriates with their adoption needs. U.S.-licensed and Enjoy gracious living, no state income tax, and an exciting market. Hague-accredited, we conduct adoption home studies and child place- Tel: (941) 377-8181. ment services, using caseworkers based worldwide. E-mail: [email protected] (Paul) or [email protected] (Loretta) Adopt Abroad, Inc. 1424 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 7501 Snow Pea Court Alexandria, VA n VACATION Tel: (888) 687-3644. Web site: www.adopt-abroad.com LOOKING FOR A PEACEFUL N.C. MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE? Modern 4-bedroom, 3½-bath log cabin available for rent from retired FSO owner. n ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE Sleeps 8+; wireless and cable included. Web site: www.vrbo.com/440462 PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: $1.45/word (10-word min). Hyperlink $11 in online edition. Bold text 85¢/word. Header or box-shading $11 each. NOW IS THE time to think about getting your home in NORTHERN Deadline: Five weeks ahead of publication. VIRGINIA ready to occupy or put on the market. Whether it’s a fresh coat Tel: (202) 944-5507. Fax: (202) 338-8244. of paint or a bathroom and/or kitchen remodel, Door2Door Designs will E-mail: [email protected] do the work for you while you’re away. We specialize in working with Foreign Service and military families living abroad. Many wonderful references from happy families. Contact Nancy Sheehy. Tel: (703) 244-3843. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.DOOR2DOORDESIGNS.COM n SHOPPING

CRAVING GROCERIES from home? Order non-perishable grocery products from our physical grocery store ($4.95 shopping fee), and we will ship the order (additional cost) via the Dulles mail sorting facility or APO/FPO/DPO address. Click here for full details. • www.lowesfoodstogo.com • Choose the Robinhood Road store in Winston-Salem, N.C. • Pay online via PayPal

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 65 REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

66 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 67 REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Cabell Reid, LLC / 67 Executive Housing Consultants, ADWhen contactin g oneINDEX of our advertisers, kindly mention Inc. / 67 you saw their advertisement in The Foreign Service Journal. McEnearney Associates / 66 McGrath Real Estate Services / 69 CLASSIFIED ADS INSURANCE Meyerson Group, Inc., The / 68 Classifieds / 63, 64, 65 AFSPA – CIGNA International Dental Peake Management, Inc. / 69 Plan / 11 Promax Management Inc. / 66 FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND AFSPA – Term Life Insurance / 11 Property Specialists, Inc. / 69 TAX SERVICES Clements Worldwide / 3, 4 Washington Management Luxenberg & Johnson, P.C. / 59 Embassy Risk Management / 18 Services / 66 MCG Financial Planning / 31 Federal Employee Defense WJD Management / 67 Services / 9 HOUSING The Hirshorn Company / Back Cover ANNOUNCEMENTS AKA–Flexible Stay Hotel Residences / Association for Diplomatic Studies Inside Front Cover MISCELLANEOUS and Training (ADST) / 43 Attaché Corporate Housing / 60 AFSA Scholarship Fund / Calling All Foreign Service CAS–Corporate Apartment Inside Back Cover Authors! / 26 Specialists / 31 Eyes and Ears / 20 Change of Address / 39 Pied-a-Terre Properties Ltd. / 60 Fox Hill / 16 Federal Employee Education & Signature Properties / 59 Marketplace / 21 Assistance Fund / 68 SuiteAmerica / 39 Foreign Service Youth Foundation TurnKey Housing Solutions / 39 Welcome Back Picnic / 35 USAID Alumni Association / 34

68 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2013 69 LOCAL LENS

BY JEFF YOUNG n BOGOR, INDONESIA

he mountainous Puncak region two hours south of Jakarta has historically provided a welcome respite from the heat and hubbub of daily life in Indonesia’s capital. As at this roadside market near Bogor, vendors hawk a huge and colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as goods of all Ttypes, to weekend vacationers beside the roads that wind their way along these temperate slopes. n Jeff Young is an EFM working as a professional adjudicator specialist in the consular section at Embassy Jakarta, where his wife, FSO Sylvie Young, is an assistant cultural affairs officer. It is their first tour as a Foreign Service family, and their 15-year-old daughter is thoroughly enjoying the experience. Jeff took this photo in September 2012 with a Canon PowerShot SX130IS.

Enter your photography to be featured in Local Lens! Images must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi at 8 x 10”). Please submit a short description of the scene/event, as well as your name, brief biodata and the type of camera used, to [email protected].

70 JULY-AUGUST 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL

US Foreign Service Exclusive Low Personal Property Insurance Rates No Matter Where You’re Assigned

• Designed specifically for US government employees on assignment abroad • Fewest exclusions of any insurance contract • Available wherever you go, always at the same rates • Rates have only gone down since 1974 • Availability of excess auto and personal liability for just $45 a year • No exclusions for natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods or tsunamis • Free worldwide personal liability insurance for both US and international locations • Insured by Chubb, the world’s most stable insurance company

For more information, call the American Foreign Service Desk: 800.242.8221. To apply: hirshorn.com/USFS