State 1993-05: Iss
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LETTERS State (ISSN 0278-1859) (formerly the simply bad management or really a case Department of State Newsletter) is published by the ‘Bad manners’? of bad manners? U.S. Department of State to acquaint its employees, at Sincerely, home and abroad, with developments that may affect Tel Aviv, Israel operations or personnel. There are 11 monthly issues Jerry Mallory Dear Editor: (none in July). Economic officer Effective foreign policy relies on Deadline for submitting material is in the first The Operations Center replies: As week of each month. Contributions (consisting of accurate and timely communication. That the Office responsible for providing final general information, feature articles, poems, said, I wish to raise the issue of the clearance on all outgoing niacts, we are photographs, drawings) are welcome. Double-space, Department’s use of niact cables to spelling out job titles, names of offices and very conscious of the need to limit the use dispatch information that truly does not programs—acronyms are not acceptable. Send of the niact precedence to those cables contributions to State magazine, PER/ER/SMG, require night action. As background, let which demand urgent action in the field SA-6, Room 433, Washington, D.C. 20522-0602, me give you a few examples of some regardless of the hour. We work closely Telephone: (703) 516-1667. Fax: (703) 516-1677. recent niact messages and the times they Contributions may also be dropped off in Room 3811 with the bureaus that assign the prece¬ were received at the Embassy in Tel Aviv: Main State. dence, to convey to drafting officers the Although intended for internal communication. (1) Notification of a passport waiver importance of considering carefully State is available to the public through the for an American citizen traveling to Israel whether “night action” is needed. □ Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government who was not due to arrive until after close Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. of business the following work day (4 a.m.). Editor Sanford (Whitey) Watzman Allegation of smut Assistant editor Barbara Quirk (2) A press release from the White Staff assistant Kim Banks □ House on the situation in Russia dis¬ Washington tributed to all embassies and consulates Dear Editor: world-wide (3 a.m.). As Women’s History Month draws to (3) A thank-you letter from the Sec¬ a close, I cannot help but wonder why the retary of State to the prime minister (5 Department still permits a large amount of State a.m.). pornography to be sold at the two In all of these cases, no action was newsstands in Main State. Is it truly necessary or even possible until the NuiMvii Nawaa 44ka«n<MM:(.i»«ar necessary to provide Department em¬ following work day. As for messages to CAMPUS NEARS ployees with immediate access to porno¬ COMPLETION be delivered to the host government, no graphy at the workplace? diplomat, let alone anyone who is the Sincerely, least bit diplomatic, would think of Linda M. Holmes waking up the intended recipient in the Desk officer, middle of the night for anything less than Central European Affairs □ an actual emergency. In a time of increasing pressure on the U.S. Government and State Depart¬ ‘Plain brown wrapper’ A view of the new facility ment budgets, it seems ludicrous to be in Virginia, near Washington. sending out needless niact messages, in Brussels, Belgium Classrooms are on right, library some cases for world-wide distribution. Dear Editor: is in the center, the conference Paying overtime to communicators and I would like to echo the letter of and dining areas are on left. duty officers is costly, and depriving these Dennis Kux, chairman. Senior Foreign (State Department photo by officers of their sleep robs them of their Service Association (March issue), on the Robert Kaiser) productivity the following workday. shabby manner in which the Foreign Our communications program unit Service bids farewell to its retirees. When tells me that messages which are impor¬ I retired from the U.S. mission to the tant but which do not require night action European Community in January 1987, 1 can be held at Main State’s communica¬ received courteous and efficient assistance tions unit and transmitted to arrive at post from the Retirement Division but nary a at the opening of business. If this is “thanks for the memories” from anyone indeed the case, I would like to know why else in the Department. About six months messages which cannot and should not be —(Continued on Page 66) acted on at night continue to be sent. Is this proliferation of unnecessary niacts state 3AJtCe News Stories Feature Stories Departments and Features 2 Foreign affairs training; 15 A hoofer at State good-by to Rosslyn 33 Anapestic Assignments 20 Arrival from Vietnam 11 Salaries and expenses 16 Appointments budget: no more dollars, 21 Food for the people of fewer jobs Djibouti (thanks to the 28 “Ask Dr. Kemp” U.S. Foreign Service) 16 Clinton names choices for 4 47 Bureau Notes more chieftans at State 23 An ode to Iceland 42 Education and Training 17 2 are selected as delegates 26 Evaluation reports: to United Nations another critique 27 Equal Employment Opportunity 18 Envoys for 3 nations 44 “An excellent fit” for teacher of Mongolian 24 Honors and Awards 19 Atwood to A.I.D. (see also Page 64) 19 Clinton to resubmit 7 17 Look-Alikes names Bush had sent to Photo Stories Senate 62 Music at State 36 Post of the Month: 24 Istanbul’s Dion wins Conakry 11 News Highlights Raphel award 67 Obituaries 25 Pete Pierce: Keogh Award 30 Personnel: Civil Service 27 Gays in foreign affairs agencies have organized 33 Personnel: Foreign Service 68 Joseph Jova is dead 23 Verse -fymn * DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS October is target date for move to 72-acre campus; ‘new era’ training is at hand By Lawrence P. Taylor Director, Foreign Service Institute “A new presence on the northern Virginia landscape is taking shape, a low- rise learning village for the U.S. foreign affairs community, unlike anything ever seen before.” (From a 1992 institute video) The brand-new National Foreign Af¬ fairs Training Center, replacing the For¬ eign Service Institute, is nearing completion on 72 acres of nothem Vir¬ ginia wooded countryside—and you could be in class there as early as October. It’s a facility that I believe is going Aerial photo of the new training center pool, and beyond it is the old main building, complex, touched up by an artist. At lower which was known as Arlington Hail. The to become an important agent for con¬ right are parking spaces and the visitors cafeteria and conference facility are in the structive change in dealing with U.S. center, where the shuttle bus will arrive. At center. Classrooms are on right. foreign affairs in this post-cold war world. lower left is the gymnasium and swimming We’re on the threshold of a new era in foreign affairs training—and I want to tell First of all, it’s a campus—a cling a large open area. You’ll be looking about that in detail—but first I want to horseshoe-shaped configuration of new at what emerged from an intensive archi¬ share with you what you’re going to see low-rise buildings integrated with some tectural competition that ended with the when you arrive there. buildings already there, partially encir¬ adoption of a design submitted by a joint- venture Philadelphia and Alexandria firm. Your indoor and outdoor environment will have changed dramatically from that of the high-rise congestion of Rosslyn, Va. For one thing, all the classrooms (the language classrooms alone will total 19S) will have openable windows, and the students in each classroom will be able to control the temperature. The hallways are designed to “flow together.’’ In two weeks there you may encounter virtually every other trainee and staff member, as contrasted with Rosslyn, where today you rarely see your colleagues on the floor just above or below, except in the elevators. You’ll find the outside to be campus-like, with extensive walking paths and places to congregate—a great en¬ vironment for training and learning. The Rosslyn annexes will continue to enroll and train students until October. Then, over a five-to-six-week period, there’ll be an incremental shift to the Congressman James P. Moran (D.-Va.), Foreign Service Institute director Lawrence campus at what used to be known as right, is welcomed to the construction site by P. Taylor. Arlington Hall Station. You’ll have sev- 2 State imjiLi 1.111’.^ The visitors center: students will arrive here on the shuttle bus from Main State. May 1993 3 DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS And speaking of health, an existing ROSSLYN /JV small gymnasium and the swimming pool remain intact, and they’ll be available for WASHINGTON DC scheduled use. Their very presence will allow us to incorporate “wellness” into our programs. Jogging and biking trails are projected. Be advised, too, that the training center will be a nonsmoking ARUNGTON facility. NATIONAL An emphasis on families will be an CEMCTARY important aspect of the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, with its Overseas Briefing Center located strategically to support family interests. It will be close to NFATC ARLINGTON HALL other family-oriented services such as the cafeteria and health unit. A daycare center is on the boards—to be begun when funds are provided. And yes, inoculations will PENTAGON be available. CITY The Overseas Briefing Center is now seeing up to 16,000 persons a year who draw on its information and family support services.