PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION JULY-AUGUST 2015 DIPLOMACY: THE PROFESSION UNCOVERING THE LESSONS OF VIETNAM THE BIG DOWNSIZING ADVERTISEMENT FOREIGN July-August 2015 SERVICE Volume 92, No. 6 AFSA NEWS FOCUS ON DIPLOMACY: THE PROFESSION Assignment Restrictions / 69 American Diplomacy at Risk: A Report from VP Voice State – Farewell / 70 VP Voice USAID – Government the American Academy of Diplomacy / 22 Change? / 71 The Foreign Service is being deliberately undermined, a new AAD report warns. The VP Voice FAS – Formula Academy offers 23 recommendations to reverse the threat to American diplomacy. for Success? / 72 BY RONALD E. NEUMANN 2015 QDDR: Details Wanted / 72 VP Voice Retiree – The Big Issue / 73 The State of the Foreign Service: Foreign Affairs Day Turns 50 / 74 Continuing the Conversation / 29 2015 AFSA Award Winners / 75 PEC: Speaking Truth to Power / 76 AFSA members discuss the AAD report. USAID Honors Fallen Hero / 76 2015 Merit Award Winners / 77 The Diplomatic Academy: AFSA Sponsors State Interns / 80 A First for Britain’s Foreign Office / 37 On the Hill: Workforce Diversity / 81 In a quest to become the “best diplomatic service in the world,” Thousands Join Online the U.K. establishes an education and training facility. Discussion Board / 81 BY JON DAVIES Sammie Finalists / 82 AFSA Website Gets a Facelift / 82 Five Things You Should Know about the QDDR / 41 Scholarship Fund Grows / 84 Vietnam Tribute Reunites, A participant in developing the 2015 Quadrennial Diplomacy Raises FS Profile / 84 and Development Review summarizes its highlights for skeptics. 2015-2017 Governing Board BY CHRIS DEGNAN Election Results / 86 COLUMNS George Kennan On Diplomacy As a Profession / 46 President’s Views / 7 In 1961, the legendary diplomat talked with his colleagues at AFSA The Country Team about the profession of diplomacy. BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN Letter from the Editor / 9 Diplomacy: The State FEATURES of the Profession BY SHAWN DORMAN Uncovering the Lessons of Vietnam / 52 Speaking Out / 18 Efforts in 1975 to capture the lessons of Vietnam as a guide to future policy America Needs a died in the National Security Council with the seizure of the SS Mayaguez. Professional Foreign Service BY CHARLES A. RAY BY STEPHEN RANDOLPH Reflections / 101 “LESSONS LEARNED” FROM STATE / 54 The End of the British Empire THE KISSINGER MEMO / 58 in Aden BY KATE CARR Surviving Al-Jazeera and Other Public Calamities / 61 DEPARTMENTS Deconstructing the uproar over a controversial Al-Jazeera interview, Letters / 10 Talking Points / 13 the author offers insight into the challenges of public diplomacy. In Memory / 87 BY ALBERTO M. FERNANDEZ Books / 91 Local Lens / 102 FS KNOW-HOW MARKETPLACE Classifieds / 93 Real Estate / 96 The Big Downsizing: Retirement Lessons / 65 Index to Advertisers / 100 Here are some pointers on the retirement transition from a member of the Foreign Service who’s been there recently. Cover photos: Oath by Maria C. Livingston; BY EILEEN MALLOY Moving van by Eileen Malloy. THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2015 5 FOREIGN SERVICE Editor Shawn Dorman: [email protected] Managing Editor www.afsa.org Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected] Associate Editor Maria C. 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Senior Legislative Assistant BUSINESS DEPARTMENT David Murimi: [email protected] Postmaster: Send address changes to Director of Finance Professional Issues and Policy Adviser AFSA Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] Attn: Address Change Janice Weiner: [email protected] Controller 2101 E Street NW Washington DC 20037-2990 Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] SCHOLARSHIPS Assistant Controller Scholarship Director Cory Nishi: [email protected] Lori Dec: [email protected] Scholarship Senior Associate Jonathan Crawford: [email protected] 6 JULY-AUGUST 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS The Country Team BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN Preface: The Foreign Service is a diverse, arrived from deputy directorship of the with differing emphases. Those three rotating cast of characters. Perhaps you will country desk, Rawley was the youngest are well coordinated, thought the DCM, find a familiar face in this column, inspired in the room, except for the staff aide. His making a note to ask Crabbe to be acting by the chancery scene in the John Le Carré briefing on the political groups behind in August. novel, A Small Town in Germany. Thank the week’s demonstrations was fluent but Colonel Kaplan, the military attaché, you for the privilege of serving as your lacked the intimate insights gained from seemed stressed. He spoke only of the president for the past two years. Let’s all extended on-the-ground contacts. That many visitors on the horizon. Each U.S. support the incoming team led by Barbara would come in time. The DCM was taking delegation, headed by a senior general, Stephenson. mental notes for an upcoming mentoring wanted a meeting with the country’s chief session.