PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2014 IN THEIR OWN WRITE AN INTERVIEW WITH DEPUTY SECRETARY WILLIAM BURNS THE PUTIN DOCTRINE AND PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY PAID ADVERTISEMENT FOREIGN November 2014 SERVICE Volume 91, No. 11 INTERVIEW AFSA NEWS High School Essay Winner A Life of Significance: An Interview with Meets Sec. Kerry / 71 Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns / 15 State VP Voice: Attrition: A False Sense of Security / 73 On the eve of his retirement, the Deputy Secretary of State reflects on his 33-year Retiree VP Voice: career, the challenges for diplomacy today and the future of the Foreign Service. Facility Access for Retirees / 74 BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN AND SHAWN DORMAN FCS VP Voice: Happy Anniversary, Global Markets! / 75 Federal Benefits: Estate Planning, COVER STORY Wills and Trusts / 76 AFSA Appeals on Meritorious The Putin Doctrine and Preventive Diplomacy / 22 Service Increases / 76 Nominate Someone for a The USSR is not coming back, but the United States must take Constructive Dissent Award / 77 a realistic approach to Russia that correctly frames the issues Documentary on America’s Diplomats / 78 and wields the tools best suited to strategic priorities. Nominate Someone for an BY JAMES E. GOODBY Exemplary Performance Award / 78 AFSA Welcomes New Board Members / 79 The Need for Consensus on American Goals / 23 Issue Brief: Assignment Restriction and Pass-Through Reform / 80 BY GEORGE P. SHULTZ Grievance on State OCP Adjustments / 82 FOCUS IN THEIR OWN WRITE Divorce and FS Annuities / 83 VOA Director Shares Vision for the Future / 84 Books by Foreign Service Authors / 30 AFSA Salutes Congressional We are pleased to present this year’s roundup of books Fellows / 84 AFSA Welcomes New Interns / 85 by members of the Foreign Service community. BY SUSAN MAITRA COLUMNS President’s Views / 7 Righting the Personnel Self-Publishing: An Up-and-Coming Industry / 42 Balance at State BY BRITTANY DELONG AND SUSAN MAITRA BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN Letter from the Editor / 8 Focus on Foreign Service Writing Of Related Interest / 52 BY SHAWN DORMAN Here is a short listing of books of interest to diplomats that have not Reflections / 97 been written by members of the U.S. Foreign Service or their families. An Unusual Expression of Gratitude BY EDWARD PECK APPRECIATION DEPARTMENTS Letters / 10 Remembering a Born Diplomat Talking Points / 12 In Memory / 86 and Consummate Professional / 63 Local Lens / 98 Career Ambassador Terence Alphonso Todman MARKETPLACE was an exemplary diplomat and a trailblazer. Classifieds / 90 BY JAMES T.L. DANDRIDGE II Real Estate / 93 Index to Advertisers / 96 FEATURE On the cover: Books by FS authors. Composition: Jeff Lau. A Moscow Robert C. Schenck: scene. Photo: Seamus Gorman. Political Ambassador and Scoundrel / 66 When non-career ambassadors are bad, they are sometimes very bad. BY STEPHEN H. MULLER THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 5 FOREIGN SERVICE Editor Shawn Dorman: [email protected] Managing Editor Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected] Associate Editor Debra Blome: [email protected] CONTACTS AFSA Headquarters: LABOR MANAGEMENT Editorial/Publications Specialist (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 General Counsel Brittany DeLong: [email protected] State Department AFSA Office: Sharon Papp: [email protected] Ad & Circulation Manager (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 Deputy General Counsel Ed Miltenberger: [email protected] USAID AFSA Office: Zlatana Badrich: [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 Senior Staff Attorney Neera Parikh: [email protected] Editorial Intern GOVERNING BOARD Staff Attorney Trevor Smith President Raeka Safai: [email protected] Robert J. 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Rendeiro Jr. hotmail.com Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Duncan Walker State Representatives Membership Representative Tracy Whittington Clayton Bond VACANT Clayton Bond (AFSA Governing Board liaison) Ronnie Catipon Retiree Counselor Todd Crawford Todd Thurwachter: [email protected] THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS Chuck Fee Coordinator, Retiree Counseling PROFESSIONALS Neeru Lal and Legislation The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Ken Kero-Mentz Matthew Sumrak: [email protected] Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is pub- Ronita Macklin Administrative Assistant and Office Manager lished monthly, with combined January-February and Elise Mellinger Ana Lopez: [email protected] July-August issues, by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Homeyra Mokhtarzada Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the Nancy Rios-Brooks COMMUNICATIONS writers and does not necessarily represent the views of Sue Saarnio Director of Communications the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries USAID Representatives Kristen Fernekes: [email protected] and submissions are invited, preferably by email. The Director of New Media Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, Jeri Dible photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. Andrew Levin Ásgeir Sigfússon: [email protected] The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply FCS Representative Publications Manager endorsement of the services or goods offered. Journal Shawn Dorman: [email protected] subscription: AFSA member–$20, included in annual William Kutson dues; student–$30; institution–$40; others–$50; Single FAS Representative Mark Petry Online Communications Specialist issue–$4.50. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; BBG Representative Andre de Nesnera Jeff Lau: [email protected] foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid APHIS Representative Mark C. Prescott Special Awards and Outreach Coordinator at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Perri Green: [email protected] Indexed by the Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). Retiree Representatives Marshall Adair Speakers Bureau Director Email: [email protected] Hon. David Greenlee VACANT Phone: (202) 338-4045 F. Allen “Tex” Harris ADVOCACY Fax: (202) 338-8244 Hon. Edward Marks Advocacy Director Web: www.afsa.org/fsj STAFF Javier Cuebas: [email protected] © American Foreign Service Association, 2014 Executive Director Senior Legislative Assistant Ian Houston: [email protected] David Murimi: [email protected] PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Executive Assistant to the President Professional Issues and Policy Adviser Postmaster: Send address changes to Patrick Bradley: [email protected] Janice Weiner: [email protected] AFSA BUSINESS DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS Attn: Address Change Director of Finance Scholarship Director 2101 E Street NW Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] Lori Dec: [email protected] Washington DC 20037-2990 Controller Scholarship Assistant Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] Jonathan Crawford: [email protected] Assistant Controller Cory Nishi: [email protected] www.afsa.org 6 NOVEMBER 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Righting the Personnel Balance at State BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN ondrously complex is the than tripled in number between 2008 and Obama on this trend and advised as follows: State Department personnel 2012, according to HR data, from 26 to 89 “Judicious reductions in the number of edifice. The job of AFSA pres- positions. political appointees will improve govern- Wident offers a close-up gaze Why this sudden surge in mid-level ment performance by increasing manage- from certain angles and, after 14 months on limited-term employees? I suspect it was rial capacity, decreasing harmful manage- the job, here is my initial sketch. partly an incoming administration defining ment turnover, and facilitating efforts to State has five major personnel systems. new needs and looking to some extent out- recruit and retain the best and brightest in The three career systems total roughly side the career ranks in filling them. Part of government service.” 75,000 employees, comprised of the Foreign it lies in a large pool of interested persons in The career cadre most affected by the Service with 14,000 members, two thirds think-tanks, NGOs and law firms who want growth of political appointees domestically of whom are overseas at any one time; the a turn in government, and then a return to is the Civil Service. At the top end of the lad- Civil Service with 11,000, nearly all based in the private sector. Partly these are one-off der, for instance, HR data in 2012 shows that Washington; and Locally Engaged Staff with needs for esoteric expertise not available at non-career appointees occupied 83 percent 50,000 in overseas