Text of the Letter

To the Editor,

As a retired member of the U.S. Foreign Service, I was proud to represent America in X number of countries over my X years of service. I write this in advance of Foreign Service Day on May 6, a day designated by Congress to honor our active-duty and retired members of the Foreign Service.

From the Afghanistan withdrawal and evacuation to the war in Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis, diplomacy has been greatly tested this past year. Coming on the heels of a pandemic that forced great changes to the practice of diplomacy, this has been a challenging time for members of the Foreign Service who live and work in U.S. missions around the world, serving as America’s first line of defense.

Despite the challenges, the work of diplomacy does and must continue. I applaud our diplomats—members of the Foreign Service — who work with their counterparts in the country where they’re posted and with U.S. allies around the world to resolve conflicts through negotiation and diplomacy and by doing so, help to keep America safe.

More resources are needed to do this work, including more on-going training and increased staffing. On this Foreign Service Day, I write to recognize the service of our diplomats and urge the U.S. government to fully-fund the Foreign Service to support diplomacy.

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