The Foreign Service Journal, April 2013

34 April 2013 | the foreign Service journal AFSA’s 2003 victory in securing an exemption for the Foreign Service from a new tax on the sale of a primary residence. Congress had earlier changed the law to excuse most home sellers from paying capital gains tax—as long as they had lived in the house for two of the five most recent years. That, of course, disadvantaged Foreign Service members who serve overseas. After State declined to add the issue to its legislative agenda, AFSA took it on. Working with lobbying groups for the military (which was similarly affected), AFSA succeeded in getting the tax code amended. As a result, a decade later many Foreign Service members continue to save tens of thou- sands of dollars when selling their houses. AFSA’s victories on issues such as the overseas pay gap and capital gains taxes obviously provided pocketbook benefits to individual members. But they also protected the long-term health of the Foreign Service as a whole, by removing poten- tial disincentives to overseas service. Thus, AFSA’s long history of advocating for the interests of the Foreign Service is not the record of a stereotypical union defending its turf, but rather the mark of a professional asso- ciation seeking to strengthen American diplomacy. AFSA must continue to play this role in the future. As we look ahead to the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Foreign Service by the Rogers Act of 1924, it is fair to ask whether our personnel system (last updated during the Carter presidency) is optimally configured for diplomacy in the 21st century. As it did a generation ago, in contributing to the drafting of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, it would be wiser for AFSA to take the lead in reform efforts than to leave it to others—well- intentioned or not—to chart the future of our profession. n John K. Naland was AFSA president from 2001 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2009. He is currently director of the Office of Retirement at the Department of State. Association for Diplomatic Study and Training (ADST) Got an interesting story to tell? Want to read one? The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training is a non-gov- ernmental, nonprofit organi- zation located at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Founded in 1986, ADST advances understand- ing of American diplomacy and supports training of foreign affairs personnel. We sponsor a publishing program and our collection of more than 1800 oral history interviews includes such fascinating interviewees as Prudence Bushnell, Terence Todman, and Kathleen Turner. Excerpts from the collection highlight the monumental, the horrifying, the thought-provoking, and the absurd. They reflect the reality of diplomacy, warts and all, mak- ing them a great resource for foreign affairs profession- als, scholars, journalists, and anyone else who likes a great read. Check us out at www.adst.org. “As we look ahead to the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Foreign Service by the Rogers Act of 1924, it is fair to ask whether our personnel system is optimally configured for diplomacy in the 21st century.” —John K. Naland (AFSA President, 2001-2003 and 2007-2009)