The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2004

44 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 ... IN ACTION Telling It Like It Is Ron Schlicher was honored with the Christian A. Herter Award for “unmatched courage and integrity” while serving in Israel and Iraq, deal- ing with some of the toughest and most politically charged issues facing the U.S. government today. The Team: Ron Schlicher (center, in suit) with his security detail from the Armed Forces Office of Special Investigations, and Military Assistant Col. Dale Shirasago (far right, in suit). They are standing in front of the Triumphal Arch — originally built to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s “victo- ry” over Iran — inside the Green Zone in Baghdad. Pictured from left, front row: Chris Garon, Kurt Playle, Craig Hotaling. Back Row: Mike Leinig, Ed Calter, Ron Schlicher, Ben Hatch and Dale Shirasago. Raising Morale in Kyrgyzstan Susanne Turner, community liaison officer for Embassy Bishkek and winner of the 2004 M. Juanita Guess Award, is credited with raising post morale and fostering a sense of community during a particular- ly difficult time for the embassy. Turner is pictured here (on right) with a local guide at a Kyrgyz yurt during an October 2002 visit to the caravanserai at Tash Rabat, not far from the Chinese border. The traditional caravanserai were rest stops along trade routes, and this one was a stop along the ancient Silk Road. The “Heart and Soul” of Embassy Kabul Jenny Jeras has been honored with the Delavan Award for her outstanding performance while serving as the office manage- ment specialist for the management section of Embassy Kabul. Described as the “heart and soul” of the embassy, Jeras helped keep the many sections of a rapidly expanding embassy coordi- nated and in good communication. Jeras is pictured here with the Embassy Kabul manage- ment section, and a few others. Standing, from left: Richard McInturff, John Shippy, Roy Vacho, Peggy Douglas, Chris Del Corso, Robert C. Wood, David Smith, Onnie Ogot and David McCrane. Seated, from left: Chad O’Brien, Jenny Jeras, Judie Pruett and Vincent Romero. Jeras notes that we should not be fooled by the pingpong table, “I have yet to see paddles or balls!” Ahead of His Time on Iraq The 2004 William R. Rivkin Award recipient is Keith Mines, who was honored for his dissenting opinion on Iraq policy. The gist of his viewpoint is clear from the title of his Dissent Channel Message, sent in May 2003: “Let the U.N. Manage the Political Transition in Iraq.” Keith Mines is pictured here (in suit) during a visit with Sheikh Latif, an influencial tribal leader. Mines toured Latif’s farm outside Ramadi, Iraq, while they awaited the arrival of several local tribal leaders.