The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2011

others responsible for preparing new COMs for their posts would help en- sure that bureau personnel are fully prepared to assist new chiefs of mission in identifying major policy issues and arranging for appropriate consultations. Similarly, we continue to entrust senior positions within the department to persons from outside the profession who are unfamiliar with the bureau- cratic and professional culture in which they must lead and function. To ad- dress this gap, we recommend devel- oping a familiarization course for new non-career officials based in Washing- ton. This course should focus on the structure and procedures of the de- partment, the interagency process and Washington power relationships, not on the responsibilities of chiefs of mission overseas — the subject of the seminar ambassadors now take before begin- ning their assignments in the field. Our report focused on the Depart- ment of State’s Foreign Service cohort, because that is where the competence of the American Academy of Diplo- macy is strongest. However, we rec- ognize that our partners in the business of diplomacy in USAID, Commerce and Agriculture have similar needs for expanded professional education and training. We strongly support reviews similar to this one in these other agen- cies. From Vision to Reality Significant obstacles to implement- ing our recommendations remain. Diplomacy continues to be little un- derstood and largely invisible to much of the American public. In Congress, negative stereotypes about diplomats persist, and — unlike the military, with its bases and indus- trial infrastructure across the country — the State Department can count on relatively few allies on Capitol Hill. We are continuing outreach efforts in Congress and the executive branch, ex- panding our dialogue with the Ameri- can public and developing alliances with other individuals and organiza- tions whose goals complement our own. Ironically, current budgetary con- cerns might be one such ally. In recent years, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a number of senior U.S. military of- ficers, long concerned with relentless force overstretch and mission creep, have been among State’s strongest ad- vocates. The Fiscal Year 2011 Depart- ment of Defense budget request, which includes overseas contingency operations funding for Afghanistan and Iraq, totals $708 billion, though as of late May the final authorization had not yet cleared Congress. Meanwhile, on April 14, the House and Senate approved legislation em- bodying an agreement between the Obama administration and congres- sional leaders to fund the government for the remainder of FY 2011. Signed into law on April 15, H.R. 1473 funds the State Department and Foreign Operations accounts at $48.98 billion, some $7.8 billion less than the admin- istration’s original request for $56.8 billion. We have been down this road be- fore, but this time the scenery has changed. The neat lines dividing diplomacy, development and defense have been blurred, and in some cases erased altogether. The natural part- ners of diplomats have ceased to be primarily other diplomats, or func- tionaries in ministries. Our Foreign Service officers urgently require the strongest possible preparation to meet the new challenges they face. As pro- fessionals, they cannot afford a return to the status quo. The American Academy of Diplo- macy’s diplomatic professional educa- tion and training report, taken together with the broad vision set out in the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Develop- ment Review, offers a specific, work- able road map. What is required now is the political will to transform this vi- sion into reality. J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 69 The heart of the report consists of eight specific recommendations to redress America’s chronic underinvestment in diplomacy and strengthen State’s professional development process. Dear Readers: In order to produce a high- quality product, the FSJ depends on the revenue it earns from advertising. You can help with this. Please let us know the names of companies that have pro- vided good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto dealership, or other concern. A referral from our readers is the best entrée! Ed Miltenberger Advertising & Circulation Manager Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: miltenberger@afsa.org You Are Our Eyes & Ears!