For Immediate Release
September 11, 2015
Contact:
Ásgeir Sigfússon, sigfusson@afsa.org, (202) 944-5508
Allan Saunders, saunders@afsa.org, (202) 719-9712

Washington, D.C. – On the third anniversary of the attacks on our diplomatic facility on Benghazi, Libya, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) honors the memory of our four fallen colleagues: Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Information Management Officer Sean P. Smith, and security officers Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

The deaths of Americans as they work on behalf of our country overseas should never be a political issue. We should all strive to ensure that our colleagues – whether in the Foreign Service, the military, or any other government agency – have the resources and support they need to carry out their duties in a safe and secure manner to further the foreign policy of the United States.

AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson made the following statement on this occasion: “On this, the third anniversary of the Benghazi attacks, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues by recommitting ourselves to the mission they died carrying out. The United States Foreign Service takes seriously its responsibility to represent our country and advance American interests around the globe, wherever we are needed—including in some very dangerous places. We accept the risks that come with this mission and ask in return that the memory of our fallen colleagues be honored by a continued strong American Foreign Service presence around the world—and by renewed efforts to mitigate danger where possible, including through providing the resources needed to accomplish our mission safely while serving abroad.”

As AFSA marks this solemn anniversary, we encourage all involved to dedicate themselves to keeping our personnel safe and secure while allowing them to do their jobs on behalf of the American people.

AFSA, the voice of the Foreign Service, is the professional association and labor union of the U.S. Foreign Service. Founded in 1924, AFSA represents 31,000 active and retired Foreign Service employees at the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Broadcasting Board of Governors.