The following are Earl Anthony “Tony” Wayne's remarks on receiving the Director General’s Cup for the Foreign Service on May 5, 2017.

Thank you so much Director General Chacon for your very generous and gracious remarks. I am greatly honored to receive the Foreign Service Cup and to join the previous recipients, who represent so much of what I have deeply admired about our Service.

Being a member of that Service for 40 years, I would like to pay tribute to the 16,000 Foreign Service members serving around the world, as well as to those of you here today, who have contributed so much to achieving America’s goals and to defending its interests and values. Posted in some 270 Embassies, missions and consulates around the globe, as well as here in Washington, our Foreign Service, and their State Department civil servant colleagues, fulfill essential roles in helping America in this increasingly conflict-ridden and dangerous world.

My service in the US diplomatic corps started under President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger and finished under President Obama and Secretary Kerry. I was consistently proud of how we, as a Service, learned and adapted to serve our country through policy changes, the emergence of new priority issues, government reorganizations, budget shifts, and of course, many new bosses.

There were excellent innovations along the way, as well as some missteps. Yet, overall as a Service, we did our very best to accept change and to perform well. We strove to help America’s international policy be the best and most effective that it could possibly be. Of course, that effort reflects our decisions to choose a public service career focused on enhancing America’s international role and leadership.

That dedication to serve and our contributions to the U.S. government with our expertise as diplomats and international development workers are invaluable. We help prevent conflict and find solutions where conflict already exists. We open markets and support US companies. We assist US citizens abroad in many ways. We help other countries strengthen democracy, fight diseases, and reduce poverty. We work to build bridges of understanding with other nations. We help them overcome the aftermath of natural disasters and wars. Our work is essential to countering threats against our homeland from terrorists and criminals, working in partnership with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence colleagues, and we work with military colleagues on a wide range of missions, such as in Afghanistan. As you well know, the list is much longer.

With crises threatening around the globe, the need for America’s international leadership is stronger than ever. That leadership depends on a strong, professional Foreign Service with the knowledge and skills to promote and protect America’s interests. The solutions and partnerships America needs are not to be found in military might alone, as important as that is.

The Foreign Service must retain its core capacities and numbers, and continue to learn new skills to meet the challenges ahead. We need sufficient numbers of qualified staff flowing into, through and out of our Service. We should not again suffer the hollowing out of people and expertise that we experienced in the 1990s and during the Iraq and Afghanistan surges.

America’s so-called “soft power,” its diplomacy and assistance programs, is essential for our success. That is why so many retired military officials oppose proposals that would weaken diplomacy and development work. They know how our work helps to solve problems so that military action is not needed, and how our work helps forge solutions when military action is needed. They know these tools are cost effective.

The massive refugee flows, humanitarian crises and extremism emanating from conflict and disorder in the Middle East and Africa are clear indications of the workload and the risks facing our Foreign Service. We need not be shy about contributing ideas for the changes ahead in policy or organization, nor should we be shy in rallying support for the key part that we play in keeping America great.

I salute all of you here today who have given so much in the service of our country. I salute colleagues around the word who continue that legacy of outstanding service. And, I want to salute and sincerely thank one more person, my wife and closest partner, Pamela Wayne. We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary this month. She has been essential for me each step of the way.

I am humbled, Mr. Director General, by the great honor you have bestowed on me, and I deeply thank you. I look forward to continuing to do my part to assure that the important work of diplomacy and development flourishes in the service of our country.