Retiree VP Voice

BY JOHN O’KEEFE

Our directory of retired members and alumni is in the mail. It’s a great tool, letting our members easily get in touch with colleagues—both retirees and those who were RIFed before retirement age. Arranged alphabetically by state, it will show you who among your colleagues and friends may be near you, helping us all stay in touch with our profession and our community.

It also lists alumni/retiree organizations across the country. Equally helpful is the front resource section that helps members figure out whom to call with questions on retirement and/or benefits after departure from the Foreign Service.

Our work for both our retirees and alumni remains a core activity. For example, we continue to work for parity with our military colleagues as we seek exclusion for a portion of the FS annuity from Virginia taxes.

We also seek more equitable treatment of our RIFed colleagues who fell shy of the age requirements to receive a pension.

We continuously monitor legislative work on the Hill to track initiatives that may affect you in retirement.

We continuously monitor legislative work on the Hill to track initiatives that may affect you in retirement.

The AFSA staff and Governing Board want to thank all the retirees who have stepped up to help with the many challenges 2025 has brought. Through your fundraising efforts, op-eds, outreach to Congress, and volunteer work, you’ve helped raise awareness about the Foreign Service’s role in protecting U.S. citizens and developing our national interests. We thank you for helping AFSA mitigate the steps taken to diminish the work of the Foreign Service.

One final request: As you can imagine, many of our colleagues who have been RIFed and/or forced into early retirement are seeking new professional opportunities. AFSA plans to hold several employment-related webinars highlighting opportunities that fit with FSO skill sets and experience in the near future.

If you know of any suitable opportunities, email AFSA Counselor for Alumni and Retirees Brian Himmelsteib at Himmelsteib@afsa.org, and he will get the word out.