Retiree VP Voice

BY JOHN O’KEEFE

The past year has brought an assault on the professionalism of the Foreign Service, on AFSA, and on many of our individual members.

Despite the efforts to weaken us, we remain fully capable of representing our members, who continue to do the important work of giving frank opinion and analysis, delivering essential services to our citizens abroad, and promoting U.S. interests through steadfast diplomacy.

We have carried this out through conducting outreach to Congress, telling our story through the media, and representing our active-duty members facing difficult times.

Members of the AFSA Governing Board are profoundly moved by the number of volunteers who have stepped forward to help AFSA through its current crisis. In particular, our retirees have risen to the occasion to help fundraise and contributed to the AFSA Legal Defense Fund and other efforts that sustain our day-to-day operations and keep our fight moving through the courts.

Sometimes what doesn’t happen is as important as what does. Thanks in part to our legislative advocacy team, Kim Sullivan and Sean O’Gorman, initiatives negatively affecting retirees never made it to a vote in 2025.

For the year ahead, expect continued court battles on AFSA’s recognition as a union, the illegal dismantling of USAID and USAGM, and the State Department reductions in force.

The cost of these cases is staggering. We are also providing monetary and other support to USAID FS members who are appealing their RIFs to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

Fortunately, we have received significant pro bono legal representation in some of our lawsuits, and your contributions to the Legal Defense Fund have carried us through 2025.

In 2026 we expect a decision from the D.C. Circuit Court regarding our right to be recognized as a union while our case proceeds on the merits in district court. We also expect decisions in our other lawsuits and in MSPB RIF appeals. Should we prevail in any or all these cases, we expect the government to appeal. Click here for details on each of the lawsuits in which AFSA is involved.

We have alumni chapters spread throughout the country. If you would like to stand up one of these informal groups in your area, we would be pleased to help.

As a start, you might look at the 2025 alumni directory to see who else lives in your area. There are already active groups in Florida, Minnesota, California, Maryland, Virginia, and states in New England. For a full list of retiree associations, visit https://afsa.org/retiree-associations.

With the rewrite of the Foreign Service Act on the horizon, we will monitor the provisions that could affect FS retirees. We may call on you to contact your representative and senators to express your views on pending legislation.

To all my fellow retirees, all the best for 2026.