The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

40 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Call on Chas Freeman Recruit retired Ambassador Chas W. Freeman Jr. as soon as possible for the transition team, and also for subsequent policy posts in the foreign affairs and/or national security fields. Helen Bridget Burkart and James E. Burkart FSOs, retired Bethesda, Maryland Sustain the Peace Corps Support and sustain the Peace Corps, a hallmark of America’s engagement in the world that redounds to the betterment of all and pays dividends in terms of influence and access. Robert E. Gribbin Ambassador, retired Springfield, Virginia The Rogers Act Established the Professional Foreign Service The 1924 Rogers Act established the Foreign Service as a profes- sional corps of commissioned officers approved by the Senate and serving at the pleasure of the president. In 1923 Representa- tive John Jacob Rogers (R-Mass.) led the initiative to create and maintain a flexible and democratic diplomatic corps that would attract and retain the best people for worldwide duty on the basis of proven merit. Admission into the Foreign Service was based on a competitive examination, probationary assignments and merit promotion into the career service. This act was further strengthened by legislation in 1946. The 1980 Foreign Service Act amended these previous laws and solidified anew that the Foreign Service is a professional corps of officers whose mission is to support the president and the Secretary of State in the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. It fur- ther stated that this professional corps includes consular officers and agents, and that the Foreign Service is deemed essential to the national interest. The long history of the Foreign Service and the names engraved in stone in the Department of State’s diplomatic entrance of those officers who have given their lives in service to our country attest to the need to maintain the independent integrity of the Foreign Service and its personnel and promo- tion systems, apart from other U.S. government recruitment and employment systems. Members of the Foreign Service include specialists in many fields—all of them in the several foreign affairs agencies serve our government and the American people on the front lines of U.S. national security around the world. Bruce K. Byers FSO, retired Reston, Virginia USAID Plays a Vital Role Temperature extremes, more intense droughts and less predict- able rains have had an impact on harvests, food security and livelihoods globally, with a potential to accelerate instability and conflict as resources become increasingly scarce. Through targeted programs and interventions, USAID Foreign Service officers have given communities and small-scale farmers the technology, information and skills to adapt crops and liveli- hoods to a changing climate, and to build resilience to natural disasters. Through a combination of early warning systems and natural resource management techniques that have evolved with a changing climate, these programs are supporting USAID’s goal to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies to advance our security and prosperity. Ani Zamgochian USAID FSO U.S. Embassy Guatemala City, Guatemala, and Janet Lawson USAID FSO Washington, D.C. Make Fair Pay for Locally Employed Staff a Priority Locally Employed (LE) staff members are the backbone of embassies and consulates around the world. Americans leave after a few years, but LE staff members stay in place, providing technical expertise, administrative support, security, language skills and host country expertise. Many of these dedicated pro- fessionals have died in the line of duty. Yet the State Department has failed to provide fair compen- sation for these indispensable employees. A 2009 report from State’s Office of Inspector General found that the LE staff com- pensation system is “inappropriate and inefficient” and “cannot be regarded as professional treatment of an irreplaceable, valued group of employees.” OIG found that lower-grade LE staff members in some coun- tries were paid at a rate that fell below minimum living stan-