The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

“To Support and Defend the Constitution” The presidential election in November really was like no other that I remember (going back to 1940) or have read about (all the others). Just about everybody—the pollsters, media, pundits, the academy, late-night comics, entertainers, all Democrats, most Republi- cans and you and I—got it wrong. Even President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters were stunned, and the shock of the coastal elites was palpable. Within this maelstrom of emotion there are reports that some of our less experi- enced Foreign Service officer and specialist colleagues are confused and asking their peers and mentors what they are supposed to do now. The implication is that they are questioning how to serve the incoming president. I hope that these reports are inaccurate and exagger- ated. But just in case such thoughts hover in the minds of some colleagues, let me table a direct response. The answer, of course, is THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 51 pure and simple: all serv- ing members of the Foreign Service should continue to honor their oath of office by showing up for work and bringing all of their energy and talents to the tasks assigned. Let’s go back to the basics surrounding our oath “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Article II of the U.S. Constitution deals with the executive branch. There are only five executive branch officers of government men- tioned in Article II. Obviously, the first two are the presi- dent and vice president. The other three are diplomatic positions: ambassadors, ministers and consuls. We are all constitutional officers. The president of the Con- stitutional Convention was General George Washing- ton. One of the outstanding operational and intellectual leaders was Lt. Colonel Alex- ander Hamilton. They and their colleagues knew from experience that the very suc- cessful diplomacy of Frank- lin, Jefferson, Adams and the others enabled victory in war and made the formation of the United States possible. The Constitution reflects the fact that, for the founders, diplomacy mattered. Specifically, Article II, Section 2 states, “The President shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Sen- ate, appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court” and others We do not swear allegiance to an emperor, a king, a president, a political party, the blood of our ancestors or the like. We swear allegiance to a document with specific ideas and structures for governance. That is a wonderful concept. as established by statute— for example, the Secretary of State. Every diplomat since the enactment of the Constitu- tion has sworn in his or her oath of office “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”We do not swear allegiance to an emperor, a king, a president, a political party, the blood of our ancestors or the like. We swear allegiance to a docu- ment with specific ideas and structures for governance. That is a wonderful concept. Every Foreign Service officer and specialist, as constitutional officers and citizens, must honor and support the implementation of this concept every day, and particularly during a presidential transition. n Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA Retiree VP. Contact: boyatt@afsa.org | (202) 338-4045 RETIREE VP VOICE | BY TOM BOYATT AFSA NEWS her visit, her students would never have realized that someone like them—a regu- lar kid from South Jersey— could grow up to become a diplomat. While most of the attend- ees were from the Wash- ington, D.C., area, it goes without saying that AFSA is similarly grateful to all of our members across the country who have engaged in out- reach in their communities. The AFSA Governing Board made a conscious choice to place a significant emphasis on public out- reach during its term, and without the many members who share our belief in the importance of that mission, it would not have been as successful or wide-ranging as it has been in 2016. To learn more about how to become involved in AFSA outreach, please email speakers@afsa.org or visit www.afsa.org/speakers. n Outreach Event Continued from page 48