This year AFSA is honoring 12 U.S. career diplomats whose moral courage during the Holocaust exemplified the highest ideals of constructive dissent. Working individually under extraordinary pressure, and often at great personal risk, these men stood against indifference and bureaucratic paralysis to save lives, resist persecution of others, and uphold humanitarian principles. AFSA created this special Posthumous Dissent recognition to honor Foreign Service members whose actions met the bar for constructive dissent, choosing duty to humanitarian principle when policy fell short. The nominations came from historian Eric Saul, who first approached AFSA years ago with extensive research and later submitted specific cases that clearly evidenced dissent. This year’s honorees follow in the path of Hiram “Harry” Bingham IV, whom AFSA recognized in 2002 for similar rescue efforts during the Holocaust. In Moscow and later in Ankara, Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt (1892-1950) used every diplomatic and personal resource available to him to save lives. One of America’s most experienced envoys, Steinhardt served in Sweden, Peru, the Soviet Union, Türkiye, Czechoslovakia, and Canada. While posted to Moscow and Ankara during the height of Nazi persecution, he worked with the War Refugee Board, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and the Vatican’s Monsignor Angelo Roncalli (later Pope John XXIII) to coordinate the rescue and transit of thousands of Jews from Eastern Europe. His correspondence and instructions to his staff reflected a deliberate choice to use diplomacy as a tool of compassion, even when official channels offered little guidance or support. POSTHUMOUS AWARDS FOR DISSENT 32 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Honoring Moral Courage in the Face of Injustice AFSA honors her for modeling the essence of constructive dissent at the Senior Foreign Service level: advocating systemic change with integrity, intellectual rigor, and respect for the institution. Her approach was collaborative, not confrontational. She gathered wide input and built what she described as “a true coalition for change.” Her nominator observed, “Carrie could have chosen to quietly finish her career. Instead, she challenged long-standing assumptions about leadership accountability, pushed for safeguards to protect her colleagues, and presented solutions that, if adopted, could transform workplace culture.” Muntean joined the Foreign Service in 2001 after earning degrees from Adelphi University and The George Washington University, serving overseas in Luanda, London, Panama City, Moscow, and Managua, and leading the U.S. consulate in Porto Alegre. Domestically, she held multiple roles in the Bureau of Consular Affairs and served as deputy director for Central American Affairs. Over the years she received more than 10 Superior Honor Awards and meritorious step increases. Since retiring with the rank of Counselor, she has continued her lifelong commitment to leadership development by coaching with the Foreign Service Institute and contracting with ESGI Potomac to help federal employees transition to the private sector. At the October 1 AFSA awards ceremony, Muntean expressed gratitude to colleagues Maura Harty, Laura Dogu, Hugo Rodriguez, Marta Youth, Johanna Villalobos, and Stacy Williams, who were among those who inspired her dedication to leadership reform, and to her family for their patience with her passion for leadership development. She encouraged current Foreign Service members to stay engaged: “Keep your heads down and your eyes and ears open for opportunities.” Reflecting on the award, she said, “It is validation that there was value in my efforts in the final year before I retired, even if the powers that be did not see it.” Carrie Muntean’s work reminds us that dissent is a form of stewardship. By confronting uncomfortable truths about leadership accountability and employee well-being, she captured the spirit of the Christian A. Herter Award. “Dissent does not mean disloyalty or disobedience.” —Carrie Muntean
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