THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 5 Above and Beyond Partisanship BY JOHN “DINK” DINKELMAN John “Dink” Dinkelman is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Meeting a deadline more than six weeks before publication is no easy task, and writing this column in late November reminds me why I never liked playing the stock market—I’m terrible at predicting the future. Given the “dynamic” nature of the past six weeks, I’m hesitant to even try to picture conditions in the new year. While I wish that by January the “Ship of State” would begin to steady itself, I hold out little hope that things will improve for the Foreign Service anytime soon. I reluctantly must conclude that we have no choice but to hunker down for the foreseeable future—both individually and collectively. The sad truth is that in 2025 Washington, any criticism is seen as opposition and any opponent is treated as an enemy. Dissent is not welcome and can lead to retribution. Such an environment does not bode well for Foreign Service professionals, whose greatest “value added” has historically been to point out unwelcome truths not easily seen from inside the Beltway; to play “devil’s advocate” and question conventional wisdom; and even to advocate for (and, when necessary, dissent from) contemplated courses of action. The year 2025 has turned into a “bear market” for diplomacy, and the administration is simply not buying our products. Nevertheless, I’m playing the long game on the investment in our profession and encourage you not to issue a “sell order” on diplomacy, at least not just yet. In preparation for a continued disruptive period for our nation and profession over the coming year, I want to reaffirm AFSA’s intention to maintain active and vociferous engagement on the broad spectrum of issues affecting the Foreign Service, while remaining nonpartisan. (See https://bit.ly/AFSA-statement.) I will do my best to ensure that such engagement is constructive and open, and hope that it will be received that way. For decades, AFSA worked directly with agency leadership to advocate for the Foreign Service. As those channels are now largely closed, we are adapting to this new reality and will be taking more aggressive public positions when necessary to register concerns and draw attention to problems confronting the Service. AFSA will be calling out executive overreach, judicial failures, and legislative inaction when they threaten the safety of FS families, undermine working conditions, or compromise our ability to serve the national interest. This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting the people who carry out U.S. foreign policy and ensuring they can do their jobs effectively. We will also address the increasingly divisive tone of discourse within the Foreign Service, which now mirrors the tone that has infected much of our nation’s public exchanges. How can we reasonably expect foreign interlocutors to see us as credible diplomats representing our nation when the tone of public interaction between and among our own ranks is anything but diplomatic? AFSA looks forward to partnering with like-minded elements within the foreign affairs community to (re)build dialogue among our ranks. This is more than just advocating for professional courtesies; it is a matter of whether we can continue to constructively apply the very skills for which we were hired. We must demonstrate these skills for the next generation entering the Foreign Service, who view the present situation as the norm. They need to see a workplace where our differences—be they points of view, educational or socioeconomic backgrounds, geographic origins, race, gender, or even political opinions—create a stronger whole, enabling the effective implementation of our nation’s foreign policy. We must provide space for all. Overseas, our children play together and attend the same schools, our spouses socialize together, and we live cheek to jowl in government housing, often in adverse conditions. We must not allow external forces of partisanship to damage our community or diminish the professionalism that underpins our work for the American people. Watch for more of this discussion— from me and others—on these pages in the coming year. Please add your voice by submitting a letter or article to the Journal (journal@afsa.org). I wish you all nothing but the best in 2026. May the year see a return to civility—and diplomacy. n
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