64 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A Growing Alumni Network Our directory of retired members and alumni is in the mail. It’s a great tool, letting our members easily get in touch with colleagues—both retirees and those who were RIFed before retirement age. Arranged alphabetically by state, it will show you who among your colleagues and friends may be near you, helping us all stay in touch with our profession and our community. It also lists alumni/retiree organizations across the country. Equally helpful is the front resource section that helps members figure out whom to call with questions on retirement and/ or benefits after departure from the Foreign Service. your fundraising efforts, op-eds, outreach to Congress, and volunteer work, you’ve helped raise awareness about the Foreign Service’s role in protecting U.S. citizens and developing our national interests. We thank you for helping AFSA mitigate the steps taken to diminish the work of the Foreign Service. One final request: As you can imagine, many of our colleagues who have been RIFed and/or forced into RETIREE VP VOICE | BY JOHN O’KEEFE AFSA NEWS Contact: okeefe@afsa.org Our work for both our retirees and alumni remains a core activity. For example, we continue to work for parity with our military colleagues as we seek exclusion for a portion of the FS annuity from Virginia taxes. We also seek more equitable treatment of our RIFed colleagues who fell shy of the age requirements to receive a pension. We continuously monitor legislative work on the Hill to track initiatives that may affect you in retirement. The AFSA staff and Governing Board want to thank all the retirees who have stepped up to help with the many challenges 2025 has brought. Through early retirement are seeking new professional opportunities. AFSA plans to hold several employment-related webinars highlighting opportunities that fit with FSO skill sets and experience in the near future. If you know of any suitable opportunities, email AFSA Counselor for Alumni and Retirees Brian Himmelsteib at Himmelsteib@afsa.org, and he will get the word out. n AFSA Essay Contest Goes Live We continuously monitor legislative work on the Hill to track initiatives that may affect you in retirement. AFSA invites high school students outside the Foreign Service community across the United States and abroad to participate in the 2025-2026 National High School Essay Contest. A successful annual AFSA outreach program for 25 years, the contest offers an introduction to the world of diplomacy to students who might not otherwise hear about the Foreign Service. This year’s topic challenges students to consider the future of U.S. soft power and diplomacy in a world where critical institutions such as USAID, Voice of America, and major exchange programs have been drastically reduced or eliminated. In 1,000-1,500 words, students must argue whether the United States can maintain global leadership without these tools while focusing on the role and capacity of the U.S. Foreign Service in achieving diplomatic goals under such constraints. The winner will receive $2,500, an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., with their parents, and an educational voyage with Semester at Sea. The winner’s school will receive 10 copies of Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work, 3rd ed. Submissions are open to all U.S. high school students, including those abroad, and are due in April 2026. Children of Foreign Service members and AFSA employees are not eligible. For eligibility details, study resources, and submission guidelines, visit afsa.org/ essay-contest. Please help spread the word by sharing with your alma mater and with high schools in your local community. n 2024 AFSA Essay Contest winner Ian Rosenzweig with former Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma.
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