The Foreign Service Journal, January 2005

American Foreign Service Association • January 2005 Inside This Issue: BRIEFS: USAA .....................................2 FS WOMEN AT STATE .....................3 THE RESERVES & THE FILES .............3 FCS NEW YEAR’S WISH.....................4 RETIREES: ALPHABET SOUP..............5 MEMO OF THE MONTH ....................8 Q&A: RESIDENTIAL FURNITURE ........9 AFSA NEWS T ime is running out to send in your nominations for AFSA’s 2005 Constructive Dissent and Exemp- lary Performance Awards. We need your help to carry on our proud tradition of recognizing and rewarding Foreign Service employees who are willing to challenge the system from within and take a stand for what they believe. AFSA is the only organization representing fed- eral employees to actively encourage and publicly honor those who are the “risk- takers” and “shin-kickers” in our midst. As AFSA President John Limbert was quoted in an Associated Press article on last year’s awards ceremony, “We honor dissent and we honor our colleagues’ right to dissent.” Informationon submitting a nomina- tion was detailed in the December 2004 AFSANews and is alsopostedon theAFSA Web site at www.afsa.org/awards, alo ng with a nomination form. Send questions toBarbaraBerger, Coordinator for Profes- sional Issues, at berger@afsa.org. Please take the time to send in your nomination now. The deadline is Feb. 25. ▫ IRAQ SERVICE AND PROMOTIONS When Appreciation Crosses the Line A FSA reacted strongly against the message sent worldwide by the department repeating a congratu- latory statement fromAmbassador John Negroponte to employees of Embassy Baghdad on their high rate of promo- tions. AFSA has no objection to an ambassador expressing pride in the accomplishments of those who have served or are serving at hismission. What AFSA does object to is implying or stat- ing that those who serve in a particular post will be rewarded with promotions. The bluntly-worded AFSANET sent out by AFSA State Vice President Louise Crane on the topic generated a strong response fromthe field: over 200 respons- es, all but a few of them supporting the AFSA position. The responses came in fromForeign Service employees fromall ranks, including officers who have served in Baghdad and have since been promot- ed. As AFSA President John Limbert explains, any implication that service in Iraq gives employees a leg up on promo- Continued on page 7 LAST CALL FOR AFSA AWARD NOMINATIONS Help AFSA Honor Dissenters Foreign Affairs Council Gives Secretary Powell High Marks See page 4 for full story I n two recent grievance cases, USAID has refused to implement the decisions of the Foreign Service Grievance Board. AFSA is urging that USAID take immediate action to implement both decisions. The Foreign Service Grievance System exists to provide ameasure of justice and due process to Foreign Service employ- ees: that’s why Congress mandated it in the Foreign Service Act of 1980. The rules of the game and the law are clear: a Grievance Board decision is binding on the parties unless or until a judicial appeal overturns it, and both parties—agencies Continued on page 6 FOCUS ON GRIEVANCES USAID Refuses to Comply with FSGB Decisions