The Foreign Service Journal, February 2003

20 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 3 Watching…” has been expanded, and training for the geo- graphic and functional bureaus, and other agencies, such as the Peace Corps, for task-force deployment has been stepped up, particularly since the events of Sept. 11. In the 15 months since September 2001, CMS trained nearly 800 department personnel, compared to approxi- mately 450 personnel trained in the 20 months between January 2000 and September 2001. Trainees become familiar with the role of the Executive Secretariat and the Ops Center, are walked through the different aspects of task force work, and get an overview of the roles and responsi- bilities of task force participants. CMS trains the appropri- ate personnel for specific roles on a task force, such as the logger, who keeps the official record of the task force, and the deputy coordinator, who writes the situation report. CMS also conducts regular training for bureau post man- agement officers on how to draft evacuation documents and the procedures for clearing them. This training prepares individuals to jump into task force work, and spreads crisis- awareness more generally. After a review of the August 1998 terrorist bombings of Embassies Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, the Task Force Exercise program was revived in March 1999. This pro- gram, the domestic counterpart of the overseas Crisis Management Exercise program conducted at posts, is conducted by the Foreign Service Institute’s Crisis Management Training Team in the School of Leadership andManagement. The program is specifically designed to build department expertise in dealing with mass casualty/ mass destruction incidents. Task Force Exercises for each regional bureau are organized in coordination with CMS, and conducted in one of the Ops Center task force rooms, three to four times a year. FSI and CMS are continually working to refine the learning goals, scenarios and methodologies of the TFX program. CMS also works closely with FSI’s crisis manage- ment trainers in the development and implementation of the CME program for overseas posts. CMS program offi- cers regularly participate in CMEs overseas, representing theOps Center and bringing the department perspective to the table as posts consider their crisis response plans and procedures. F O C U S