The Foreign Service Journal, March 2004

Y E A R I N R E V I E W AFSA Annual Report 2003 2 AFSA NEWS • MARCH 2004 January AFSA presents the first-ever AFSANational Alumni Service Awards to 12 AFSA retirees in recognition of their out- standing efforts to promote American diplomacy. The second installment of the Foreign Service Journal ’s series profiling the various foreign affairs agencies spotlights the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service. Retirees in California inaugurate an Elderhostel program on the Foreign Service in Ventura County. Nine FS employees receive the Sinclaire Language Awards for superior achievement while studying a “hard” language. The 2003 awards are given for the study of Albanian, Estonian, Greek, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish. AFSA writes to the State Department con- cerning untimely processing of Thrift Savings Plan contributions, and State management takes action to fix the problem. AFSA expresses concern that tenure boards are taking too long to publish results and issue letters of advice, and the department responds with steps to ensure that the boards’ work would be completed faster. February AFSA Communications Director Tom Switzer arranges a video- conference for a senior Asia expert to explain U.S. policy on North Korea to 30,000 households in northern New York via a regional cable network. To ensure that spe- cialist career candi- dates undergo the same termination proce- dures as generalists in the event the decision is made to seek to terminate a candidate’s appointment, AFSA asks the department to change the Foreign Affairs Manual. The department agrees. We inform the department of changes in the Office of Personnel Management’s regulations for the payment of overtime to DS agents in training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and ask that they be imple- mented immediately. Most agents receive overtime back pay by year’s end. AFSA conducts an extensive survey on the implementation of the Members of Household policy and forwards results to the Under Secretary for Management. The newly renegotiated collective bargaining agreement for the Foreign Agricultural Service is put into effect. Florida retirees present three weeks of Elderhostel programs on the Foreign Service. March The State Department Resource Management Bureau, in response to urging by AFSA, com- pletes computer upgrades enabling it to offer a full range of annuity allotments to retirees. AFSA successfully negotiates in favor of the establishment of a regional senior commercial officer position in El Salvador. AFSA reaches agreement with State manage- ment on the procedures and safeguards for placing certain security-record information before the promotion boards for FS-2s and above. Office Director for the Office of Brazil and Southern Cone James J. Carragher speaks to the International Associates as part of AFSA’s corporate membership program. Labor management staff help AFSA post reps address safety and health issues at a post where the chancery is undergoing extensive renovation. AFSA submits testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the MillenniumChallenge Account proposal. The House of Representatives passes H.R. 1307, the “Military Tax Fairness Act,” which contains changes to the capital gains tax exemptions on the sale of a principal resi- dence without including the Foreign Service. The Senate then amends the bill to include the Foreign Service—an addition for which AFSA has pushed hard. The Senate passes the new version and sends it back to the House. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and Director General Ruth A. Davis speak at the launch of AFSA’s 2003 edition of Inside a U.S. Embassy . April AFSA successfully negotiates the implementa- tion of a long-term language training pilot program at FCS, which begins in July 2003. AFSA successfully negotiates an important change with FCS to allow officers the flexibili- ty to select Temporary Duty or Permanent Change of Station status for long-term full- time training. AFSA proposes to State management mea- sures to protect employees from SARS, and successfully obtains modification to the authorized departure rules for China to allow single parents or either member of a tandem couple to take their children to a safe haven in the U.S. at government expense. The association successfully seeks adjustments to entry salaries for several Diplomatic Security agents who entered the Basic Special Agents Course in August 2002. AFSA’s outreach department arranges a panel of AFSA board members and staffers to explain Foreign Service careers to some 100 students at Georgetown University. AFSA President John Naland hosts a gradua- tion reception for colleagues completing the Job Search Program prior to retiring from foreign affairs agencies. AFSA submits testimony to the House Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriations Subcommittee urging adequate funding for the Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, embassy security and protection of soft targets. We successfully intervene with management to resolve several knotty USAID travel and transportation issues. May AFSA submits testimony to the Senate Commerce, Justice and State Appropriations Subcommittee urging adequate funding for the DRI, embassy security and protection of soft targets. We succeed in getting AFSA personnel-relat- ed provisions into both the House and Senate versions of the State Department authoriza- tion bill (Senate S. 925 and House H.R. 1950). AFSA successfully negotiates the implementa- tion of the Service Needs Differential concept, persuading FCS to endorse current State Department guidelines. The first recipient, Scott Behoteguy, left.