The Foreign Service Journal, March 2006

M A R C H 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 5 This issue of the Journal focuses on the impact of diplo- matic service in Iraq on the Foreign Ser- vice, both the institu- tion and individual FS personnel and their families. Whatever one thinks of the war, we all have heard repeatedly that finding volunteers for Embassy Baghdad and the 16 new Provincial Reconstruction Teams is a top priority for Secretary Rice — and an important topic for this magazine to examine. The centerpiece of our coverage (see p. 17) is a compilation of responses to our recent survey on this subject con- ducted via AFSANET. The survey’s goal was not to draw statistically valid conclusions, but rather to use the more than 200 responses — more than a quarter of them from those who have served in Iraq — to define the issues most pressing in the eyes of FS mem- bers and explore their impact on us all. At a minimum, they reveal that current sentiment in the Foreign Service is var- ied and nuanced on this crucial issue and its components. After three decades of effort to have a diplomatic corps as diverse as our nation, today’s Foreign Service is a microcosm of American society. It reflects the same values and the same concerns, including about a number of issues related to Iraq service. Probably the two largest are why we have so many people there when it is impossible to do their jobs in a way they would describe as adequate anyplace else, and why we have this stark double standard on security that leads to the depart- ment’s relentless search for volunteers to work in circumstances an order of magnitude more dangerous than what would lead to the immediate closure of any other post in the world. To get the volunteers it seeks, State Department management needs to make a convincing case for service in Iraq, much as President Bush did this past fall to the American people. In addition to answering these staffing and security questions, it should also provide specific information about job content, the implications of not speaking Arabic, and the role of FS personnel vis-à-vis far more numerous contractors, political appointees, and military personnel at the mission. Much of what people know about Iraq service comes from the rumor mill and is outdated information from TDYers who served in the CPA and the early phases of our presence there. The survey shows that potential volunteers need information on what is happening with housing and other basic living issues and why it takes two to three days to get out and back on R&R. They also want to know what the department is doing to expand incentives for Iraq ser- vice, both on its own and in ways that require congressional approval. The announced creation of 16 Provincial Reconstruction Teams has raised its own questions. Given widely publicized DOD opposition to them, SecDef Rumsfeld’s references to bring- ing home about 20 percent of U.S. troops this year, and perceived political pressure on the administration to start disengaging in Iraq before the Novem- ber midterm elections, potential volun- teers are asking how PRTs will do their jobs and how they will be protected. As the representative of the Foreign Service, AFSA’s core position on service in Iraqmust be that our personnel need all the information about service there so they can make fully informed deci- sions about volunteering. AFSA also has strong positions on several related issues. No compromises are acceptable when it comes to their security. Career rewards must be transparent and based on quality of service, not just showing up. Every effort must be made to work with Congress and OMB to get the resources to be able to offer sufficient incentives to maintain a staffing model based on volunteers. The Foreign Service has repeatedly shown itself willing to serve in the most difficult and dangerous places in the world. It is, however, not polit- ical cannon fodder. Iraq is a war zone. Foreign Service personnel joined the diplomatic service, not the military. While the Foreign Service has a clear and vital role to play, blur- ring the distinction between diplo- matic and military service is not in our nation’s interest. n P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS Protecting Our Members and Our Service B Y J. A NTHONY H OLMES J. Anthony Holmes is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. No compromises are acceptable when it comes to the security of Foreign Service personnel serving in Iraq.