The Foreign Service Journal, March 2009

M A R C H 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 19 growing prevalence of evacuations. Indeed, in my introduction to that focus section, I speculated that the first decade of the 21st century might one day come to be known as the “Era of Evacuations.” Happily, I was wrong in making that prediction! Evacuations still occur, of course, and I certainly do not mean to minimize their impact. But it turns out that a different phenome- non developed after 9/11, one that fundamentally altered the nature of diplomatic service and appears to be per- manent. Many if not most of our overseas posts have always been in remote, unhealthy locations, and travel to and from them was often time-consuming and dangerous. (Examine the hundreds of names and causes of death en- graved on the AFSA Memorial Plaques in the State De- partment’s C Street lobby if you have any doubts on that score.) Nor are armed attacks by terrorists, rebels and even host governments anything new to American diplo- mats, alas. Even so, only a handful of posts were designated for unaccompanied service on an ongoing basis —until 9/11. Since that tragic day, the number of unaccompanied po- sitions has shot up from around 200 to more than 900, and more than 20 posts are currently on the list of fully unac- companied missions. Despite the best intentions, the State Department was slow to respond to this sea change — and even slower to devote appropriate resources to the Family Liaison Of- fice (which itself only came into existence 30 years ago) and other offices tasked with assisting Foreign Service employees and their families affected by prolonged sep- arations. Still, there has been progress, as Bridget Roddy, FLO’s unaccompanied tour support officer, explains in her overview of the department’s “Support for Unaccompa- nied Assignments” (p. 20). For example, her position was established in 2005, and FLO added a full-time unac- companied tour program assistant last year. In addition to those two positions, other portfolios in FLO also support employees and family members before, during and after an unaccompanied tour. In this regard, a key objective is to work with the regional bureaus and human resource officers to encourage and facilitate Eligible Family Mem- ber hiring at unaccompanied posts, where possible. Many of these programs and ini- tiatives stem from collaborative ef- forts by various offices within the department, including the Family Li- aison Office, and from posts overseas. Advocacy groups like Associates of the American Foreign Service World- wide (formerly known as AAFSW) and AFSA, to name just two, have also played important roles. The lesson is clear: Both as an organization and as a community, we all have to work together to continue to adapt to the changing Foreign Service. A subset of the unaccompanied tour conundrum that sometimes is overlooked is the situation of tandem cou- ples assigned to separate posts. Making matters worse, this most often happens to entry-level families, who tend to be less familiar with how the “system” works (or does not) and the support mechanisms that are available. First-tour FSO Annie Simpkins tells her own story and offers prac- tical tips for “Coping with Separation: Tandem Couples” (p. 29). Many of her pointers are equally applicable to other members of the Foreign Service community. I’ve already alluded to the special challenges that evac- uations pose, but FSO spouse and former FSO Kelly Armstrong gives us a comprehensive “Evacuation Survival Guide” (p. 31). Even veterans of ordered departures will find useful information therein. Last but certainly not least, we are pleased to present a set of vignettes and reflections contributed by Foreign Service personnel and their families who have served un- accompanied tours, in response to our AFSAnet appeals for individual stories (p. 36). These accounts of prolonged separations due to, in the famous phrase, “the needs of the Service,” run the gamut from lessons learned (and not) to pleas for more attention to the issue and some poignant memories. More than two centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin fa- mously observed to his fractious colleagues in the Conti- nental Congress that “If we do not hang together, we shall most assuredly all hang separately.” He was warning of the consequences of military defeat, of course. But Franklin’s metaphorical point about the importance of unity, and the need to support each other, also applies to today’s Foreign Service — whether we are serving along- side our families or are living and working thousands of miles away from them. — Steven Alan Honley F O C U S The number of unaccompanied positions has shot up from around 200 to more than 900.