The Foreign Service Journal, March 2009

J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 To Your Health By John K. Naland S PEAKING O UT / 13 Twelve Recommendations to Improve the Security Clearance Process By Daniel M. Hirsch R EFLECTIONS / 76 Precious Time By John K. Naland L ETTERS / 6 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 12 B OOKS / 69 I NDEX TO A DVERTISERS / 74 Cover and inside illustration by Jeff Moores F O C U S O N G o i n g I t A l o n e E DITOR ’ S I NTRODUCTION / 18 By Steven Alan Honley S UPPORT FOR U NACCOMPANIED A SSIGNMENTS / 20 The Family Liaison Office and other State Department elements offer help to Foreign Service families before, during and after unaccompanied tours. By Bridget Roddy C OPING WITH S EPARATION : T ANDEM C OUPLES / 29 Besides the obvious personal difficulties, separated tandem couples face an expensive tour with minimal financial aid. By Annie Simpkins A N E VACUATION S URVIVAL G UIDE / 31 Chances are that most Foreign Service families will undergo an ordered departure. Here are some tips on how to make the best of it. By Kelly Armstrong I NSIGHTS FROM THE F IELD / 36 AFSA members and their families share their experiences managing long-term separations. By Steven Alan Honley F E A T U R E T HE L EPROSY C LINIC : M ADRAS , 1956 / 43 More than a half-century before the term “transformational diplomacy” was coined, it was the norm for American diplomats in the field to be engaged in changing lives. By Susan Ingraham A F S A N E W S AFSA W ELCOMES S ECRETARY C LINTON TO S TATE / 49 P RESIDENT O BAMA AND V ICE P RESIDENT B IDEN V ISIT S TATE / 49 N EWS B RIEFS / 50 VP USAID: T HE F OREIGN S ERVICE ’ S P OOR C OUSIN / 51 VP FAS: W HY FAS A DOPTED THE F OREIGN S ERVICE S YSTEM / 52 S EC . C LINTON A DDRESSES USAID E MPLOYEES / 53 AFSA A NNUAL R EPORT 2008: T URNING THE T IDE / 54 C LASSIFIEDS / 67 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 3 C ONTENTS March 2009 Volume 86, No. 3