The Foreign Service Journal, March 2017

70 MARCH 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL STAY INFORMED. STAY CONNECTED. AFSA Encourages Retiree Outreach On Nov. 9, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Ste- phenson attended a meet- ing with the Foreign Service Group of Austin, Texas. Led by former FSOs John Wood and Joe McLean, the group is composed of retired Foreign Service officers and family members, as well as academics and business people who have spent significant time outside the United States. Opening the meeting, Amb. Stephenson thanked the group for their work in reaching out to the public and telling the story of the Foreign Service to those who are not aware what members of the Foreign Service do. She also noted that retirees are a vital lifeline for AFSA, not only in telling the story of the Foreign Service but also in sharing with AFSA how people in their communi- ties see the Foreign Service. “We depend on you,” she said, “to keep us up to speed on how the Foreign Service is seen outside the D.C. Beltway, how foreign affairs issues are playing with the American public, how we at AFSA can better serve our members and, most importantly, how the Foreign Service can better serve the American people.” Discussing the recent U.S. presidential election, Amb. Stephenson spoke about AFSA’s engagement with congressional members on both sides of the aisle, and reiterated the commitment of members of the Foreign Service to provide the best advice to the new president and Secretary of State. “Our obligations remain the same from administration to admin- istration, from Congress to Congress,” she stated. In closing, Amb. Stephen- son encouraged the Foreign Service Group to continue their great work in reaching out to their families, neigh- bors and broader communi- ties, to share their expertise but also to humanize a profession which is frequently misunderstood and can seem distant and abstract. She congratulated them on the engagement of their mem- bership and their impressive schedule of activities, includ- ing bimonthly luncheons with prestigious speakers. The group then held a question and discussion ses- sion, reviewing topics such as the development of a domes- tic constituency, the foreign policy challenges facing the United States today and the challenges for the Foreign Service in this new world. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson meets with the Foreign Service Group of Austin to discuss their outreach efforts and the importance of telling the story of the Foreign Service to the American public. AFSA/MARIALIVINGSTON Calling All Retirees! AFSA’s recently launched 50-state outreach strategy aims at improving recognition of and support for the Foreign Service among the general public, and we are looking to engage with you! Are you part of a Foreign Service retiree group in your area? Contact AFSA (member@afsa.org) , and let us know about your group and its activities. We hope to feature a number of retiree groups in The Foreign Service Journal ’s bimonthly “Retiree Corner.” n RENEWI NG YOUR RET I REE I D CARD Diplomatic Security issues retiree ID cards that provide limited access to the Harry S Truman building. State Department retirees are reminded of the two-step process to obtain or renew a retiree ID card/ access badge: (1) complete DS-1838 at State’s Office of Retirement at Columbia Plaza (202) 261-8960 and (2) proceed to Diplomatic Security Identification Services at Main State, where you must present two forms of identification, at least one must be a photo ID. For the complete procedures, visit the AFSA website at www.afsa.org/new-retiree-id-cards. Information about other retiree services offered by AFSA is available at www.afsa.org/retiree. n NEWS BRIEF