The Foreign Service Journal - March 2018

AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2018 57 CALENDAR March 15 Deadline: AFSA Scholarship Applications March 15 11:59 p.m. Deadline: AFSA National High School Essay Contest March 21 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting March 29 4:30-6:30 p.m. AFSA Networking Happy Hour April 1-5 AFSA Road Scholar Program Washington, D.C. April 17 Tax Day: Your Tax Returns Are Due Today April 18 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting May 4 Foreign Service Day/AFSA Memorial Ceremony May 16 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting May 25 Deadline: AFSA Dissent and Performance Award Nominations June 3-8 AFSA Road Scholar Program Chautauqua, N.Y. AFSAMemorial Ceremony and Rolling Moment of Silence The annual AFSA Memorial Ceremony will take place during Foreign Service Day, May 4, in the Department of State’s C Street lobby at a time yet to be determined. AFSA President Ambas- sador Barbara Stephen- son will preside over the ceremony. This year, AFSA will add two names to the honor roll of those who gave their lives in service to the nation: Andy Jordan, who died in Juba, South Sudan, in December 2016, and Selena Nelson- Salcedo, who passed away in Bratislava, Slovakia, in June 2017. An upcoming issue of AFSA News will include coverage of the ceremony, as well as biographical pieces on both honorees. We invite the Foreign Ser- vice family, as well as Andy and Selena’s families, friends and colleagues to join us as we honor them during this solemn occasion. JO I N AFSA FOR FORE I GN SERV I CE DAY State Department retirees and Foreign Service retir- ees of other U.S. foreign affairs agencies are welcome to attend the State Department’s annual homecom- ing event, Foreign Service Day, on Friday May 4. In addition to remarks by senior State Depart- ment officials, Foreign Service Day also includes the AFSA Memorial Ceremony honoring FS personnel who have died while serving abroad under circum- stances distinctive to the Foreign Service. State will also host off-the-record seminars on foreign policy issues and a luncheon. Reservations for the luncheon will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Payment by personal check, made payable to “Foreign Affairs Day,” must accompany the reservation. In recent years, the luncheon has sold out quickly, so mail in your RSVP card and pay- ment as soon as possible. Retirees who haven’t attended Foreign Service Day recently may request an invitation by emailing the following information to foreignaffairsday@state. gov: first and last name, date of birth, retirement date, whether Civil Service or Foreign Service, U.S. foreign affairs agency from which they retired, mail- ing address, phone number and email address. n ANNOUNCEMENT AFSA is now seeking nominations for our Constructive Dissent and Exemplary Performance Awards. See page 68 for details. We also invite our col- leagues currently serving overseas to join us in a worldwide rolling moment of silence, which is set to take place at noon local time at posts all across the globe on Foreign Service Day. We ask posts around the world to pause for a moment in a gesture of respect and remembrance for our fallen colleagues. Watch for an upcoming AFSANet with details on this event. n