The Foreign Service Journal, March 2020

12 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL MESSAGE FROM THE HILL We Need to Upgrade Our Diplomatic Capabilities BY REPRESENTAT I VE BR I AN J E F F ERY MAST T he most important and rewarding time of my life was the 12 years I spent in the U.S. Army. I became a bomb technician because I wanted to save lives and serve a cause greater than myself. I nearly gave my own life for that—I lost both my legs and a finger when a roadside bomb det- onated beneath me—and have known more heroes than I can count who died defending others. The selfless commitment of my brothers and sisters in arms, both on and off the battlefield, makes me truly believe that it takes a special kind of person to dedicate their life to serving our country. Members of the U.S. Foreign Service make this commitment each and every day to spread the values of freedom, democracy and liberty around the globe. In the current environment of great power competition and rivalry, I strongly believe that we need to upgrade our diplomatic capabilities and support them fully to match our adver- saries around the world. In particular, we need to address the documented shortage in core diplo- macy positions overseas. To this end, I have strongly urged the House Appro- priations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations to encourage the State Department to create and fill new Foreign Service positions at overseas posts. In my letter to the State Department, I specifically encouraged the agency to expand mid-level FSO positions—grades FS-3, FS-2 and FS-1—at overseas posts. Our goal must be to ensure that full complements of U.S. diplomats are staff- ing country teams, deployed around the world promoting U.S interests. I believe the documented deficit in overseas core diplomacy positions is a serious problem that needs to be addressed to ensure that America’s commercial, economic and political standing in the world does not atrophy or give way to rising near-peer competitors. That’s why it was so important to get this language included in the appropri- ations package that passed the House on Dec. 17, 2019, and was signed into law by President Donald Trump three days later. Representative Brian Jeffery Mast (R-Fla.) represents Florida’s 18th district. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2012. I believe the documented deficit in overseas core diplomacy positions is a serious problem that needs to be addressed to ensure that America’s commercial, economic and political standing in the world does not atrophy or give way to rising near-peer competitors.