The Foreign Service Journal, March 2021

54 MARCH 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Americans overwhelmingly support diplomacy as the primary means of protecting our interests and security. Our Service should have a name that unambiguously tells them this is what we do. Alexander Titolo is a public affairs officer at U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo. Raise the Mandatory Retirement Age More diplomats and specialists than usual retired earlier than planned during the Trump administration. By most reports, it will take “years” to rebuild the diplomatic workforce. Consider raising the mandatory retirement age to match the Social Security full retirement age or, better, age 68. This can be phased in so that people who already have already served their 20, 25 or 30 years can still receive full benefits when they choose to retire under the age 65 rule. The reality is that people are living longer and healthier. Our new president is 78 years young! Correcting the arbitrary forced retire- ment age of 65 will help fix the current talent gap in the workforce. Specialists with specific skills, such as IT andmedical, are particu- larly difficult to recruit and retain. How about starting there? Cynthia Townsend is a Foreign Service medical provider at U.S. Embassy Luanda. Retire the “Ethos” Statement We did not need a reminder to be “champions,” to support and defend the Constitution, or to serve with “unfailing” professional- ism (as if we were at risk of failing unless reminded). Indeed, the Ethos statement became a reminder that senior leadership did not act with “uncompromising personal and professional integrity.” Examples were frequent, significant and damaging to the department and to career employees. Violations of law and policy without consequence (e.g., the Hatch Act) had significant negative effects. It is time to rebuild with genuine professionalism, integrity and diversity. We do not need an Ethos or vision statement to uphold those values. FSO David Tyler is director of the San Francisco Passport Agency. Put Diplomats Back “On the Street” While the threat of terrorismand the security upgrades have limited howmuch Foreign Service officers can venture out into the cities and countryside in recent years, I want to encourage the new administration to put the focus back on diplomats having contact with ordinary people. When I served in theMiddle East (Dubai, Damascus, Casablanca), many of the kudos I received for my reporting were the result of interacting with people “on the street.” Talking to the elites may provide some window on how a government ministry is functioning, but the heartbeat of any economy and society lies in the workers and how they can carve out a living. Diplomats belong outside the walls of the embassy or consulate, having exchanges with students, union leaders, activ- ists and the full range of a country’s social strata. Michael Varga is a retired State Department FSO in Wilton Manors, Florida. Prioritize Upgrading Technology The Biden administration can reinvigorate U.S. diplomacy by investing in 21st-century technology to enable a more nimble and technologically capable diplomatic corps. COVID-19 has moti- vated the department to do some upgrading, but it needs to go further. Diplomats needmobile phones with dual SIM cards and laptops to take frompost to post. They also need continued invest- ment in web- and cloud-based solutions that improve internal operations and enable modern interactions with external partners. Significant department resources are wastedmaintaining legacy systems that no longer serve the American people well and hinder the operations of diplomats overseas. The Bureau of Consular Affairs wastes serious amounts of money and employee hours on paper-based applications and out-of-date software sys- tems. These inefficiencies restrict the speed at which officers can assist U.S. citizens abroad and assess foreign nationals requesting consular services. By improving systems, fewer consular officers would be required abroad to support consular services. Thus, more officers Inter- agency C