AFSA NEWS 62 MARCH 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Stone Estate Donates to Fund for American Diplomacy AFSA is proud to announce that the estate of the late Ambassador Galen L. Stone II, a decorated WWII veteran and distinguished career diplomat, has made a generous donation of more than $52,000 to AFSA’s Fund for American Diplomacy. This fund supports programs aimed at educating Americans about the vital work of the Foreign Service and building broad support for U.S. diplomacy. Born on July 4, 1921, Galen Stone embodied a lifelong devotion to public service. After enlisting in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1942, he landed under fire at Normandy and three years later, at age 24, was appointed military governor in the Leipzig region of Germany, overseeing some 50,000 people. Following World War II, he returned to Harvard, graduated, and entered the Foreign Service in 1947. Over the years, Amb. Stone’s postings included stints at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers (SHAPE) headquarters in France, a midcareer assignment in India during two Indo-Pakistani wars, and time in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Later, he served as deputy chief of mission in Paris, resident representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, and ultimately as ambassador to Cyprus—where he helped manage tense relationships between the island’s Greek and Turkish communities. Following his retirement from the State Department in 1981, Amb. Stone continued in public service as a volunteer and philanthropist with more than a dozen organizations across the greater Boston area. He served as chair of the Board of Overseers of Northeastern University and trustee of the New England Baptist Hospital. He passed away on Jan. 23, 2018, at the age of 96, surrounded by family. The Stone estate’s generous donation will help ensure that AFSA can continue telling the Foreign Service story. If you are interested in including AFSA or the Fund for American Diplomacy in your estate planning, please contact AFSA’s Executive Director Ásgeir Sigfússon at asgeir@afsa.org. To learn more about the fund, visit www.afsa.org/fad. n Ambassador Stone with his beloved wife of 70 years, Anne Brewer Stone. COURTESY OF BREWER STONE Changes to Language Testing In cable 24 STATE 132470, dated Dec. 18, 2024, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) announced a major update to language proficiency testing. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, FSI transitioned to a single integrated test score based on speaking only, discontinuing its separate assessment of reading skills. This shift aims to better reflect the practical needs of Foreign Service members while streamlining training and evaluation. The update is part of FSI’s broader Curriculum Alignment Initiative, which focuses on real-world language tasks across 58 languages. The change is expected to reduce training extensions, facilitate timely transfers, and save administrative costs. Although not involved in the deliberations, AFSA was informed of the change and will closely monitor implementation. Under the new system, scores will integrate speaking and reading evaluations into a single rating. Officers previously ineligible for Language Incentive Pay (LIP) due to low reading scores will qualify beginning in 2025. FSI has confirmed that the speaking test format remains unchanged, and no action is required for those with scheduled tests. This update reflects FSI’s ongoing efforts to modernize its approach to language training and testing. Future phases will further integrate evaluations for reading, speaking, and listening. Employees with questions are encouraged to contact their HR representatives. n
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