AFSA NEWS Contact: naland@afsa.org RETIREE VP VOICE | BY JOHN K. NALAND While many things happening today are out of our control, one thing we can do is ensure that our next of kin know how to obtain survivor benefits when we die. When an active-duty Foreign Service member dies, their agency initiates the process of authorizing survivor benefits. When a Foreign Service retiree dies, however, their next of kin must take the first step. But many family members are unfamiliar with offices and functions in Foreign Service agencies, so Providing for Your Next of Kin programs alone add $45 billion of U.S. economic activity every year. And U.S. agricultural exports generated $400 billion of related U.S. economic activity in 2024. Our small but mighty corps of Foreign Service officers has been posted around the world for nearly 100 years, bringing the bounty of American agriculture to global markets— making the United States stronger, safer, and more prosperous. n survivors often do not know where to start. And after the State Department terminates the deceased retiree’s pension, survivors can sometimes go for months without income while they attempt to figure out and follow the process to apply for a survivor annuity. To assist survivors with quickly initiating the necessary actions, AFSA created a list of seven steps to take in the event of the death of a Foreign Service retiree. The steps include contacting the State Department’s Human Resources Service Center, filing claims for Thrift Savings Plan and Federal Employees Group Life Insurance benefits, and notifying AFSA. The complete checklist can be found in the 2025 AFSA Directory of Retired Members on pages 24 and 25. A one-page version is posted at https://afsa.org/ retirement in the section “What Surviving Spouses and Children Need to Know.” We suggest that retirees download and print the checklist (perhaps on a brightly colored sheet of paper), show it to your next of kin, and leave it in a place where they can easily find it if the need arises. n USAID Alumni Group Fundraising The USAID Alumni Association (UAA) is raising funds to assist staff affected by recent USAID reductions in force (RIFs). In one-hour time windows on Feb. 27 and 28, Washington-based USAID employees were granted 15-minute access to their offices in the Ronald Reagan Building to collect personal belongings. In a show of support for the dedicated public servants of USAID, colleagues, community members, and AFSA officials and staff participated in the two days of farewell and thank you “clapouts” for USAID employees leaving the building. Ahead of the farewells, the USAID Alumni Association (UAA) launched a GoFundMe campaign, “Support USAID Staff in Transition,” to raise funds to supply packing materials, food, and drinks to USAID employees leaving their former offices in the Ronald Reagan Building. As it happened, there was so much support from the community the funds were not needed for that event and are available for subsequent pack-outs at the USAID annexes and other needs. As of early March, UAA had raised more than $6,500 and will utilize the funds to support USAID staff in transition. UAA has been and continues to advocate for USAID and fosters networks among former USAID employees, promoting the exchange of knowledge and leveraging alumni expertise to support U.S. foreign assistance work. Donate at https://bit.ly/USAIDfund. n FAS VP VOICE Continued from previous page AFSA created a list of seven steps to take in the event of the death of a Foreign Service retiree. THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL-MAY 2025 71
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