The Foreign Service Journal, April 2015

10 April 2015 | the foreign Service journal America’s diplomacy and national secu- rity. Indeed, all 12 of my Foreign Service classmates in 1981 were either retired or prior military members. That was the norm for the State Department’s cadre of communications officers and technicians at that time. I served as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy from 1975 to 1979, then worked in the Civil Service for both the Army and Air Force before my appointment as an FS-9 support communications officer in January 1981. I retired from the Foreign Service in January 2007. It should also be noted that a large number of State Department civil ser- vants are also U.S. military veterans. These employees directly support Foreign Ser- vice operations abroad, especially within the Bureaus of Information Resource Management and Diplomatic Security. Thanks again, AFSA, for your expres- sion of interest and your recognition of the vital service provided by America’s military veterans across the generalist and specialist corps of the Foreign Service. I’m proud to say that veterans have been and will continue to be a key factor in the ultimate success of the department’s global mission. Timothy C. Lawson Senior FSO, retired Hua Hin, Thailand Taking the Point The three responses in the March issue to Rachel Schneller’s Decembe r letter, which called on AFSA to pay greater attention to diversity, certainly confirm that she struck a painful nerve. Ironically, however, the writers’ zeal to defend AFSA and the Foreign Ser- vice only underscores the point Ms. Schneller was making: To fix a prob- lem, one first has to recognize it. For instance, retired FSO Herbert Levin says he doesn’t “recall that the folks on the other side of the table ever cared if the U.S. teamwas composed of Aleut lads or the sons of Vermont hill farmers.” Unless Mr. Levin possesses telepathic powers, I’m confused as to how he knows that is the case. Moreover, the very way he frames the discussion mistakes an assort- ment of white males for genuine diversity. Retired ambassadors Edward Peck and Edward Marks, both members of the AFSA Awards and Plaques Committee, correctly point out that the committee’s mission is to honor constructive dissent and exemplary performance—not to strive for a particular set of demograph- ics among the winners. Yet apparently, neither sees anything remarkable about the fact that year after year, most winners of AFSA’s dissent awards continue to be white males. Personally, I think it would be well worth AFSA’s time to look for ways to solicit more nominations that reflect the full diversity of today’s Foreign Service. In her letter, Ms. Schneller suggested one way to proceed: Each of us could make a conscious effort to mentor colleagues who are not members of our own demo- graphic group, and nominate them for AFSA awards. Drawing on my experience as the Journal’s editor (2001-2014), I’d like to propose a complementary approach. Periodically, I contacted each of many affinity groups in the foreign affairs agen- cies to invite their members to contribute articles to our pages, explain- ing the process and offering to answer any questions they might have. I also made clear that all submissions, what- ever the source, are approved by the For- eign Service Journal Editorial Board. That outreach brought in some good articles over the years, which we very likely would not have gotten otherwise. Admittedly, I never heard anything at all frommany of those affinity groups, and only a few of the individuals who did express interest in contributing material to the magazine ever followed through. But speaking as a white male myself, I still think it is worthwhile to make sure every- one knows that all AFSA members are welcome to share their insights and views with their Foreign Service peers. In that spirit, I respectfully encour- age AFSA to use the network of affinity groups to invite all members of those organizations to nominate colleagues for its awards each year. I am confident that such targeted outreach will broaden the talent pool and enhance the quality of the selection process, whoever the winners may be. Steven Alan Honley Former FSO Washington, D.C. Diversity and Objectivity We respectfully take issue with FSO Rachel Schneller’s letter (“More Diversity on FSJ Pages, Please”) in the December 2014 Foreign Service Journal . In addition to “valuing diversity for its own sake,” as the letter states, Americans value achieve- ment for its own sake, including the special contributions that dissent award winners regularly make to American diplomacy and the integrity of our For- eign Service. In making the head-turning, improb- able assertion that “We are going to be biased in favor of our own demographic,” Ms. Schneller in effect contends that the four winners could not have been the most deserving because they were white males. This stands objectivity on its head,