The Foreign Service Journal, May 2006

First, not all Regional Information Management Centers have graded or scored their branch chief positions at the FS-2 level. Second, in each IMTS discipline — tele- phone, radio and digital — how many branch chief or supervisory positions are available relative to the number of technicians worldwide? Now compare the number of Information Program Officers, Information System Officers and other supervisory positions to the number of 2880s worldwide. There is clearly a disparity. Operational/Crisis Response. This elective is not clearly defined. For instance, does a TDY to critical- needs posts in evacuation status count? One foreign language at the 2/2 level, as tested by FSI. Unless the IMTS enters the Foreign Service fluent in a foreign language, the fact that the work demands con- stant travel makes obtaining the foreign language educa- tion required for a 2/2 nearly impossible. Non-traveling IMS personnel are favored from their entry into the department by being able to steadily attend language training at post. Service in an officially designated, critical-needs position. Only a limited number of RIMC offices are located in 15-percent or greater (hardship) differential and danger pay posts. Again, compare the complement of technicians to critical-needs RIMCs, and compare the complement of operations personnel to critical-needs posts. They don’t balance. In addition, any person or family member with less than a Class 1 medical clearance will not be able to fulfill this requirement. Service at an unaccompanied post. There are no F O C U S M A Y 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 39 David Fierstine joined the Foreign Service as a digital sys- tems specialist (IMTS/D) in 1990. Following a tour in Washington, he had four consecutive tours at the regional information management centers in Miami/Ft. Lauder- dale, Abidjan, Frankfurt and Tokyo. He is currently serv- ing as an information management technical specialist at the Regional Information Management Center in Bangkok. This article is adapted from a letter he wrote to HR/PE last year.