The Foreign Service Journal, May 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2020 25 Speaking Out is the Journal ’s opinion forum, a place for lively discussion of issues affecting the U.S. Foreign Service and American diplomacy. The views expressed are those of the author; their publication here does not imply endorse- ment by the American Foreign Service Association. Responses are welcome; send them to journal@afsa.org. We need to better inform Americans of the risks diplomats voluntarily undertake to serve our country. Like their military counterparts, U.S. diplomats must be deployable worldwide, including in conflict zones. All of the positions in Iraq, Afghani- stan, Pakistan, Libya and other conflict zones have been filled by FSOs who chose to serve there, despite the fact that these embassies are some of the largest and most dangerous in the world. The American Foreign Service Association’s memorial plaques at State Department headquarters list the honored names of those killed in the line of duty in war zones and regular service across the globe. Congress and other audiences would likely appreciate the opportunity to better understand the challenges our diplomats and their families face and the kind of work we do on a daily basis. The State Department could do much more to highlight the impact FSOs are mak- ing in war zones and across the globe in achieving U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives. A formal department program to encourage FSOs to write about their successes and challenges for publication is one suggestion. Another would be to invite congressional leaders and policy- makers and opinionmakers to the Depart- ment of State’s annual award ceremony, and AFSA’s, to see FSOs recognized for their extraordinary achievements, often obtained in harrowing circumstances. The State Department should encour- age diplomats to write and publish as widely as possible (with the obvious disclaimer that their views are their own). Admittedly, the Foreign Service values discretion by nature, so this will take some cultural change. But such initiatives are essential to defining and commu- nicating who we are as diplomats, and articulating the unique principles and tradecraft that underpin our profession. Professionalizing for Great Power Competition As we gear up for what will likely be a decades-long competition with Rus- sia and China, FSOs must be at the top of their professional game. Convincing Congress and the American people to provide funds to strengthen the U.S. For- eign Service will require us to define what we bring to the field of battle. We can begin this process by invest- ing more in defining our profession, enhancing our professional education and inserting ourselves into the national foreign policy debate. U.S. military offi- cers’ approach to their own profession offers FSOs an excellent model. What Samuel Huntington said in 1957 of the military officer corps is equally true of today’s U.S. Foreign Service: “[It] is strongest and most effective when it closely approaches the professional ideal; it is weakest and most defective when it falls short of that ideal.”The proposals in this article are offered in the spirit of getting us there. n