THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2024 49 2018 2014 Overseas comparability pay (OCP) is capped by law at two-thirds of Washington, D.C., locality pay. 2018 President Donald Trump issues executive orders restricting use of government resources by public-employee unions. Congress fails to enact appropriations, forcing partial government shutdown from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, in which State, USAID, and most diplomatic functions are affected. 2019 House of Representatives opens impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine. AFSA’s Legal Defense Fund disburses more than $485,000 to AFSA members called to testify. Leadership in Sustainability The League of Green Embassies started as an online best practices sharing portal at Embassy Stockholm in 2007. It has grown into a coalition of more than 100 U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, now based at Embassy Helsinki. —John David Molesky, FS family member and League coordinator, April 2014 FSJ. Diplomacy and Defense For most of us in the Foreign Service, one of the most striking developments in the 16 years since the 9/11 terror attacks has been a dramatic increase in synergy between the Department of State and the U.S. military. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of special operations. —FSO Steven Kashkett, “Special Operations and Diplomacy: A Unique Nexus,” June 2017 FSJ. Diplomacy in Cyberspace Cyber diplomacy is the quintessential 21st-century issue of our foreign policy, encompassing issues of human rights, security and economic policy. As countries around the globe are developing, and in some cases using, offensive and other cyber capabilities, the lack of any clear consensus on acceptable state behavior in cyberspace poses substantial risks. —Chris Painter, the first State Department coordinator for cyber issues, June 2018 FSJ. Advice from FSNs: Listen, Learn, Understand, Then Act Local employees are institution- builders, too, carrying out the daily tasks that enable the managing officer to focus on program management. They represent the continuity of a mission and, as such, will be the ones who continue to carry the torch long after individual supervisors have moved on to other posts. With this in mind, my advice to U.S. direct hires is to learn to have confidence in their Locally Employed staff by soliciting their input. —Helane Grossman, Human Resources Office, U.S. Embassy Paris, December 2018 FSJ. Economic Diplomacy Works —January-February 2019 FSJ. U.S. Embassy Helsinki. A U.S. Special Forces soldier distributes toothbrushes as part of a public health campaign.
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