The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

them and how to obtain it. State’s policies are a mish- mash of provisions and exceptions, so answers to even simple questions can be difficult to come by — especial- ly if, like most family members, you lack easy access to the department intranet. The information deficit is compounded by the fact that in many cases procedures have not been established, so the employee (or spouse) may have to be quite proac- tive in pursuing benefits. My husband, for example, was initially told that he would not qualify for family visitation travel from Pristina. He took his case to the Bureau of Human Resources, making the point that if his children are not allowed at post, he is, in fact, unaccompanied. FVT was then funded to visit his children (visiting me was apparently an optional extra) and, because the travel was not R&R, he received hardship differential for the dura- tion of the visit worth several hundred dollars. Benefits for Iraq are clearer because they have been codified, to some degree, in an “Iraq Service Recognition Package.” A similar package exists for Afghanistan. Two cables sent last year, 07 State 98727 and 07 State 115815, spell out these programs’ provisions, but here is a sum- mary of benefits that service in “Afraq” triggers: • Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance; • Two R&Rs over a 12-month tour, plus home leave at the end of the tour; • Removal from “fair share” bidding status after six months at post; and • Classification as a full overseas tour for purposes of the 5/8 rule regarding continuous domestic service. In addition, if an employee leaves his or her current overseas post to serve a year in Iraq mid-tour, the family may remain in embassy housing, with embassy-paid school tuition for children. This is only possible because of extra funding through the Iraq supplemental appro- priation, and does not apply to any other post in the Foreign Service, including Afghanistan. Keeping in Touch Along with information, spouses cite a need for com- munication, both with the State Department and each other. Because most unaccompanied families do not reside in Washington, D.C., this presents a challenge. Nan Leininger, the Family Liaison Office’s unaccompa- nied tour specialist, estimates that only about 25 percent of UT families live in the Washington area, while 10 per- cent live overseas, either at the employee’s post or inde- pendently. The remaining 65 percent live at various loca- tions throughout the U.S. State does offer some UT resources (see sidebar, p. 34), such as a voluntary registry of unaccompanied family members. By registering, family members can sign up to receive newsletters and notifications of events and services for unaccompanied families. (Register by e- mailing FLOAskUT@state.gov. ) Events include month- ly brown-bag lunches at FSI, online “webinars” and the occasional picnic or coffee. Spouses may also join HomeFrontUS, a listserv spon- sored by FLO for current and previously unaccompanied family members. The group provides a forum to ask questions and share experiences. It also features FLO announcements for UT family members. This is a mod- erated Yahoo! Group with restricted membership. To join, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomefrontUS/, click “Join this Group,” and include your name and where your family will be (or has been) serving. Communication on a logistical level is important, but spouses also cite a deeper need for emotional support that can often extend to professional counseling, particu- larly when an employee has been posted to a very dan- gerous country. In general, spouses do not seem to depend on the State Department for this type of support, relying instead on friends, family and their own health- care network for the mental health needs of their fami- lies. Capie Polk, whose husband is currently serving in Iraq, typifies this perspective: “I have not availed myself of any State services specif- ically designed for UT spouses or otherwise, although I appreciate Nan Leininger’s e-mail updates and offers. She has made a real effort to keep me in the loop, and I do find some comfort in knowing that she and her office are there should I need help. In general, however, I do not feel part of any special State Department ‘family’ this year and probably would not turn to State first should I need assistance.” This feeling of isolation from the Foreign Service community is experienced at every level. Diana Negro- ponte, wife of Deputy Secretary of State John Negro- ponte and an active advocate for support services for unaccompanied families, recounts her family’s experi- ence in 2004-2005, when her husband was serving as ambassador to Iraq, and her children were exposed to daily media reports of the dangers of life in Baghdad. “For some of our four children, the consequence was F O C U S J U N E 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31