The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

husband is here on leave and his family all come to visit!” While State can’t solve this problem, it would certain- ly help to significantly increase the Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance, as AFSA has repeatedly advo- cated. Spouses are not on the bread line, but they are pulled in many directions, and ISMA disappears quickly, especially in the Washington, D.C., area. While the recent increase in the allowance (approximately 14 per- cent for a family of four; see State 27884 for details) is welcome, the total amount still falls short of what is truly needed to maintain a separate household. According to the Foreign Affairs Manual (3 FAM 3230), the purpose of SMA is “to meet the additional expenses of maintaining, elsewhere than at the post, the employee’s spouse or dependents, or both.” Clearly, this is open to interpretation, but it is a fact that my husband spends roughly the amount we receive in ISMA at post on everything from 220-volt household items to separate cable TV and telephone bills. This does not leave much for me to hire the Jeeves Handyman Service, as suggest- ed in FLO’s booklet, “Learning to Manage a Temporary Separation.” We were posted to Washington, D.C., when my hus- band’s current tour began, and because we were already paying a mortgage and other household bills, we did not have to deal with a move on top of my husband’s depar- ture. But for a family posted overseas immediately prior to the employee’s unaccompanied tour, a prolonged sep- aration can be a much greater jolt, financially and other- wise. Melodie Gage, whose husband is currently posted to Kabul, points out that “For some of us, ISMA means two involuntary separations: the first from our spouse, and the second from housing at our previous post. We don’t have the option to stay in government housing. ... I’d rec- ommend that the option be opened up for families to stay at post in U.S. government housing when spouses are assigned to any unaccompanied post. This not only would ease the personal financial cost of a separation, but would help minimize the huge stresses that come from 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 33 * per night, single or double occupancy subject to availability Y our search is over, choose a hotel where the federal per diem rate is available year-round. * t Luxurious Suites t All rooms with full size kitchen & stove tops t Fitness center t Complimentary in-room coffee t Full service restaurant t Parking available t Across fromMain State t White House, The Mall, and Metro Foggy Bottom station (blue & orange lines) within walking distance Accommodations State Plaza Hotel 2117 E. St. NW Washington, DC 20037 Telephone: (800) 424-2859 (202) 861-8200 Parking Available Rated HHH 1 / 2 by AAA www.stateplaza.com E-mail: reservationsagent@ RBpropertiesinc.com