The Foreign Service Journal, June 2012

J U N E 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 35 last three as president. She is also the current secretary of the International Foreign Service Association board. A N I NTEGRAL P ART OF U.S. D IPLOMACY By Ravindran Manickam, Kuala Lumpur On the day that I joined the staff of the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur in 1989, I took an oath before the consul general that I would never go on strike. Later in the day, the Regional Security Officer informed me that I would be fired on the spot if I were ever caught on certain floors of the embassy without an American escort. Twenty-three years later, the memory of that first day is still very vivid. And I continue to be fascinated by some of the things my American colleagues say. Of course, it is not just Americans who say strange things. My fellowMalaysians sometimes ask me questions like these: “Why are you working for the U.S. government? Why don’t you use your skills for the Malaysian govern- ment instead?” And this perennial query: “When are you going for training at Langley?” I take these comments in stride, but they do make me chuckle. I love my job, and feel passionate about the issues I work on. I’ve had the good fortune never to have had a bad boss or colleagues in the political section. In fact, I believe that I’ve worked with some of the finest diplomats in the U.S. Foreign Service. Quite a few of them have gone on to the Senior Foreign Service, and some have served as ambassadors. Every time I see a familiar name on the State Depart- ment promotion list, I feel truly proud to see another FSO who served here advance. Yes, the constant rotation can be frustrating. It often seems that just when you get com- fortable working with an American officer, he or she de- parts for a new post, leaving you to start over with a brand-new officer. But overall, I love the relationships I’ve developed. I think the State Department knows how valuable local F OCUS