The Foreign Service Journal, June 2017

16 JUNE 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL half of them require joint involvement, according to the report. State calls such efforts “security assis- tance” and DOD terms them “security cooperation.” A cornerstone of U.S. defense and foreign policy, such proj- ects have been especially important in the post-9/11 era. They aim to build the security institutions of partner nations; in turn, this promotes U.S. national security interests by strengthening alliances and preempting threats abroad. Such activities can include exchange visits, equipment sales and transfers, joint exercises and training, to name a few. Security cooperation is the pri- mary mission of U.S. forces operating in Afghanistan and Iraq as U.S. troops act in an advise-and-assist capacity to better enable Iraqi and Afghan security forces in their ongoing conflicts against insurgents. State and Defense interagency coop- eration is essential. Of 143 projects at the DOD, 87 of them require some level of State Department involvement. Of State’s 52 projects, 30 require some level of DOD involvement. Some high-profile efforts involving collaboration between the two depart- ments include “Assistance to Counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant,” the “Afghanistan Security Forces Fund” and “Assist in Accounting for Missing U.S. Government Personnel.” —Dmitry Filipoff, Publications Coordinator Department of State Launches Employee Survey O n May 3, during an address to employees at the State Department, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson launched a “listening tour,” asking members of the Foreign Service and Civil Service for their insights on how the agency could function better. On the same day, employees at the State Department and USAID, as well as some contractors, employed fam- ily members of State Department staff and Locally Employed staff, received an online survey aimed at identifying how best to streamline the department, clarify its mission and make it more efficient. The Trump administration’s 2018 budget proposal calls for a 30-percent cut to State’s budget, and Secretary Tillerson has already indicated that some 2,300 jobs will be cut. Open through May 12, the survey asks Foreign Service and Civil Service employees detailed questions about their jobs, as well as open-ended questions such as “What should the department stop doing?” Among other things, the survey asks employees to select six words to describe the mission of the State Department, which will then be used to create a The Department of State, by State T he Department of State is working to help the U.S. public understand the impor- tance its work. State’s Bureau of Human Resources has produced a video, showing the work Am eri- can diplomats do overseas through the eyes of 11 current employees. The video follows members of the Foreign Service stationed overseas fromKabul to Lon- don, and shows how the work they do contributes to America’s foreign policy and protecting its interests. The department is also focusing attention on what the Foreign Service does for U.S. citizens domestically. With an investment of about one percent of the federal budget, the State Department yields a large return. The Bureau for Public Affairs offers an interactive map, showing the impact the State Depart- ment has in each state. The website lists the ways the State Department interacts with various entities in each state on jobs and the economy, partnerships with humanitar- ian andmilitary organizations, education (including the diplomats-in-residence program) and travel and security. By selecting a specific state, users can see how the Department of State is advancing U.S. national security, pro- moting economic interests and provid- ing services in that state. The interactive map is a reminder that the Department of State is not only advancing American interests overseas, but is also providing crucial services within the United States. Such services include issuing U.S. passports, facilitating international adoptions and enabling collaborations between U.S. universities and educa- tion providers overseas, as well as opening new export opportunities for American businesses and bringing new investment to the United States. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor