The Foreign Service Journal, June 2017

AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 46 JUNE 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSAHonors Foreign Service Colleagues On May 5, the American Foreign Service Association held its annual ceremony to honor those colleagues who gave their lives while serving the United States abroad. AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson presided, and Secretary of State RexW. Tillerson delivered remarks at the event. In 1996, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution, signed by 54 co-sponsors from both parties, naming the first Friday in May as Foreign Service Day. The tradition of gathering at AFSA’s memorial plaques to honor fallen colleagues dates back more than 80 years. This year, for the first time in 13 years, no new name was added to the memorial plaques. But as Amb. Ste- phenson noted in her remarks, the 248 names already etched in to the marble plaques attest that not everyone makes it home safely. “We know that America’s crucial global leadership role depends in large measure on effective diplomacy and on us, the people who run 270 diplomatic missions around the world,”Amb. Stephenson said.“To lead, we must be present; and to be present, we must do everything we can to manage the risks inherent in our overseas deployment.” Emphasizing the impor- tance of working together, Amb. Stephenson was particularly pleased to wel- come the leadership of every agency with a Foreign Service workforce to the memorial event, including Acting USAID Administrator WadeWarren, Acting Director General of the Foreign Commercial Ser- vice Judy Reinke, Associate Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service Bryce Quick, CEO of the Broadcast- ing Board of Governors John AFSA/JOAQUINSOSA Lansing, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Senior Staff Foreign Service Officer Dr. John Shaw. Under Secretary for Politi- cal Affairs Thomas Shannon and Acting Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy D. BruceWharton attended, as well as many career Foreign Service col- leagues currently serving in acting assistant secretary roles. FSO Katie Nutt led the crowd in a moving rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. On any given day, approxi- mately two-thirds of the members of the U.S. Foreign Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gives remarks at the AFSA memorial ceremony on May 5.