The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2005

able airline connections. One of my trips — to South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam — was partic- ularly memorable. After some time spent juggling air- line schedules in consultation with the posts, I finally planned to start the train- ing in Seoul, departing from Dulles International Airport on Sept. 11, 2001. A week or so before departure, a senior colleague was added to the trip, and suggested we depart on Sept. 10 so we could have time to meet with U.S. mil- itary representatives in Seoul prior to training at the embassy. It sounded like a good idea, so I changed our itinerary. (Returning home weeks later, I reviewed my papers and realized I had been originally scheduled to depart Dulles on American Airlines 77, the airplane that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11!) Between the time I left the U.S. and the first training session, the world changed. I was pleased that all my posts wanted to go ahead with the training, even though they were deeply involved in post- 9/11 responses. If anything, the attacks underscored for them the importance of preparing for unexpect- ed catastrophic emergencies. Immediately after 9/11, more posts requested training for wider groups of people within the mission and from the local community. In some cases even ambassadors and DCMs sat through the entire course, taking notes. More posts reached out to overseas schools, consular wardens (vol- unteers who help maintain contact with Americans resi- dent overseas), family members and host-government officials. And this trend has continued. Unfortunately, the 9/11 attacks only confirmed what those of us involved in crisis management training F O C U S J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 57 The position description and qualifications for these trainers goes far beyond an ability to teach. Interim Accommodations for Corporate and Government Markets Apartments, Townhouses & Single Family Homes “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE”  finder5@IX.netcom.com Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized Many “Walk to Metro” locations Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619 Executive Lodging Alternatives