The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2005

F or the past four years serving as the AFSA vice president for the State constituency, I havemet every entering class of generalists and specialists. In addressing them, I note the two greatest changes I havewitnessed over the past 40-plus years since I entered the Foreign Service. Thefirstisobviousifonelooksattheformalportraitsofenter- ing A-100 classes over the past 80 years. Until the 1970s, most classeswereexclusivelycomposedofwhitemales. Thefewfemales were token (therewere three inmy class), whileminorities were non-existent. Happily, this is no longer true. Both Secretary Powell and Secretary Rice havemade amore diverse Foreign Service a priority, one I applaud. The Foreign Service is far more representative of the America whose taxes pay our salaries than it ever was in 1965. I have served in countries that are ethnically homogeneous. This homogeneity has sometimes translated into feelings of superiority. In an increasingly globalized economy, American firms are better suited for overseas operations than those that systematically exclude or depreciate the talents of women and minorities. I remember meeting an IBM executive in Tokyo who complained about the rule emanating from the com- pany’s U.S. headquarters mandating that a certain percentage of appointments and promotions in the Japanoperations be female. I toldhimI hadno sympathy. Adiverse Foreign Service in this globalized eramakes us far more effective in advocating our poli- cies, our culture and our society. The second change from my entry-level days is that the world has grown far more dangerous for us. It all began in 1965, when the death toll began to climb with terrorist bombings in Saigon. The toll of terror has not ceased. When I walked into the State Department’s C Street lobby for the first time, there was only one plaquememorializing our members who had died in the service of their country. And it was about half- full. The roll quickly spilled over onto another plaque and then AFSA had to add side panels to accommodate the overflow of names of our fallen comrades. I make one more remark to the new hires. I congratulate themon becomingmem- bers of the Foreign Service. I tell them that for more than 40 years I have had the bless- ing of doing a job worth doing. I have been part of a corps of employees whose work actuallymakes a difference for the security andwell-being of our country and its citizens. Most importantly, I believe that my own efforts over the past 40 years have made a dif- ference. I knowfewpeoplewhoupon retirement canclaimtohavemade important and positive contributions to their country and their fellowAmericans. I was afforded one final blessing at the end of my career. My colleagues chose me to serve as their representative before department management for the past four years. My pride in the Foreign Service only swelled as I learned how they labored and the sacrifices they and their families made for the good of our country. I regret that my accomplish- mentsastheAFSAvicepresidentforthisconstituencyaresomeagerwhenmeasuredagainst their contributions. The date on my birth certificate dictates my departure from the rolls. I depart with pride inmywork, my profession and, above all, my colleagues. I have no regrets. None. Not one.  * Translation: “Hail and Farewell,” from Catullus’ elegy to his brother. (I am a gradu- ate of Boston’s Girls’ Latin School.) V.P. VOICE: STATE  BY LOUISE CRANE Ave atque Vale* (This is my final column.) JULY-AUGUST 2005 • AFSA NEWS 3 RESOURCES FOR THE FS Meeting with Secretary Rice A FSA President John Limbert and AFSA State Vice President Louise Crane met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on May 3. They ex- pressed AFSA’s view of the importance of adequate funds to provide secure hous- ing and work space for our colleagues in Iraq. The Secretary agreed that there was no higher priority than the safety and well-being of those working in that dan- gerous environment. AFSA stressed the importance for the Foreign Service of the personnel provi- sions in the State Authorization Act (S. 600). The Secretary agreed, noting she hoped that the bill would return to the Senate floor for debate and passage. On locality pay, AFSAurged Sec. Rice to give her full support to correcting a situation that is getting worse. She said that she fully supports the principle of pay equal- ity and will do her best to help in this regard. She repeated this support in answer to Louise Crane’s question dur- ing the June 3 StateDepartment town hall meeting. On resources, the Secretary expressed her determination to protect the depart- ment’s security, infrastructure and train- ing. AFSA urged her to ensure that the Foreign Service did not fall back to the days of the 1990s, when failure to invest in people and facilities undermined both morale and operations. The Secretary emphasized howmuch she appreciated the talents, loyalty and dedication of the Foreign Service. She said she always tries to meet with embassy staff when she travels, and appreciates their crucial role in carrying out a very active foreign policy. AFSA pointed out that for our colleagues, the worst thing was not to be overworked, but to be ignored or considered irrele- vant. She understood, and said she intended to make full use of such a unique and talented cadre. 