The Foreign Service Journal, July/August 2018

46 JULY-AUGUST 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The View fromWashington C. Steven McGann Labor Attaché I was scheduled to depart post the week of Aug. 11, 1998. How- ever, a request to co-chair the FSI Labor Attaché course that sum- mer brought me back to Washington in early July. The morning of the attack, I was the only FSO at the department who had recently served in Nairobi. For some reason, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. on the morning of the attack and turned on CNN to see the news of the bombing. I immediately went to the Operations Center to begin work on the emergency task force for the next three days. I didn’t leave the building again until Aug. 12. During that period, I was challenged in ways unimaginable. Often speaking directly with Ambassador Bushnell through the single open line to Nairobi, I helped carry out her instructions through an unprepared interagency structure. There was no one to issue country clearances, prepare overflight requests or autho- rize deployments of military and civilian rescue teams. I found myself making decisions far above my (then) FS-2 rank while briefing Seventh Floor and Bureau of African Affairs principals, particularly for media interviews. Being familiar with the emergency procedures we had prac- ticed at post gave me the opportunity to help colleagues at post who were dealing with the traumatic aftermath on the ground. Having a familiar voice on the other end of the line reassured them. During those three days, I often found myself speaking with family members of unaccounted-for embassy personnel from all agencies and the military. That was the toughest duty. The bombings reinforced the fact that the decision to become a Foreign Service officer should not be taken lightly. Moreover, it was the guide path that framed how I would interact with col- leagues for the rest of my FS career. Should you become a chief of mission, it is critical that you demonstrate every day that the Emergency Action Committee is your highest priority. The Spirit of “Harambee” George Jones Former USAID/Kenya Mission Director I was at the Parklands Sports Complex watching the Kenyan Davis Cup team practice for an upcoming match. Having recently retired fromUSAID as the Kenya mission director, I was transi- tioning into a new position with the United States International University. This meant that I was free to move immediately to the site of the bombing to render assistance. After a quick check of the USAID building, which was close by, I raced to the embassy. My first encounter was with Military Attaché Colonel Ron Roughead who, still in shock, reported that his entire team had been killed. I was asked by the embassy administrative officer to head out to the Kenya National Hospital, where most of the embassy personnel had been taken. It was paramount that all personnel, U.S. and local, be accounted for, along with their medical status. While en route, I met my former secretary, Shabyna Kolker, who volunteered to assist me with this task. When we arrived at the hospital, local police informed us that only those carrying the injured and doctors were allowed entry. Fortunately, I had a business card that named me as a doctor—albeit a Ph.D. We were allowed passage. Together, we covered every floor, hallway and operating room in search of embassy personnel. The image of glass shards being removed from faces and upper torsos remains prominent in my memory. In addition to recording names and conditions, we were able to console and bring people up to date on the status of their friends and colleagues. We also took messages for family mem- bers, promising to pass them on. The tragedy served to bring the American and Kenyan commu- nities closer together. The spirit of “harambee”—pulling together— prevailed. No task or request, big or small, went unheeded. One of the most painful tasks was to locate the body of the consul general, Julian Bartley. Receiving a report that his remains were not at the makeshift warehouse holding area, I began searching local morgues. At the first stop, the city mortuary, I was forewarned by personnel that the sights might be overwhelming and that I should reconsider entering. Not dissuaded, I pushed on and witnessed hundreds of bodies in unbelievable physical condition, piled on tables, floors and available gurneys. After viewing about 25 bodies, I had to rush outside for air. Back at the entrance, I was greeted by USAID FSN Menelik Makonnen and his crew, who had been scouting other facilities with the same task as mine. I was obviously showing some distress, because Makonnen immediately suggested that I not go back into the mortuary. He and his team knew Julian Bartley well; they offered to complete the search. Certainly, many suffered from PTSD as a result of the bomb- ing and its aftermath; many also gained personal strength from facing danger head on. Moreover, it was heartening to see the embassy and USAID come together to support one another, both logistically and emotionally. I firmly believe that it was the strong leadership of the ambassador that kept us afloat. For most of us—FSNs, contractors and government employees—Ambassador Prudence Bushnell made the critical difference.