The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

10 JULY-AUGUST 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Attention to Nuclear Policy I’m a fan of the FSJ and grateful for what has become a much more sprightly product while focusing smartly on that perennial topic—what the heck is diplomacy? I am writing now with particular thanks for the May Journal ’ s focus on nuclear diplomacy. I’ve spent a chunk of my career not only working on these issues but also seeking to bring greater attention to the issue of nuclear policy and other arms issues (particularly since retiring from the Foreign Service). These primal issues are too often ignored in pub- lic discourse as being wonky, boring, techni- cal or distant from everyday life. They are not. The Foreign Service itself ought to give a fresh look at how to recruit, train and retain FSOs in the arms con- trol field, where their role has been diminishing over the years. I was therefore delighted by both the decision to devote an issue to nuclear policy and the high quality of the content. You offered a great trifecta in Tom Countryman, an FSO practitioner; Rose Gottemoeller, an expert who has shuttled between public service and the think-tank world; and Joe Cirincione, a preeminent advocate from the nongov- ernmental organization community. They represent the best in their fields, and I’ve had the pleasure of working with all three. I also appreci- LETTERS ated the accompanying selection of articles from your diplomatic treasure trove, the FSJ Archive. Many thanks for the critical mass you achieved in a superb issue. Laura E. Kennedy Ambassador, retired Washington, D.C . FSOs Should Not Be Specialists Christopher W. Smith’s Speaking Out column, “The Diplomat and the State” (May), raises some interesting points, but confuses the issues discussed. Although popular these days, com- paring FSOs to military officers is like comparing apples to oranges. The vast majority of military officers are special- ists, committed to one of the specialty fields of their branch (e.g., infantry, artillery, armor for the Army). Once they learn the functional requirements of that specialty, their training understandably focuses on leadership responsibilities. Few military officers other than the Special Forces have to gain familiarity with foreign cultures or learn languages, unlike FSOs who spend significant time on “training,” albeit often in situ in the case of area training. Suggesting, as Smith does, that FSOs should be “experts,” focusing on one country, rather than generalists, implies abandoning the principle of worldwide availability. Smith’s proposal would only expose us once again to charges of clientitis. Michael W. Cotter Ambassador, retired Chapel Hill, North Carolina The Foreign Service Honor Roll Bravo. The May article, “The Foreign Service Honor Roll,” by Retiree VP John Naland was both justifiably extensive and exceptionally well written. The expanded knowledge and under- standing of the origins and objectives of the memorial plaques in State’s lobby are, and should be, of considerable importance to members of the Service, as well as to others (especially, but not exclusively, family members and friends of the deceased honored on them). As a professional organization with extensive global responsibilities, the Service is well advised to inform its members of the background and intent of the activities launched well before many of the current membership came aboard. Mr. Naland and the Journal have done an excellent job. Edward Peck Ambassador, retired Washington, D.C. An Unusual Plaque Entry John Naland’s “The Foreign Service Honor Roll” (May) mentions CIA name s on the AFSA Memorial Plaques. I offer this background regarding one CIA name cited, Mackiernan. As a new FSO and aspiring China officer in 1980, I was curious about this plaque entry: Douglas S. Macki- ernan, Killed by Gunfire, Tibet 1950. I researched the story and wrote about it in the April 1985 FSJ (“Overland From China”). It was also the story of Consul General John Hall Paxton. Paxton had led a party of 40 people and 60 animals overland from Ürümqi out of northwest China to India in late 1949, a two-month trek for which he received a Superior Service Award.