The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2020 55 A Small Post in Action Jean Monfort ■ Conakry Conakry is a small post, so when COVID-19 hit and the airport shut down, the whole mission came together to help get American citizens home. I was pulled from the Regional Security Office to work on the consular team. As the embassy started drawing down and going to shifts (which would eventually turn to full telework), we were using new technologies and coordinating over new tele- work platforms, with no time to waste being confused or unsure. Our acting defense attaché reached out to the Guinean govern- ment on airport procedures, the general services officer (GSO) coordinated with airlines, and the regional security officer (RSO) worked on getting airport security in place. The embassy was a hive of activity. Promises of breathing room evaporated as Ethiopian Airlines first delayed the evacuation flight arrival, and then pushed the arrival date up. Our consular section stayed in constant contact with American citizens to keep the shifting information from becoming overwhelming. The last days before the flight took off were long ones, and the stress was palpable. Lists were checked and rechecked. The government-imposed curfew loomed in the evening hours as we applied labels and verified passport numbers and phoned passengers, so they knew to be at the airport. We handled the joyful, the frightened and, oddly enough, the indifferent. When hard decisions had to be made (Howmany attempts to reach a person before moving down the list? Should we reopen a previously closed file, just in case?), we made them and supported one another. And when things got tangled, we gave one another space to be frustrated. That was key, I think—we never forced teammates to ignore their emotions. We had confi- dence that the task would get done, and it did. At the airport, the line was long; many showed up early. We had designed a flow chart, with stations and measures to prevent clustering (for passengers’ health). We set clear guidelines with the airline representatives. From the GSO to RSO to Facilities, basically any office that could spare someone to help did so, set- ting up copiers, cordoning off sections of the terminal and coordi- nating with the tarmac crew. Ambassador Simon Henshaw walked the entire line, stopping to speak with just about every passenger. It was impressive to see it all come together in a short time, in a courteous and professional way. We had to alternate between French and English, and when there were miscommunications, no one got upset or combative. Everything was handled with— and forgive me for being on the nose—diplomacy. Those who were not allowed on the flight were treated with grace by the pro- cessing station, then by consular officers and finally by the RSO team. Never once, fromwhen we started processing passengers to when the last passenger tearfully turned and went back to the city (unable to “abandon” her life), did our team falter. I am profoundly proud of the work we did that day. Our small team at our small post successfully sent more than 120 passengers out on one of the last flights leaving Conakry. Each office brought something to the effort, and that sort of camaraderie really affected me. This is my first tour. If the State Department is capable of achieving this kind of work, then I know I’ve chosen the right profession. Jean Monfort is a first-tour office management specialist in the Regional Security Office in Conakry, Guinea. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she worked as an English professor, legal administrative assistant and occasional stage performer. Her husband, also a teacher, joined her at post last year and helps make sheltering in place less awful. (Above) Embassy Conakry’s team after completion of the evacuation flight. More than 120 American citizens were successfully evacuated from Guinea. (Left) A young passenger waits to check in with her family for the Conakry evacuation flight in April. U.S.EMBASSYCONAKRY/KENYAJAMES U.S.EMBASSYCONAKRY/KENYAJAMES