The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2023

AFSA NEWS 64 JULY-AUGUST 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Rubin also acknowledged the U.S. embassies and consulates around the world that participated in a moment of solemn silence, and led the audience in a moment of silence as well. The U.S. Armed Forces presented the colors, and FSO Amirah Ismail played the national anthem on her violin. “With this new plaque,” Secretary Blinken said in his remarks, “we honor the per- manent mark that [Elbridge Lee and Thomas J. Wallis] made on this department, and on our country. By carry- ing out their dedication and compassion—and continuing the spirit of service that runs through every single name on these walls—we will work to keep their legacies alive.” He then embraced and shook hands with the Lee and Wallis family members as the event concluded. A recording of the cer- emony can be viewed at https://bit.ly/Blinken- FSDay2023. AFSA Hosts FS Day Events Continuing a tradition begun in 2018, AFSA hosted a day of networking and special events during an open house on May 4, the day before Foreign Service Day. AFSA welcomed active- duty FS personnel and alumni to its headquarters for free professional headshots, ideal for resumes and social media use, taken by photographer Joaquin Sosa. Complimentary Peruvian fare, served up by Peruvian Brothers Food Truck, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream were also on offer. AFSA staff were on hand to answer questions and share information and materials relating to membership ben- efits, retirement services, The Foreign Service Journal , and outreach and advocacy. Several members who stopped by also shared with AFSA staff their questions and concerns, including their disappointment that the State Department had not organized more events for retirees on the occasion of Foreign Service Day. AFSA will continue to urge the department to bring back the pre-pandemic level of pro- gramming for Foreign Service alumni to celebrate the day next year. Together with Amb. Rubin, AFSA’s Director of Congressio- nal Advocacy KimGreenplate hosted a virtual event review- ing the association’s work over the past year to promote the interests of the Foreign Service on Capitol Hill. She discussed working in a divided government to ensure biparti- san consensus for support of the Foreign Service. She also outlined AFSA’s ongoing priorities for the 118th Congress, including: extending the rest of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to the Foreign Service; seeking new hire pay equity during orientation; treating internet as a utility when serving overseas; addressing pet travel challenges; provid- ing Home Service Transfer Allowance flexibility; and removing the reemployed annuitant working wage and hour caps for retirees. A recording of this event can be found at https://bit. ly/FSAdvocacy2023. AFSA Social Media Campaign Seizing a timely opportu- nity to inform the American public about the work of U.S. diplomats, AFSA’s outreach team launched a social media campaign prompt- ing FS members to take to their social channels to explain why they are proud to serve. Participants used the hashtag #FSProud and tagged AFSA’s social media handles in their responses. On Twitter, the campaign generated more than 100 mentions. The #FSProud hashtag garnered almost 1 million impressions, and the hashtag #ForeignServiceDay obtained 700,000 more, for a total number of impres- sions—a metric tallying the number of times a user is served a tweet—three times greater than last year’s campaign. The biggest boosts to the campaign came from Ambassadors Nick Burns and Luis Moreno, as well as Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, both of Maryland. “I’m #FSProud to help U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses get their high-quality food and agricultural products into the hands of consumers across the globe and to enhance global food security,” tweeted Foreign Agricultural Service Officer Lisa Ahramjian. Ambassador (ret.) Laura Kennedy tweeted, “I am #FSProud because of the dedication of colleagues who work in over 170 countries to advance our nation’s secu- rity, prosperity, and values.” Social media continues to be a useful tool for reaching new and younger audiences. Retweets by notable per- sonalities, such as members of Congress and current or former ambassadors with robust followings, are partic- ularly effective in spreading the word and “going viral.” Sharing the content AFSA posts across digital channels helps to amplify the mes- sage and raise awareness of the Foreign Service—so keep using that #FSProud hashtag! n AFSA co-hosts a Foreign Service Day reception with DACOR in the garden of the historic DACOR Bacon House. JOAQUINSOSA