The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

34 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 3 ’m an electronics engineer who couldn’t bear the thought of spending a lifetime tethered to a computer in a manufactur- ing facility, so I joined the Foreign Service in 1992 as a Security Engineering Officer. During the past 11 years I’ve seen the inside of more airports and air- planes than I care to remember. I’ve lived on four continents, battled rats in my hotel room, had an AK-47 put in my face by a drunken sol- dier, spent several nights in an embassy under immi- nent threat of a terrorist attack, and responded to countless calls from Marine security guards in the middle of the night. My job is to ensure that the physical and technical security infrastructure at our embassies meets or exceeds department standards. I install, repair and maintain alarms, closed cir- cuit television cameras, walk- through metal detectors, vehicle barriers, intercoms, emergency notification systems, and access controls. When a Marine security guard pushes a button to unlock a door, it works because of someone like me. I also search for clandestine listening devices, and make sure that computer systems and telephone switches are correctly configured so that they do not pose a securi- ty risk. When the department builds a new embassy com- plex, or embarks on a major physical or technical secu- rity upgrade, I act as the eyes and ears for the Overseas Building Office and Diplomatic Security Bureaus, informing them of potential trouble spots and per- forming acceptance testing of the security systems. Challenging Work, But … Since I started with State, I’ve served in four over- seas posts and Washington, D.C. I’ve had a great time serving my country at home and overseas, but there are clear signs that the department could do a better job of retaining its employees. Of the 12 SEOs that started work together in 1992, only six of us are left. The others resigned within the first three years, perhaps because of the constant travel, diffi- cult logistics, and temperamental people and equip- ment. Then, too, there is the personal side of the coin. My life is a never-ending balancing act. I want to do a good job for my employer, but I also want to be a good husband and father. I’ve missed a great many school plays, holidays and other important life events while ful- filling my work obligations. As a matter of fact, as I sit writing this article in my Lagos hotel room, I’m missing my son’s preschool acting debut. When I evaluate all of the positive and negative aspects of Foreign Service life, I know I made the right decision when I joined, but there are several ways that the department could improve the securi- ty engineering skill code. Consistent Hiring. In 1992, when I started with the department, there were approximately 143 direct-hire security engineers. By 1998, when the bombs went off in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, our numbers had dwindled to about 80. In the six years between 1992 and 1998 only five SEOs were hired against attrition, and our resources were stretched so F O C U S O N F S S P E C I A L I S T S A S ECURITY E NGINEERING O FFICER ’ S P OINT OF V IEW B Y C RAIG L. C LOUD T HE WORK IS CHALLENGING AND REWARDING BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT , IN THIS SEO’ S VIEW . I

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