The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

diagram or pie chart. Although it went by fairly quickly, one part I could not help but notice was the separation between “Foreign Service Generalists” and “Foreign Service Specialists.” The concern here is, of course, that somehow we are actually different, when in fact this could not be further from the truth. If discrimination is defined as the picking out, and treating differently, of people of different class groups, then I would label this as a perfect example of class discrimination. Later in the video there is some reference to the per- son with the “XYZ certifications,” and later still a refer- ence to “communicators.” Both of these references may have been meant to be funny but the audience, not the performer, determines “funny” and none of us were amused at the session I attended. It may be helpful for the Office of Civil Rights to know that the term “commu- nicators” ceased to exist with the establishment of the Information Management Specialist position, or at least it should have. One of the reasons for the change in job titles was to rid ourselves of the stereotype associated with communicators, that of “bag-draggers” and “C&R clerks.” The fact that the term remains indicates that the stereo- types do as well, another example of discrimination. Let me say that this is not intended as a dig at the Office of Civil Rights; overall, I think the presentation was a good one. It highlighted some serious issues in a man- ner designed to make them less uncomfortable to address. However, the fact remains that the examples I’ve cited here are typical, not isolated instances, and they reflect a mentality of “them and us” instead of a team approach. Even among specialists there are signs of ingrained dis- crimination. One can often find general services, facilities maintenance, financial, and human resource specialists on the diplomatic list. But when you want to include the information management specialist, there seems to be a concerted lack of interest in changing the system or rather, adapting it to modern times and realities. Richard E. McCormick Information Management Officer Embassy Seoul Joining the Foreign Service Family As I walked to Building F of the George P. Shultz Foreign Service Training Center on Jan. 27, 2003, for the opening of the 70th Foreign Service Specialist class, the gravity of my new career truly dawned on me. Now I knew why one of the interviewers at my oral assessment had said, “This is not just another job.” These sobering thoughts disappeared as the orienta- tion began, however. There was the delightful feel of the early carefree days of college, complete with genial, witty Foreign Service representatives, like pleasant, very wise college deans. Throughout our three-week orientation, the overall quality of the training and skills development was of a very high caliber. But there was more than intellectual stimulation and skill development. I became deeply impressed with the Foreign Service’s family-friendly spirit. Not only were spouses and children welcomed at the various presenta- tions, but we learned about the support available from State’s Family Liaison Office. And it did not take long to appreciate just why so many speakers referred to the “Foreign Service family” — albeit, a family with attitude, ready for all the challenges ahead in the post-9/11 inter- national environment. Soon our class of 141 specialists — the largest in the history of the Foreign Service — was bonding. A varied group of all ages with widely divergent skills, experiences and personalities, hailing from many states and even countries, we gathered on Feb. 14, in the Dean Acheson Auditorium to take our Foreign Service oath of office. Representing the United States abroad and at home, we had become united by our sense of common destiny. It was a Valentine’s Day to remember, as we proudly declared our endearments to our new Foreign Service family. Thomas White Human Resources Officer Embassy New Delhi Trial by Fire My fourth tour placed me in the position of the Information Management Officer, the head of the Information Resource Management section at post. After six months or so, I felt that the section had become very effective in its role for the mission. It helped that I had an administrative officer who backed me up and was willing to give me the resources to accomplish our objectives. Other than the usual difficult customers, everything was great. I loved my job and I loved being in Colombo. Then, on April 29, 2003, the ambassador informed the entire mission that our admin officer was suspected of F O C U S 56 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