The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

assistance with a software program, or scheduling repairs for the plumbing in their house. Because this is not the case, virtually every first-tour officer and specialist has to spend an inordinate amount of time learning how to navigate through all the support and substantive activities at a given post. Posts are similar enough in how they work that a quality “generic” Post Familiarization Course could be created by FSI to ensure everyone arrives at post ready to go directly to work instead of having to roam the halls trying to learn how to get even the smallest problem solved. Once everyone, specialist and generalist alike, becomes more familiar with where everyone else fits into the grand scheme of things, the walls will come down. Everyone will be looked upon as respected and valued teammates striving to further U.S. interests abroad instead of as co-workers of questionable utility making dubious contributions to getting the job done. Mark S. Butchart Information Management Specialist Consulate General Lagos Not Quite God’s Chosen By the time these submissions are reduced to print for the September issue of the Foreign Service Journal , I will have been retired for over three months. I am, however, writing this within three weeks of my retirement date. I have been a GSO specialist for the past 13 years, serv- ing in five posts as either the assistant GSO or the senior GSO. While the stigma of being “not quite God’s chosen” has hung over my head and the heads of all other special- ists, the lines of demarcation have become a little more blurred as time has passed. As far as my colleagues at my five posts were con- cerned, there was no obvious distinction nor discrimina- tion between the specialists and the generalists. On occa- sion, junior officers, not yet skilled in the art of personal diplomacy and not quite aware of the fact that they would have to depend on specialists to get their job done throughout their career, would take “holier than thou” positions in demanding immediate attention to their real or perceived needs. Most generally, this only happened F O C U S 60 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 SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE AMERICA S I NCE 1 9 7 1 2003 represents our 33 rd year helping to maintain America’s fleet of vehicles throughout the world. All of us at D & M consider it an honor to have worked with all of you through these years. We are aware of the importance of your official and private vehicles, forklifts, generators, tools and equipment. We look forward to continuing this service in a professional manner. We are here to help, just ask! Gary Vlahov w ww.dmauto.com (516) 822-6662; FAX: (516) 822-5020; E-mail: info @dmauto.com