The Foreign Service Journal, September 2005

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 33 F O C U S O N D I P L O M A T I C S E C U R I T Y S TATE ’ S G LOBAL S ECURITY AND L AW E NFORCEMENT T EAM oday our diplomatic person- nel and facilities face greater threats than ever before in our nation’s history. In this dangerous climate, the work of the U.S. Department of State and our entire family of foreign affairs agencies has never been more important. At the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, it is our highest responsibility to ensure that American diplomats can carry out our country’s foreign policy safely and securely, even in the most dangerous places in the world. DS is the security and law enforcement arm of the Department of State, protecting our nation’s diplomatic facilities, people and information. Our global force of 34,000 agents, engineers, couriers, security specialists, civil servants and other professionals work in Washington, D.C.; in 23 other offices throughout the United States; and at more than 265 locations worldwide. We safeguard employees from attacks by terrorists, pro- tect them during times of extreme civil disorder, track down criminals who obtain U.S. passports and visas ille- gally, and protect the Secretary of State, our U.N. ambas- sador and foreign dignitaries who visit the United States. We provide protection in some of the world’s most polit- ically volatile places, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Haiti. We continually analyze intelligence on terrorist and security threats, and we fight high-tech espionage attempts against the State Department and U.S. embassies. Without a doubt, our work can be very dangerous. Indeed, our commitment to providing safety and securi- ty for U.S. diplomacy comes at a high cost. Since the beginning of 2004, 22 DS employees and contractors have lost their lives while working to achieve the mission of the U.S. Department of State. Yet bureau employees and contractors continue to step right into the middle of crisis situations, risking their lives to save others. In just the past few months, DS agents fought their way into the middle of angry mobs in Sierra Leone and Togo to rescue U.S. embassy staff members under attack. Three other agents recently received heroism awards for rescuing Haitian civilians who were being attacked by armed mobs during the uprising in that country last year. Though I was sworn in as assistant secretary of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security only a few months ago, on June 22, 2005, it is abundantly clear to me that the men and women of the bureau — Foreign Service, Civil Service, Foreign Service Nationals and contractors alike — form an impressive team. They are an important part of our foreign policy apparatus. DS IS BRINGING COURAGE AND CREATIVITY TO THE MISSION OF PROVIDING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE CONDUCT OF A MERICAN DIPLOMACY . B Y R ICHARD J. G RIFFIN T