The Foreign Service Journal, September 2007

64 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / S E P T EMB E R 2 0 0 7 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Staff: Executive Director John Mamone: mamone@afsa.org Business Department Controller Twee Nguyen: nguyen@afsa.org Accounting Assistant Jon Reed: reed@afsa.org Labor Management General Counsel Sharon Papp: papps@state.gov Labor Management Attorney Zlatana Badrich: badrichz@state.gov Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: yorkej@state.gov Grievance Attorneys Neera Parikh: parikhna@state.gov and Holly Rich: richhe@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: dbroome@usaid.gov USAID Office Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: asigfusson@usaid.gov Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Representative Cory Nishi: nishi@afsa.org Web-site & Database Associate: vacant Administrative Assistant Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Outreach Programs Retiree Liaison Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Congressional Affairs Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: tracy@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Professional Issues Coordinator Barbara Berger: berger@afsa.org Elderhostel Coordinator Janice Bay: bay@afsa.org AFSA HEADQUARTERS: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org FSJ: journal@afsa.org PRESIDENT: naland@afsa.org STATE VP: kashkettsb@state.gov RETIREE VP: pamichko@aol.com USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FCS VP: donald.businger@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Shawn Dorman : dorman@afsa.org (202) 338-4045 x 503; Fax: (202) 338-8244 On the Web : www.afsa.org/news How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: John Naland STATE VP: Steve Kashkett USAID VP: Francisco Zamora FAS VP: Vacant FCS VP: Donald Businger RETIREE VP: Robert W. Farrand SECRETARY: F.A. “Tex” Harris TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPS: Oscar DeSoto, David Firestein, Michael Guest, Jim McRea, Nick Pietrowicz, Margaret Riccardelli, Sandy Robinson, Daphne Titus, Andrea Tomaszewicz USAID REP: Michael Henning FCS REP: Stephen Anderson FAS REP: Vacant IBB REP: Al Pessin RETIREE REPS: Harry Geisel, David Passage, Herman Cohen, Howard Jeter Life in the Foreign Service BY BRIAN AGGELER A n unprecedented demand for U.S. passport services has occurred in recent months due to a change in international travel law. The catalyst for increased demand for new passports was the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which took effect on Jan. 23. The WHTI requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted docu- ment that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States fromwithin the Western Hemisphere. A significant backlog developed in processing passport applications, leading the State Department to form a Passport Task Force and to increase the number of person- nel temporarily staffing passport services. The aim is to return processing time to normal levels by the end of September. AFSA supports the vital work of the Passport Task Force and has assisted with the effort by encouraging AFSAmem- bers to volunteer for passport duty and transmitting calls for volunteers to our membership via AFSAnet. In addi- tion, AFSA has held several collective meetings with mem- bers in order to help alleviate the concerns of entry-level employees (including the most recent A-100 class) who have been seconded out of training to passport duty. AFSA Encourages Members to Volunteer for Passport Duty CORRECTION The title of the July/August AFSA News article, “AFSA Press Conference Draws Major Media Coverage,” was incorrect. It should have been, “Foreign Affairs Council Press Conference Draws Major Media Coverage.” AFSA hosted the press conference and is a member of the Foreign Affairs Council, but the press conference was an FAC event. We regret the error.