THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 47 FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS from the Field AFSA launched its Service Disrupted public awareness campaign in May with a collection of testimonials from members to help illustrate the critical work of diplomacy and development. We published Service Disrupted stories in the April-May, June, and July-August editions of the FSJ. Here we share the newest stories, which have been lightly edited for clarity. Most authors requested anonymity, which we have granted. AFSA continues to collect firsthand accounts that highlight the impact of the shuttering of USAID, reductions in force (RIFs) at State, workforce uncertainty, and agency reorganization plans. Have vital initiatives stalled, gone underresourced, or even disappeared? Are you seeing mismatched priorities or confusion on the ground? We are especially seeking specific, concrete anecdotes that shed light on what’s happening in the field. Send your story (up to 500 words) to Humans-of-FS@afsa.org. Let us know if you wish to remain anonymous. —The Editors FEATURE Vulnerable to Attack I’m a political adviser (POLAD) working with our Air Force in Europe. At least twice last year, swarms of small drones overflew our airfields at two U.S. bases in Europe. It’s quite possible or even likely a state actor was behind these overflights. Neither the U.S. response nor the host government’s was adequate. We worry about our vulnerability to an operation such as Ukraine’s Spider’s Web attack on Russian airfields. I was recently in touch with colleagues at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) about building a Department of Defense–State campaign to help raise awareness of the problem and increase cooperation with host governments. EUR told me the civil servant working on this issue—an expert with 15 years of experience—voluntarily resigned under the deferred resignation program. A second colleague working on the issue expected to be terminated in a reduction in force, or RIFed. Our relatively small agency has lost our best expertise on 21st-century national security threats. This does not make America stronger, safer, or richer. —State FSO
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