The Foreign Service Journal, September 2011

Stretched Thinner Than Ever A decade after 9/11, Foreign Service personnel are stretched thin- ner than at any time in the past as they serve in a larger number of mis- sions, many of themunaccompanied assignments. This creates tensions within their families, especially when spouses are professionally employed and when they have children. While there was a surge in peo- ple taking the Foreign Service exam in the months and years immediately after the events of 9/11, the problem of unfilled positions overseas persists. Retirements continue to work against increasing the overall numbers of FS mem- bers. In addition, because so many mid-level FSOs retired or were reassigned to Washington before the new re- cruits could be trained and deployed, there were fewer mentors for them at our embassies and consulates, just as the number of “stretch” assignments increased dra- matically. We also still have the perennial problem of recruiting qualified, seasoned professionals to join the Foreign Serv- ice at starting salaries often substantially below what they are already earning in other career fields. And efforts to find and hire entrants who already speak Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Urdu and other critical languages often run afoul of the mandatory security background checks. Language training, in general, remains one of the weak spots in the Foreign Service. More funding and career in- centives are needed to motivate FSOs willing to spend one to two years learning a hard language. (Extending the time-in-class for those learning critical hard languages is one incentive that has existed for years.) The financial in- centives for learning and using these languages at post were diminished years ago from a percentage of one’s base salary (10 percent for a 3/3 score in speaking and reading a language, 15 percent for a 4/4) to a much smaller fixed annual figure based on one’s Foreign Service Institute lan- guage score. One has to be very dedicated to public service, often under very harsh and sometimes dangerous circumstances, to pursue a Foreign Service career. The terrible events of 9/11 may have energized more people to make a career change and enter the Foreign Serv- ice. The cost of recruiting and ap- pointing FSOs and training themhas to be weighed against the attrition rates (probably relatively low) of those who leave the Service after one or two assignments. Still, it is a fac- tor in the overall strength of the For- eign Service. State has used retired FSOs in When Actually Employed assign- ments to cover overseas positions to permit active-duty personnel to take home leave or to fill positions that were vacant pending as- signment of an active-duty officer. Without WAEs, there would have been even greater gaps in embassy and con- sular staffs. Still, the department’s system for employing annuitants is a hodgepodge, dependent on individual re- gional bureaus rather than a centralized system to place experienced retirees in key overseas and domestic posi- tions when and where needed. Indeed, WAE employ- ment remains a mystery for many. A decade after 9/11, the fact that the Foreign Service continues to lack the recognition and support that mem- bers of our armed forces enjoy suggests that our work re- mains a mystery to most Americans. This attitude is sometimes reflected in statements by members of Con- gress who criticize the funding and work of the Foreign Service. More must be done to educate the American public, key interest groups, and members of Congress and their staffs about the dedicated service of our Foreign Service members and the sacrifices of their families. Bruce K. Byers FSO, retired Reston, Va. Working More Closely with DOD One aspect of a strengthened, more effective Foreign Service a decade after 9/11 is an increased capability to operate with a whole-of-government approach and mind- set. This is most evident in the Bureau of Political-Mili- tary Affairs and in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, but it is evident else- where at State, as well. For example, there are now more political advisers to meet increased military demand, as well as improved Foreign Service personnel are stretched thinner than at any time in the past as they serve in a larger number of missions, many of them unaccompanied assignments. 24 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 1 1 C OVER S TORY