The Foreign Service Journal, September 2012

54 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 1 2 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Staff: Executive Director Ian Houston: houston@afsa.org BusinessDepartment Director of Finance Femi Oshobukola: oshobukola@afsa.org Controller KalpnaSrimal: srimal@afsa.org AssistantController Cory Nishi: cnishi@afsa.org LaborManagement General Counsel Sharon Papp: papps@state.gov Deputy General Counsel Zlatana Badrich: badrichz@state.gov Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: yorkej@state.gov Labor Management Counselor Janet Weber: weber@afsa.org Senior Staff Attorney NeeraParikh: parikhna@state.gov StaffAttorneyRaekaSafai: safair@state.gov StaffAttorneyAndrewLarge: largea@state.gov Office Manager Christine Warren: warrenc@state.gov USAIDSeniorLaborManagementAdviserDouglasBroome: dbroome@usaid.gov USAID Staff Assistant Vacant MemberServices Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: hedrick@afsa.org Member Services Representative Kristy Pomes: pomes@afsa.org Administrative Assistant and Office Manager Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org Communications,MarketingandOutreach Retiree Counseling & Legislation Coordinator Bonnie Brown: brown@afsa.org Associate Coordinator for Retiree Counseling and Legislation Matt Sumrak: sumrak@afsa.org Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: switzer@afsa.org Director of Policy: vacant LegislativeAssistantClintLohse : lohse@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Patrick Bradley: bradley@afsa.org Scholarship Director Lori Dec: dec@afsa.org Scholarship Program Assistant Jonathan Crawford: crawford@afsa.org Marketing&OutreachManagerAsgeirSigfusson: sigfusson@afsa.org SpecialAwards&OutreachCoordinatorPerriGreen: green@afsa.org WebandGraphicsAssistantJeffLau: lau@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 PRESIDENT: johnson@afsa.org STATE VP: hirschdm@state.gov RETIREE VP: megilroy@gmail.com USAID VP: fzamora@usaid.gov FAS VP: david.mergen@fas.usda.gov FCS VP: keith.curtis@mail.doc.gov AFSA News Editor Donna Ayerst: ayerst@afsa.org (202) 944-5516; Fax: (202) 338-6820 Foreign Service Journal FSJ: journal@afsa.org Editor Steven Alan Honley: honley@afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Maitra: maitra@afsa.org Associate Editor Shawn Dorman: dorman@afsa.org Ad & Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger: miltenberger@afsa.org Art Director Caryn Suko Smith: journaldesign@comcast.net On the Web AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org FSJ: www.afsa.org/fsj How to Contact Us: Governing Board: PRESIDENT: Susan R. Johnson STATE VP: Daniel Hirsch USAID VP: Francisco Zamora FCS VP: Keith Curtis FAS VP: David Mergen RETIREE VP: Mary Ellen Gilroy SECRETARY: Vacant TREASURER: Andrew Winter STATE REPS: Matthew Asada William Bent Alex Copher Tim Corso Kenneth Kero-Mentz Elise Mellinger Ted Osius Joyce Namde Lillian Wahl-Tuco David Zwach USAID REPS: Michael Henning Iris Young FCS REP: Steve Morrison FAS REP: Andrew Burst IBB REP: Andre De Nesnera RETIREE REPS: Robert Houdek Edward Marks Hugh Neighbour Molly Williamson FSI TRANSITION CENTER SCHEDULE OF COURSES October though November Oct. 10 MQ801 Maintaining Long-Distance Relationships Oct. 18 MQ705 International Development and NGOs: Employment Options Oct. 24 MQ500 Encouraging Resilience in the FS Child Oct. 27 MQ116 Protocol and U.S. Representation Overseas Nov. 1 MQ107 English Teaching Seminar Nov. 2 MQ704 Targeting the Job Market Nov. 14 MQ203 Singles in the Foreign Service Nov. 15 MQ502 Resilience Strategies for Success Overseas Nov. 17 MQ302 Transition to Washington for Foreign-Born Spouses To register or for further information please e-mai l FSITCTraining@state.gov. O n Aug. 8, as this issue of the Journal was going to press, Ragaei Abdelfattah, a U.S. Agency for International Development ForeignService officer,was killedduring a terrorist attack in Afghanistan. Several Afghan civilians and three International SecurityAssistance Force servicemembers alsodied in the attack,andaStateDepartment FSOwas injured. USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah issued the following statement on Aug. 9: “Ragaei died a hero— in service to our country and our agency’s mission of providing help to those in need and advancing our national security. He was an invaluable member of our provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan, and worked tirelessly with his colleagues to help local communities improve governance and advance development. He served in Afghanistan since June 2011, and recently began his second year of service after returning from home leave. “Ragaei’s passion, integrity and thought-leadership made an impression on all who knew him in Afghanistan. He was recently promoted to the task force level, which oversees provincial reconstruction teams throughout eastern Afghanistan. Ragaei played a leading role in the Highway Seven Economic Corridor Strategy, a critical effort designed to increase economic activity along the highway linking TorkhamGate with Kabul. “In our agency’s history, we have known the loss of coura- geous and committed members of our community, includ- ing Foreign Service Nationals and implementing partners. We honor their memory and their service. “As a large organization with a presence in roughly 80 countries across the globe, it can be difficult in times of sad- ness and pain to reach out and support each other. But we are a strong community —united not only by our commit- ment to our mission, but also our care and concern for our colleagues serving in difficult and dangerous circumstances far from their homes and their families.” A full obituary of Mr. Abdelfattah will appear in the October edition of the Foreign Service Journal. AFSA Mourns the Death of USAID FSO Ragaei Abdelfattah