The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 35 while at the same time protecting America’s borders and essential security. But most of all, she loved the Foreign Service, the work of the Department of State and the people who represent America overseas, and she looked after all three. In terms of career achievement, Ambassador Terence A. Tod- man was always my polestar. He taught me to strive for the best and to be conscious of my responsibility to make the Foreign Service more inclusive of the American population. He came to the Department of State when segregated dining facilities were in vogue and when no career African-American Foreign Service officer was considered for worldwide assignments. It was next to miraculous that Todman broke the assignment color barrier, always excelling, both overseas and domestically, to become only the 33rd officer in the history of the Foreign Service to be named Career Ambassador. And finally, in terms of institutional impact, there is Ambassa- dor Edward J. Perkins, the first African-American Director General of the Foreign Service, who played a pivotal role in pressing South Africa to end apartheid and who, as DG, instituted the Pickering Fellowship program that is essential to the department’s diversity efforts. He taught me, above all, that one person can have a lasting institutional impact. FSJ: How would you describe Civil Service–Foreign Service rela- tions, and what changes have you seen over time? RAD: Civil Service and Foreign Service relations continue to be a work in progress, complicated by two different personnel systems with different benefits, protections, rights, and appoint- ment and promotion policies. I am in agreement with Secretary John F. Kerry that each component of State’s workforce must work together as one cohesive and vibrant team, which to me means a strong Foreign Service and a strong Civil Service working in uni- son to achieve U. S. foreign policy goals and objectives. As Director General, I made every effort to strengthen both systems, especially through the Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, by increasing Civil Service hiring, training and assignment possi- bilities and re-engineering the Foreign Service hiring process. It is essential for the department to continue developing the potential of employees in both systems. I am particularly pleased with Director General Arnold Chacón’s new Civil Service Reform Initia- tive, which is designed to develop and enhance the career paths of entry- and mid-level Civil Service employees. FSJ: Is the Foreign Service as an institution strong today? How has the role of the Foreign Service changed? RAD: The Foreign Service as an institution could be stronger. A good beginning would be to dedicate additional resources to sup- port our domestic and overseas operations. But there’s more to be dealt with, such as questions about staff- ing, including the encroachment of Schedule Cs; the lack of under- standing of the department’s role by theWhite House—witness the exponential growth of the National Security Council, which seems tome a duplication of State’s function; the lack of appreciation by Congress of the role of the Foreign Service, which is further marred by partisanship—a low point being the Benghazi hearings that ignored Congresses’ responsibility to provide the resources required to keep our people safe overseas; and, finally, a lack of understand- ing by the American public of what the Foreign Service does. Moreover, as retired Ambassador Charles Ray is known for saying: FSOs need to exercise more courage in stepping up to the plate on issues like pushing for a career-long ‘education and train- ing’ system to complement the training they currently get. And they need to adopt a formal code of ethical conduct for the Service as a means to inculcate professionalism in entry-level officers and reinforce it throughout a career. I do not believe the fundamental role of the Foreign Service has changed, but the exigencies of today’s world demand more of modern diplomats. With the proliferation of terrorist groups, physical security is a major concern, especially overseas; more- over, protection of the homeland is the uppermost thought of all visa officers. Diplomats must now pay serious attention to infor- mation technology, especially cybersecurity—not to mention the prominence of environmental issues, transnational health issues, refugee flows, and issues of war and peacekeeping. The list goes on, all calling for diplomacy at the highest level. FSJ: Are you optimistic about the future of professional diplo- macy? RAD: Yes. I believe that in this global world of increasing com- plexity, crisis and challenges, professional diplomacy becomes ever more indispensable. However, the methods and means of practicing diplomacy must evolve to enable it to remain a leading force in sync with the demands of our changing world. FSJ: How do you advise young people considering a Foreign Service career? RAD: I relish recruiting for the Foreign Service and tell prom- ising young people that our country desperately needs people with their values, intelligence and education. I do not sugarcoat the many challenges of a career in the Foreign Service, but tell them honestly that it offers a unique opportunity for public ser- vice that makes a difference in issues with global impact. n