The Foreign Service Journal, September 2018

12 SEPTEMBER 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL attorney documents during the check-in process at post. Living abroad is hard, and a small nudge can enhance the preparedness of our community to respond to health care emergencies with efficiency, compassion and humanity. David S. Boxer FSO Arlington, Virginia Remembering a Russian Diplomat I enjoyed read- ing Phil Skotte’s May Speaking Out, “What State Should Bring to the Table: Cultural and Language Expertise. ” Not only does he make a great case for regional specialization, but his anecdote about an unnamed Russian diplomat resonated deeply with me. As a fellow Embassy Moscow alum, I also had the opportunity to work with the diplomat Skotte is referring to—Ambassador Andrei Karlov, whose unmatched diplomatic experience in North Korea provided his U.S. coun- terparts at that time with fascinating background on working with and in the DPRK. He was a picture of profession- alism and bilateral cooperation, and always enjoyed his high-level consular consultations in Washington and Mos- cow. Years later, on Dec. 19, 2016, Amb. Karlov was tragically assassinated in Ankara while serving as the Russian Federation’s ambassador to Turkey. Particularly now, I remember Andrei Karlov as a committed career diplomat who sought to build bridges between Russia and the United States, treating his counterparts with great respect even amid turbulent relations. RIP, Ambassador Karlov. Julie M. Stufft Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy Chisinau Ambassador Jon M. Huntsman: Foreign Service Leadership At first, I wasn’t certain what it was all about, my email queue bulg- ing with messages from Foreign Service colleagues serving abroad and retired. Just one of them nicely sums up what all were feeling: “Ambassador Huntsman has done us proud! Wel- come back, Foreign Service!” I hadn’t yet read the Salt Lake Tribune response from Huntsman to columnist Robert Gehrke’s call on him to resign as ambassador to Moscow given the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s July 16 meeting with Vladimir Putin. It was that reply, “Why I’m Stay- ing,” that infused so much energy in my friends. Indeed, it was the kind of morale-booster the Foreign Service has needed for many years now. Amb. Huntsman’s response gives us all something to be proud of for a change. After such a long period of neg- ativity, almost a “whole-of-government” effort against our president, finally we see something different. We see an ambassador who is not resigning, but instead speaks out on behalf of the president and the nation. He occupies one of the most important U.S. diplomatic posts in the world—Embassy Moscow—and tells us why it’s important that the Foreign Service stand up and stand tall when the going gets rough. Says Huntsman: “Representatives of our Foreign Service, Civil Service, military and intelligence services have neither the time nor inclination to obsess over politics, though the issues of the day are felt by all. Their focus is on the work that needs to be done to stabilize the most dangerous relation- ship in the world, one that encompasses nuclear weapons, fighting terrorism, stopping bloodshed in Ukraine and seeking a settlement of the seemingly intractable Syrian crisis. Their dedica- tion to service to their country is above politics, and it inspires me to the core. It is my standard.” Adds Huntsman: “I have taken an unscientific survey among my col- leagues, whom you reference, about whether I should resign. The laughter told me everything I needed to know.” As the ambassador says, the Foreign Service must remain above politics. We serve the flag. Our focus should be but one objective: abiding by the Constitu- tion as chief foreign policy adviser to the commander-in-chief. This includes providing support to advance America’s security, strengthen its unity of purpose and make it an even greater nation. This is our institutional standard. To do anything less is to have failed. n Timothy C. Lawson Senior FSO, retired Hua Hin, Thailand Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org