THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2024 63 AFSA NEWS William Burns on Serving with Honor It was my extraordinary good fortune to serve for nearly three and a half decades as a career diplomat. The Foreign Service shaped my life, professionally and personally. … I can’t imagine a luckier ride in American diplomacy than the one that I had. I saw the end of the Cold War and the depressing road that Vladimir Putin shaped for Russia. I saw endless challenges in the Middle East, with occasional glimmers of hope and more frequent dead ends. And by the end of my time as a diplomat, I saw the re-emergence of fierce major power competition and a revolution in technology that is changing how we live, work, fight, and compete. I shared that ride with an incredible group of professionals, many of whom are in this room tonight. Their commitment to doing hard jobs in hard places always inspired me. I continued to learn from them and draw from their examples right up until my last day in the Foreign Service. Not a day goes by when I don’t think with pride about my time as a career diplomat. And not a day goes by when I’m not reminded of the significance of American diplomacy on the most crowded, competitive, complicated, and combustible international landscape I’ve seen in my lifetime. … There is, of course, much that is different about life and work on either side of the river between our two great institutions. But the most important things are the same—courage, community, and commitment to service. We share a conviction that it’s only by staying in the arena that we can advance American interests and values, whether the tool is diplomacy or intelligence. … On behalf of all my colleagues at CIA—and from this very proud old guy— congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the Foreign Service and of AFSA. And congratulations on the deep commitment to public service that we share. n AFSA’s honorary centennial committee until her passing on March 26, 2024. Special recognition was given to the American Foreign Service Protective Association and Ambassadors John Negroponte and Rozanne Ridgeway for their generous support of the gala. Yazdgerdi also recognized Virginia General Assembly members Paul Krizek and David Reid for their sponsorship of Resolution 206 honoring the Foreign Service (see story on page 66). Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the evening’s keynote speaker, expressed admiration for AFSA and its members, acknowledging the professionalization and progress of the Foreign Service over the past 100 years. “Through hot and cold wars, democratic waves, and technological revolutions, our diplomats, our development experts have adapted to meet every single challenge,” he said. Secretary Blinken concluded by comparing Foreign Service officers to George Bailey from the film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Through their dedicated efforts, he said, America’s diplomats make the world a better, brighter place. Counselor Clinton White of USAID reflected on the journey that led him to the Foreign Service. Gala Continued from page 59 Continued on next page CIA Director William Burns reflects on his Foreign Service career. AFSA/JOAQUIN SOSA
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