The Foreign Service Journal, October 2003

Defense Attaché Office from 1978 to 1981 and with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Jerusalem from 1989 to 1991. (Following retirement from the mil- itary, I continued to work for the U.N. on temporary assignments in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.) So my military and overseas service was a good stepping stone for what I might expect in the Foreign Service. Even so, I learned plenty during my initial eight months of general and specialized training at both FSI and the Warrenton Training Center, prior to being posted to Georgetown. Because many of the Warrenton instructors had served overseas in IM positions, they were able to share their personal and professional expe- riences to impart a more realistic view of what a new hire might expect (I also want to acknowledge the cama- raderie among my classmates, which really made the transition into the Foreign Service a memorable experi- ence. More than two years after join- ing the Foreign Service, the 57th Class continues to stay in close con- tact.) Still, my understanding of how an Information Program Center oper- ates at an overseas post did not fully come together until well after arrival at post. The only other Information Management position in George- town was the Information Program Officer; and, both IPOs I worked with there played a crucial role in guiding and mentoring me through my first tour (I found the same to be true of the IMOs and IPOs I worked with during TDY stints in Caracas and Santiago). The small IPC staffing in Georgetown also provided me with plenty of hands-on experi- ence, not only related to IPC equip- ment and computer systems, but also satellite communications main- tenance and operation — areas an IMS would rarely be exposed to at larger posts. And, I also had the privilege of serving as Acting IPO on several occasions. In addition, I received lots of help and guidance on resolving difficult problems from experts at the Regional Information Management Center in Fort Lauderdale, the Beltsville Information Management Center, the Diplomatic Telecom- munications Service Program Office, and the IRM Help Desk. In the short time I have served in the Foreign Service as a new hire, I have gained an immense amount of on-the-job experience and training to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot numerous communication systems and equipment, including (to name but a few): E&E and HF radio sys- tems, emergency networks, the tele- phone system, TERP, both classified and unclassified LANs, and the SC-7 and DST satellite systems and associ- ated equipment. I’ve served as the Crypto Custodian, worked with both classified and unclassified pouches, maintained accountability of property and equipment, maintained the office file system, trained others on use of radio and computer equipment, worked in the Information Manage- ment Center with the Local Area Network and servers (including Con- sular Affairs systems), and assisted with several major communication upgrades. I researched and wrote a proposal for an auto-attendant and voice mail upgrade to the existing telephone switch, which required close coordination with the RIMC staff and a telecommunications com- pany for the hardware and software requirements. I had to coordinate with local counterparts from the National Frequency Management Center to request approval to operate on newly assigned HF frequencies for the State Emergency Network. My dealings with a diverse group of coun- terparts, field experts and specialized technicians have underscored the importance of coordinating and gain- ing the trust of others in order to ensure the availability of a vast array of communications to the Chief of Mission and staff to carry out foreign policy in the host country. A highlight of my first tour were two wonderful opportunities to serve in the Western Hemisphere Affairs Volunteer TDY program, which is a tool available to WHA to augment IMS rovers when staffing is short at other posts within the region. Those opportunities added immensely to my experience and understanding of how a larger post operates while I was learning to work with other equip- ment not found at my post in Georgetown. One final observation: Having served in the military, I am familiar with the emphasis placed on manage- ment and leadership training, which grooms military personnel to take on increasing levels of supervisory responsibility as they rise up through the ranks. However, during my time in the Foreign Service, I’ve noted through discussions with colleagues 56 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / O C T O B E R 2 0 0 3 I continue to hear and feel the competition and separation which exist throughout the Department of State. Yet we are all expected to work as team members/players. When does it end?