The Foreign Service Journal, October 2004

the caskets start arriving in Dover. It is my guess that a great deal of the work to be done could just as well be done by folks stationed in surrounding “friendly countries,” where they can live with their fam- ilies in a somewhat normal overseas environment, moving in and out of Iraq as needed. I think we would have a much better chance at pro- tecting them if they were working in Iraq and moving in and out via secure transport, rather than by stationing them there, where they remain vulnerable at all times. I also noted with interest your second item asking for feedback to an author doing a book on “America’s Other Army.” Has State begun to see itself as a service made up of diplomats hustling about in full armor and with M-16s slung over their shoulders, deliver- ing communiqués regarding crop forecasts, etc.? All one needs to do to see what happens to an “over-militarized” organization is to look down the river to the warmonger leadership of DOD. We cannot stand any more of that. Our image overseas has been sufficiently tarnished by invading another independent nation under false pretenses. We need to get back to the job of being “diplomats” — sharing and creating good will for the U.S.A. This may sound radical, but as a retiree, I can express the true feel- ings of many of my former col- leagues. Unfortunately, they do not feel free to do so. It is probably a shock to State leadership to learn that this kind of fear exists in the organization. It does fly in the face of the flag-waving claims of a “free society,” doesn’t it? Roger L. Street FSO, retired Bethany Beach, Del. O C T O B E R 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 L E T T E R S