The Foreign Service Journal, October 2009

Real Foreign Service Work I would like to commend outgoing AFSA president John Naland for tak- ing issue, in his President’s Views col- umn in the July-August issue of the Journal , with Ambassador Ryan Crock- er’s comments about “the real work of the Foreign Service” and where it is being done. Naland’s fervent hope that the For- eign Service will not “morph into a diplomatic Foreign Legion” says it all. As he points out, there is plenty of diplomatic work to be done in many capitals around the world to persuade other governments to join our efforts in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. And as history shows, when our efforts are highly controversial, abroad as at home, that is no easy task. At the risk of irritating many col- leagues (and perhaps some friends), I believe that much of what the Foreign Service is being asked to do in Iraq and Afghanistan today — and was once asked to do in Vietnam— is not diplo- macy but nationbuilding, provincial re- construction, etc. Assigning such func- tions to the Foreign Service and basing the State Department’s requests for in- creased resources on this burgeoning, yet questionable, role weaken our abil- ity to carry out traditional diplomatic responsibilities. This is even more true when, as Amb. Crocker’s remarks sug- gest, our colleagues in many capitals around the world who are trying to bring friends and allies along in support of our foreign policy are accused of “not stepping up to the plate” and, by sly in- ference, of being cowardly in avoiding dangerous posts. Robert H. Miller Ambassador, retired Bethesda, Md. Unacceptable Discrimination I found the sentiments Richard W. Hoover expressed in his letter titled “Don’t Encourage Them!” (July-Au- gust FSJ ) demeaning toward the gay and lesbian members of the Foreign Service. I cannot state with 100-percent ac- curacy that gays and lesbians exist in every country in which we have diplo- matic representation, but I can say that the U.S. does not have a good record of accepting minorities in this country. All minorities in our country have been discriminated against at one time or an- other, starting with Native Americans, the first Americans, and continuing on to African-Americans and other per- sons of color, who are still discriminated against. This history is evident in the virulent verbal attacks against President Barack Obama, the first non-white male to be elected U.S. president. I remember when black couriers were only allowed to travel from the airport to the U.S. embassy in South Africa. Happily, that is no longer so. Discrimination against any group is not the face of America that we should be showing to the many countries around the world where loyal Foreign Service employees — straight, gay or lesbian — represent us. Times are changing. Jerry Lujan FSO, retired SaddleBrooke, Ariz. Not Quite Equal Yet I am very pleased that since the publication of my Speaking Out col- umn, “Hope for Gay and Lesbian For- eign Service Employees” (May), there has been significant progress on the ex- tension of benefits to same-sex Foreign Service families. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has expanded the definition of Eligible FamilyMem- ber to include same-sex partners, thus providing them with various benefits, such as travel orders, visa support, FSI training, access to health units and (for U.S.-citizen partners) overseas hiring preference and diplomatic passports. Yet while I am thrilled at the prospect of receiving some of these benefits for my partner, Daniel, I do want to make it clear that this is not yet the “equal benefits” victory that the news headlines seem to portray. As I mentioned in my Speaking Out col- umn, two of the main issues for me are that my partner cannot join me in the U.S. except as a long-term tourist, and he is discriminated against in our over- seas missions’ hiring practices. These two major barriers remain firmly intact, although I understand that the Bureau O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 7 L ETTERS