The Foreign Service Journal, October 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2013 21 A Personal Decision A near-zero degree of tolerance for the death or maim- ing of unarmed civilian employees in hostile environments induces a healthy caution in making decisions about how they are deployed and protected. However, Employee Evaluation Reports and Accountability Review Board investigations should not be used to drive diplomats behind high walls and keep them there. Sadly, the Benghazi tragedy and subsequent ARB will likely have a global chilling effect on threat assessment and the delib- erations of regional security officers. Yet except in cases of will- ful negligence, misconduct or egregious misjudgment, we need the ARB to be an instrument for learning—not an instrument for punishment. Otherwise, those on the ground will simply choose not to take risks, even when they are manageable and necessary to achieve a policy objective. Ambassador Chris Stevens was in Libya because he wanted to be, not because State sent him there against his will. In con- trast, USAID requires its FSOs to bid on at least one of the fol- lowing critical-priority countries each assignment cycle: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Sudan or Yemen. Each of those posts meets the ARB’s definition of “high-risk, high-threat”: “high to critical levels of political violence and terrorism, gov- ernments of weak capacity, and security platforms that fall well below established standards.” Service at unaccompanied posts is dangerous and demand- ing, and a world apart from more traditional postings, where the officer is usually accompanied by family and pets. In my experience, such jobs are for the few, not the many. For that reason, no one should be required to serve at a high-risk, high-threat post. Instead, leave those assignments to the officers who want to be there and willingly accept the risks. I am confident that, as in El Salvador, Colombia, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other hot spots, the Foreign Service will always have more than enough qualified, committed per- sonnel to meet the need. n Service at unaccompanied posts is dangerous and demanding, and a world apart frommore traditional postings. Inmy experience, such jobs are for the few, not the many.