The Foreign Service Journal, October 2013

26 OCTOBER 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL or she would be away from his or her family for only one year, and would receive regional rest breaks and more R&Rs). The FSO could also safehaven family mem- bers at the previous post, would be eligible for a linked assignment afterward, and would have far fewer expenses because of the access to free dining and medical/dental care. The only advantage of serving in Sanaa was the ability to live out in town and move around more freely, but that benefit eventually evaporated as the security situation deteriorated. It was wonderful that the department had developed such strong incentive packages for AIP, but doing so really hurt places like Yemen which, as one colleague put it, “didn’t count” service-wise. So I was delighted when I learned after leaving Sanaa that State had finally put in place a more vigor- ous incentive program for service there. Still, I wondered how many other unrecognized “Yemens” were out there. Give Time Off, Not Just Money So what is the right way for the State Department to encourage and reward service in dangerous places? I’ve already expressed my concerns about overly high monetary incentives and linked assignments, although I would have no objection to giving people with a record of successful service in one or more danger-pay posts a competitive edge during bidding. Along similar lines, I’m fine with giving faster promotions for proven strong performance. I’m also a big fan of the time- in-class extensions and the ability to safehaven one’s family at the previous post. What I think would help the most, however, would be to grant increased leave days and minibreaks in a wider array of danger posts. I’ve found that I perform much better in such environments if I can take a short vacation (even just for a weekend) every eight to 10 weeks. Some time away can make a world of difference. The department could also do a better job of instilling in its top managers, particularly at the ambassadorial level, an appreciation of the importance of work-life balance, especially in danger-pay posts. I remember two different ambassadors in high-threat countries who defended making people work on non-urgent matters until 11 p.m. or on weekends by saying, “There’s nothing else to do here anyway.” In fact, there’s always something else to do: laun- dry, Skyping with friends and family back home, hanging out with colleagues, playing cards, studying for an online course, writing (or reading) the great American novel, exercising or planning the logistics of your next vaca- tion. If people are constantly expected to work late hours with no break, there’s no way to tighten the faucet when the security situation worsens. In the event of an attack, we need our people well-rested, sharp and focused—not burned out because they haven’t had any personal time for weeks (or months) on end. Two Challenges to Keep in Mind Despite the obvious difficulties, there are numerous advantages to serving in a hardship/danger post. The expatri- ate community tends to be an actual community, with people going out of their way to find fun things to do together. You often get the chance to work much more closely with military and law enforcement colleagues, experience that will make you much more competitive when you apply for DCM and principal officer jobs. Such assignments also afford you the chance to experi- ence life in places that would be difficult to visit as a tourist, and instill a heightened sense of gratitude for the not-so-little things: personal security, the ability to move around freely, reliable electricity and safe drinking water. They’ve also given me the ability to take things much more in stride. If nothing is exploding in my immediate vicinity, then don’t try to tell me that there’s a crisis. There are, however, two challenges to repeated service in hardship and danger-pay posts that I don’t hear people discussing as openly as I think they should. The first one is medical: people who serve in unhygienic places are likely to get sick more often, and people who serve in places without good medical care may encounter problems that become far more serious than if they had been able to seek immediate treatment. These can include high blood pressure, teeth grind- ing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and more. The second challenge is relationships. If you have a family, it can be extremely difficult (and sometimes even damaging) to leave them behind for an unaccompanied tour. If you’re single, it can be next to impossible to find a long-term partner State should consider granting increased leave days and minibreaks to personnel serving in a wider array of danger posts.