The Foreign Service Journal, October 2015

24 OCTOBER 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL guys will be insufficient to achieve a sustainable, stable outcome. As combat operations wind down, the military expects State to provide the leadership to enable a legitimate and functioning civil authority to help obviate the need for a continuing U.S. armed presence. The military—and the Army, in particular—see State as being able to fill in many of these gaps and blanks. Doing this with increased State involvement in planning for and executing military operations would be welcomed warmly by our colleagues in uniform. Conclusion It is evident that diplomacy and the conduct of America’s foreign policy are no longer the sole domain of the Depart- ment of State and its diplomats in the Foreign Service. But if diplomacy has multiple players, then it is essential to know the other teammembers well and to become more proficient at team play. One way to accomplish this with the military is to take full advantage of its extensive educational and training opportuni- ties, and to further support its planning efforts. As noted above, the disparity in size makes this difficult for the Foreign Service. But with a realignment of FS priorities, giving greater emphasis to continuing professional education, the military stands ready to welcome increased numbers from the Foreign Service to its exist- ing programs. Further, it can be argued that a military assignment of either an educational or operational nature should be a requirement for deputy chief of mission and ambassadorial assignments. With the military’s Geographic Combatant Commanders having overlap- ping area responsibilities with State Department regional bureaus and embassies abroad, with SOF and RAF presence becoming more ubiquitous, and with the Navy and Air Force maintaining global reach, the military’s nearly universal presence and impact are inescapable. Dealing with this reality and incorporating it into our overall diplomatic effort may well define America’s foreign policy for the future. A better appreciation by the Foreign Service of the U.S. military based on more integrated working relation- ships, shared planning and common educational experiences will help move this effort forward. n