The Foreign Service Journal, October 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2015 5 October 2015 Volume 92, No. 8 FOREIGN SERVICE AFSA NEWS High School Essay Winner in D.C. / 49 VP Voice State – Know (and Invoke) Your Rights / 50 VP Voice FAS – Esprit de Corps / 51 AFSA Governing Board Decisions / 51 VP Voice USAID – Foreign Service Limited Appointments / 52 AFSPA’s New Location / 52 AFSA On the Hill / 54 Reforming State’s Performance Management System / 55 OPM Data Breach / 55 AFSA and Smithsonian Partner / 56 Changing of the Guard at Tales / 56 Book Notes: Consular History / 57 2015-2016 Scholarship Aid / 58 New Scholarship Established / 58 2015 George F. Kennan Award / 59 Family Member Matters: Transfer Trauma / 60 Call for Nominations: AFSA Dissent Awards / 61 We Want to Hear from You / 62 Annual FS Youth Awards / 62 TLG Intern Catches the FS Itch / 63 COLUMNS President’s Views / 7 Setting Our Course BY BARBARA STEPHENSON Letter from the Editor / 8 Working with the Military BY SHAWN DORMAN Speaking Out / 16 Seeking Parity Between the Civil and Foreign Services BY LARRY W. ROEDER JR. Reflections / 73 Positive Energy in a Worldwide Outage BY TODD A . JURKOWSK I DEPARTMENTS Letters / 9 Talking Points / 12 Books / 64 Local Lens / 74 MARKETPLACE Classifieds / 66 Real Estate / 69 Index to Advertisers / 72 On the Cover: Gardez Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander Lt. Col. John Chong, left, Air Force Maj. Gen. Harry Polumbo Jr., center, and Ambassador (ret.) Stephen G. McFarland participate in the closing ceremony of PRT Gardez on April 3, 2013, in Paktya Province, Afghani- stan. (Also present but not pictured: Stephen Verrecchia, senior civilian representative at PRT Gardez.) Established in January 2003, Gardez was the first U.S. PRT. Amb. McFarland delivered his remarks in Dari to reach as many of the Afghans as possible with the message—the U.S. hope—that the Afghan government was poised to take over the work of the PRT. Having led a PRT in Iraq during the surge, McFarland had a good idea of the sacrifice and work that had gone into PRT Gardez and an appreciation for the tremendous synergy achieved when civilians and military understand each other and partner with host country civilians and military. But as he recalled for the FSJ recently, it was a bittersweet moment. There was doubt in Afghani- stan that the then-government was up to the task of supporting citizens in the province, as a representative of the government confided following the ceremony. And the fortifications dating back to the invasion of Alexander on hilltops surrounding the event were a humbling reminder that people have been fighting over the key terrain in this territory for ages. FOCUS ON CIV-MIL RELATIONS Working With the U.S. Military— 10 Things the Foreign Service Needs to Know / 19 Here are some pointers for members of the Foreign Service working with the military today, from a retired senior FSO and the first political adviser to the U.S. Strategic Command. BY TED STR I CKL ER The Dust of Kandahar / 25 A Senior FSO describes his experience of the reality of war on assignment in southern Afghanistan. BY JONATHAN S . ADDL ETON The Value of Military Training for Diplomats: A Personal Story / 32 Understanding our military, its role and its importance in interagency decision- making, should be a priority for diplomats—especially those beginning their careers. BY GEORGE M . STAPL ES Executive Order 13518: Veterans Employment Initiative / 37 FEATURES A Closer Look at Advancing World Food Security / 39 In agriculture, our free trade and commodity export agendas conflict with our development agenda, and the result is food insecurity. Here is the case for a change in focus. BY M I CHAE L MCCL E L LAN World’s Fairs Today: A Visit to Milan, Lessons for Dubai / 44 The world’s fair has evolved from an industrial exposition into the Olympics of public diplomacy, and the United States should be there. BY MATTHEW ASADA