PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 NEW BOOKS BY FS AUTHORS IN THEIR OWN WRITE PLUS DAYTON ACCORDS AT 30 STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS AND TRANSITIONS LIFE LESSONS FROM THE STREETS OF SAIGON
4 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL November-December 2025 Volume 102, No. 7 FOCUS ON FOREIGN SERVICE AUTHORS 30 In Their Own Write We are pleased to present this year’s collection of new books by members of the Foreign Service community. 40 Of Related Interest Other recent books of interest to the foreign affairs community. 51 In Their Own Words: FS Family Members on Writing By David K. Wessel COVER STORY 24 The Dayton Peace Accords at 30: Firsthand Accounts from U.S. Diplomats Who Were There Compiled by Fran Leskovar 24 30
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 5 73 AFSA Awards 2025 74 State VP Voice— You Deserve Better 74 The Challenge Campaign: Members Step Up 75 USAID VP Voice— Finding Strength in Community 75 AFSA Governing Board, June 18 and July 16, 2025 76 R etiree VP Voice— Protecting Retiree Interests 76 A FSA Welcomes New Counselor for Alumni and Retirees 77 Honoring Fallen Colleagues 77 AFSA Responds to FSOT Changes 78 The Myth of Merit: Insights from AFSA’s RIF Survey 80 AFSA Announces 2025 High School Essay Contest Winner 81 Editorial Board Welcomes New Co-Chairs and Members 82 Disorganized Diplomacy— Service Disrupted Webinar 82 AFSA President Speaks at FARNOVA 82 Protecting Members’ Rights 83 A FSA Receives “Clean” Audit for Record 16th Year 83 M SPB Appeals 101— AFSA Webinar 83 U nderstanding Market Volatility— AFSA Webinar 84 AFSA Hosts Member Meetup 84 F oreign Policy Insights at Chautauqua AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF AFSA ON THE COVER: Art by Brian Stauffer/ The i Spot. 107 PERSPECTIVES 6 President’s Views The Road Goes Ever On By John “Dink” Dinkelman 9 Letter from the Editor Telling the FS Story By Shawn Dorman 20 Speaking Out The End of CSO: Don’t Let Stabilization Expertise Go By John H. Mongan 112 Reflections Remembering Kenneth Wimmel: Diplomat, Writer, Historian By Don Hausrath 114 Local Lens Huacachina, Peru By Curt Whittaker DEPARTMENTS 10 Letters 14 Talking Points 103 In Memory MARKETPLACE 108 Real Estate 110 Classifieds 111 Index to Advertisers FEATURES 56 Iran’s Revolution and Foreign Service Heroes: A Review Essay By John Limbert 60 Scooter Wisdom: Life Lessons from the Streets of Saigon By John Harris 64 Service Disrupted: Views from the Field FS HERITAGE 68 The Life and Tragic Fate of a Young U.S. Consul By Sébastien Perrot-Minnot EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 87 Returning to U.S. Schools: A Guide to Transcripts and Smooth Transitions By Rebecca McPherson 93 Education at a Glance APPRECIATION 100 A Hero of Our Time: William Caldwell Harrop By Tom Boyatt 114
6 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Road Goes Ever On BY JOHN “DINK” DINKELMAN LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 John “Dink” Dinkelman is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. PRESIDENT’S VIEWS It seems only fitting that I am writing this column from the former Yugoslavia, given that this edition of the Journal marks the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords with fascinating ADST oral history excerpts from diplomats who were there. Coincidentally, the former Yugoslavia is where—after nine grueling months of FSI convincing me that some of us will never have the knack for Slavic case endings—I started my first Foreign Service assignment in the summer of 1989, in Embassy Belgrade’s consular section. And who knew that marrying a math professor on the Alternating Sign Matrices speaking circuit would afford me the chance years later to play trailing spouse for a few days and revisit the places where I’d served as an entry-level Foreign Service officer. The “front-row seat” that first assignment provided to the nightmare of Yugoslavia’s subsequent disintegration was one of the most formative events of my life—both personally and professionally. While it was painful for me, as a young man in my late 20s, to watch a rational, reasonable, progressive Western society quickly transition into ethnocentric, xenophobic tribalism, I find it even more painful today, as a “boomer” in his mid-60s, to see many of those same trends threaten other nations— including my own. When Will It End? In those waning days of Yugoslavia, people watched, usually with frustration, then anger, then horror, as their societal norms, protocols, and institutions fell apart—first slowly, then incrementally, and finally catastrophically. When they dared discuss it with me, they would skirt the critical questions: “When will all this end?” and, more importantly, “How will all this end?” It hurt too much for them to speculate—so we mostly just trudged on day after day not speaking of the house burning down all around us. Over the past months since taking office at AFSA, I have found myself starting to ask the same questions. Seemingly without so much as the smallest consideration given to the longterm effects on the federal workforce, much less the Foreign Service, State Department leadership continues to roll out uncoordinated revisions to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), ill-conceived rule changes, and short-sighted reductions in force (RIFs)—all in the name of addressing perceived flaws in the system. These officials seem to have forgotten that they are dealing with a profession where consideration, coordination, and collaboration are the fundamental tools needed to get things done. They don’t realize that if you are to gain lasting change, you need to bring your people along with you. They don’t understand that unilaterally implementing broad structural changes cannot and will not work without “buy-in” by the rank-and-file. Stephen Covey is undoubtedly rolling over in his grave. I’ve stopped asking myself when and how all this will end, because the truth is that, for AFSA and its new president, this will never end. As long as there are dedicated Americans willing to submit themselves and their families to the challenges of serving our country overseas, AFSA will continue to fight for them. They can rest assured that the northwest corner of 21st and E Streets will continue to serve as an island of sanity and stability in the midst of all the turbulence and uncertainty engulfing Foggy Bottom. Weathering the Storm In his State VP column on page 74, Ro Nepal does an excellent job painting the sad picture of the present work environment at State. I would expand on his timely theme of “You Deserve Better,” because it doesn’t just apply to one agency. AFSA continues to receive disturbing reports from its members in all the (remaining) foreign affairs agencies confirming that the malaise and trepidation in Foggy Bottom is not unique to the State Department. As AFSA membership represents the spectrum of the Foreign Service—from those unceremoniously “shown the
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 7 As long as there are dedicated Americans willing to submit themselves and their families to the challenges of serving our country overseas, AFSA will continue to fight for them. door” over the past months, to those “left behind” to clean up the mess, to the younger, fresher talent on whom we rely for long-term institutional continuity who have one eye on the door—I feel it safe to say that while we are certainly not all in the same boat, we all remain in the same storm. The gale warnings persist. Both from Washington, D.C., where Foreign Service careers are placed on the chopping block in the name of partisan budgetary battles, and from overseas, where, among the myriad challenges, FS employees and their families serve as 21st-century “guinea pigs” for what appears to be some tyrant’s newest weapon as AHI (anomalous health incident) attacks ravage their cranial nervous systems. They all deserve someone in their corner. For the day-to-day challenges— vouchers are still not processed in a timely manner, education allowances continue to be improperly denied, and household effects inexplicably find their way to the bottom of the Indian Ocean—AFSA will remain dedicated to ensuring that the interests of the Foreign Service, its members, and their families remain at the center of all we do. We’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere, folks! I’d note that this edition of the Journal is being published on November 1— my first day of retirement. Hopefully at that time I will have reason to thank the very overworked Office of Retirement for seeing to my smooth transition to retiree status. If not, I can be grateful for my colleagues on the member services team at AFSA, who never cease to amaze me in their understanding of the intricacies of processes—even in the present “dynamic” environment. In a sign of the times, I will be the first retiree serving as AFSA president that the organization has seen in its 101year history, one of the effects of the president’s executive order discontinuing AFSA’s collective bargaining status. While AFSA will continue to fight this in court, the reconfiguration of the AFSA presidency opens up a new realm of possibilities for me, since I am no longer bound by the limitations that come with federal employment. I intend to take full advantage of this unexpected change and will be able to “speak truth to power”—something that an increasing number of AFSA members are no longer able to do. Change and Challenges So here I sit at a table across from University of Ljubljana’s math and physics campus on a brisk September morning listening jealously as energetic students decline the vocative, locative, and genitive cases with ease. I am heartened that, since the dissolution of Yugoslavia, many in their region’s successor nations have made progress in moving past ethnocentric xenophobia and resolving difficult problems. But I realize that while different from the existential challenges faced by their parents and grandparents, these students are in just as great need of advocates and defenders against the challenges that confront their own generation. So it is for AFSA and the Foreign Service. So it will always be. Human history is characterized by constant changes in social organization, technology, and culture that bring ups and downs, crises and challenges, as well as the potential for happiness and well-being. I’m reminded of a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring sent to me recently by a sanguine Foreign Service friend who has weathered more than his share of storms. It serves as a good reminder of the role we all play. “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” n
8 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL www.sfiprogram.org SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY INITIATIVE SFI-01268 Certified Sourcing Editor in Chief, Director of Publications Shawn Dorman: dorman@afsa.org Deputy Editor Donna Gorman: gorman@afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Brady Maitra: maitra@afsa.org Managing Editor Kathryn Owens: owens@afsa.org Associate Editor Mark Parkhomenko: parkhomenko@afsa.org Publications Coordinator Vacant Business Development Manager— Advertising and Circulation Molly Long: long@afsa.org Art Director Caryn Suko Smith Editorial Board Lynette Behnke, Co-Chair Hon. Jennifer Z. Galt, Co-Chair hanna draper, Gov. Bd. Liaison Kelly Adams-Smith Ben East Mathew Hagengruber Steven Hendrix Kathryn Ntiamoah Peter Reams Dan Spokojny Lisa Nuch Venbrux THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published bimonthly, with March and June as monthly issues, by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board, or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by email. The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. AFSA reserves the right to reject advertising that is not in keeping with its standards and objectives. 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Michael Kirby: kirby@afsa.org Julie Nutter: nutter@afsa.org STAFF Executive Director Ásgeir Sigfússon: sigfusson@afsa.org Executive Assistant to the President Jahari Fraser: fraser@afsa.org Office Coordinator Therese Thomas: therese@afsa.org PROFESSIONAL POLICY ISSUES AND ADVOCACY Director of Professional Policy Issues Lisa Heller: heller@afsa.org Director of Advocacy Kim Sullivan: sullivan@afsa.org Advocacy and Policy Manager Sean O’Gorman: ogorman@afsa.org FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Director, HR and Operations Cory Nishi: cnishi@afsa.org Controller Kalpna Srimal: srimal@afsa.org Member Accounts Specialist Ana Lopez: lopez@afsa.org IT and Infrastructure Coordinator Aleksandar “Pav” Pavlovich: pavlovich@afsa.org COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH Director of Communications and Outreach Nikki Gamer: gamer@afsa.org Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach Nadja Ruzica: ruzica@afsa.org Online Communications Manager Jeff Lau: lau@afsa.org Communications and Marketing Manager Hannah Harari: harari@afsa.org MEMBERSHIP Director, Programs and Member Engagement Christine Miele: miele@afsa.org Membership Operations Coordinator Mouna Koubaa: koubaa@afsa.org Counselor for Retirees and Alumni Brian Himmelsteib: himmelsteib@afsa.org Manager, Membership and Events Glenn Stanton: stanton@afsa.org Program Coordinator Indigo Stegner: stegner@afsa.org OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Sharon Papp: papp@afsa.org Deputy General Counsel Raeka Safai: safai@afsa.org Senior Staff Attorneys Zlatana Badrich: badrich@afsa.org Neera Parikh: parikh@afsa.org Labor Management Counselor Colleen Fallon-Lenaghan: colleen@afsa.org Senior Labor Management Adviser James Yorke: yorke@afsa.org Labor Management Coordinator Patrick Bradley: bradley@afsa.org Senior Grievance Counselor Heather Townsend: townsend@afsa.org Grievance Counselor Ed White: white@afsa.org Attorney Adviser Erin Kate Brady: brady@afsa.org FOREIGN SERVICE CONTACTS www.afsa.org
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 9 Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. Telling the FS Story BY SHAWN DORMAN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR This edition comes to you in the midst of a government shutdown that has left many of our readers either furloughed or working without pay. And that is on top of the thousands who have been pushed out of the Service in recent months, and many others who remain, fearing for their jobs. These are not normal times, and we are right to worry about the survival of the professional, nonpartisan Foreign Service. After a year of disruption, we head into the colder months and the holiday season looking to our communities for comfort and warmth. In that spirit, we bring you the 24th annual celebration of writing and publishing by members of the Foreign Service community. The “In Their Own Write” books edition is always a favorite for the FSJ team to put together, as we get to explore and highlight the perspectives and creativity of this unique community of world travelers. Among the 52 selections, you’ll find books on policy and diplomatic history, as well as memoirs and guidebooks. And in the “Of Related Interest” section, you’ll find 16 books by non-FS authors on topics relevant to diplomacy and development professionals. Part holiday gift guide, part diplomacy time capsule, this collection is a reminder of the intellectual richness within the Service. In a companion article, “In Their Own Words,” retired FSO David K. Wessel discusses writing with four FS family member authors, tracing how the life of a “trailing spouse” can become creative fuel. I hope you will find inspiration in this collection for your own writing and publishing. This month’s cover story, “Dayton Peace Accords at 30,” revisits the November 1995 peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War. For this anniversary, the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) put together an extensive collection of oral histories relating to the efforts to bring stability to the Western Balkans. The selections here were compiled by Fran Leskovar, manager for the ADST project. In “The End of CSO: Don’t Let Stabilization Expertise Go,” John H. Mongan reflects on the shuttering of the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, arguing that diplomatic conflict capacity must not vanish in the bureaucratic reorganization. And FSO John Harris offers a lighter meditation on adaptation and perspective gained from commuting in Vietnam, in “Scooter Wisdom: Life Lessons from the Streets of Saigon.” In a review essay of Scott Anderson’s new book on the Iranian Revolution, King of Kings, Ambassador John Limbert applauds the work of career diplomats who, “despite threats to their careers and their lives, insisted on providing the most accurate information and the best advice possible from the field to decision-makers in Washington without regard to partisan politics of the winds of political fashion.” A fifth installment of “Service Disrupted” stories includes insider accounts of how current events are disrupting the critical work done by Foreign Service members. In FS Heritage, Sébastien Perrot-Minnot recounts “The Life and Tragic Fate of a Young U.S. Consul” in Guadeloupe. And the Education Supplement includes a piece on returning to U.S. schools from overseas. Ambassador Tom Boyatt offers an Appreciation of Ambassador William Harrop, “A Hero of Our Time,” who led the way for AFSA to become a union in 1972. And in the Reflection, Don Hausrath remembers the diplomat, historian, and writer Kenneth Wimmel. Taken together, all these pieces underline the enduring strengths of diplomats on the ground—judgment, improvisation, courage, and humility. To those who have recently left the Foreign Service through retirement, “the fork,” a RIF, or the elimination of your agency or office, thank you for your years of service. Please stay connected; you’ll always be part of the FS community. Know that you have an open invitation to write for the FSJ as you begin your next chapter. Tell your story and help ensure that there is a record of the critical work you have done in public service. Please take a look at our 2026 Calendar (https://afsa.org/fsj-editorial-calendar) and check out the FSJ Author Guidelines (https://afsa.org/fsj-author-guidelines). Send your suggestions, pitches, and submissions to journal@afsa.org. n
10 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS The Journal’s Enduring Value After a brilliant centennial celebration, The Foreign Service Journal suddenly faces a less certain future. The Trump administration is squeezing AFSA and thinning the ranks of the State Department, two bedrocks of the Journal’s existence. Now, as it goes to publishing only six issues a year, we should pause to reflect on the publication’s enduring value. I would highlight three aspects. First, the Journal is uniquely entwined with the Foreign Service. The two claim a common origin, the drive culminating after the First World War to modernize American diplomacy. The two have grown up together. The Journal has provided an established forum for American diplomats. That makes it not so much a trade journal as a tradecraft journal, a space for practitioners to reflect on the real work of diplomacy. A good example, from the October 2022 issue, is an essay by Rose Gottemoeller on the 1994 Budapest memo that assured Ukraine of its security if it handed over its nuclear weapons. That agreement became fiercely controversial after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a lead negotiator, Gottemoeller was an insider, allowing her to explain the geopolitical context of the memo. Second, over the past century, the Journal has served as a repository of the stories of diplomacy, surely the profession with the most wonderfully droll incidents of all. Its archive, now available online, is a treasure house. anniversary was marked in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, and a group of us met that morning at the plaque honoring the victims in Arlington National Cemetery. This year’s gathering came on the heels of the State Department’s unfortunate decision to eliminate the Office of Casualty Assistance, which was created after the bombings to support the families of U.S. personnel or family members killed or injured overseas, and to fold the function into another office. I was chargé d’affaires in Tanzania at the time of the bombings. For a large group of American and Tanzanian survivors of the Dar bombing, the anniversary engendered numerous heartfelt and inspiring email messages as we commiserated with one another. One colleague wrote: “No one who wasn’t there can fully understand, and I don’t believe those of us who were can ever truly express the multitude of emotions that remain even 27 years later.” Another wrote: “We are all part of a united group, brought together by tragedy and now a group that has been blessed because we learned the true value of living each and every day because of that tragedy.” Most of us by now have retired from U.S. government service, but many emails reflected today’s unsettled situation in U.S. government agencies. One person noted: “We have been saddened by the rapid changes our friends have been reacting to.” Another said: “The changes across our institutions have been difficult to witness—and for many, to personally endure. As painful as they are, they also underscore how much we’ve all given, and how deeply we care about the missions we served. For those of us who’ve moved into retirement or new chapters, the sense of purpose doesn’t disappear— it simply shifts form.” One of my favorite examples comes from the November 1993 edition in which a British diplomat—and none other than the Permanent Under Secretary, the highest position in their career hierarchy— related the rendering of his august title into Japanese, which then came back as “immortal junior typist.” Let me conclude with an observation drawn from my experience years ago as an editorial intern in the New York office of Foreign Affairs. That magazine shares a similar trajectory with the Journal. It, too, was conceived in the 1920s in reaction to the sudden American assumption of international responsibility. Then, over the next century, Foreign Affairs was to the expanding globalism of U.S. foreign policy what the Journal was to the deepening professionalism of U.S. foreign relations. Note that distinction between foreign policy and foreign relations. Where Foreign Affairs is comparatively weak—sifting and refining the rich raw material of the actual practice of diplomacy—the Journal is uniquely strong. These are just a few reasons why I value the Journal, and wish it well in its second century, and deplore the infringements on its viability. Fletcher M. Burton State FSO, retired Nashville, Tennessee Survivors Remember the East Africa Bombings August 7, 2025, marked the 27th anniversary of the East Africa embassy bombings. Thank you to AFSA and the FSJ for remembering every August. While the State Department this year chose not to issue a public statement, the
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 11 Yet another message cited the importance of our work in development and diplomatic “soft power”: “We all thought we were spending our lives making the world a better place, and we did. It is heartbreaking seeing it unravel in this fashion and so quickly. We must hope that our passion for service and internationalism passes down to the next generations and they carry the flame for us.” The survivors of the Nairobi and Dar bombings haven’t forgotten that traumatic, tragic day, August 7, 1998. As one person put it, “The years move on, but some moments stay lodged in the soul. This is one of them.” John E. Lange Ambassador, retired Vienna, Virginia I Hope It Never Happens to You Before Augusto Pinochet lost the 1988 plebiscite in Chile, forcing an election after 17 years of military dictatorship, media organizations were still under the thumb of his henchmen, and fear was rampant about bucking the government in any way. Journalists’ houses were burned, they were threatened, their cars were vandalized, television news stations went “black,” and radio towers were knocked over. Ambassador Harry Barnes insisted that we in the U.S. Information Service (USIS) were to make visitations to beleaguered media organizations up and down the country, and he expected trip reports each time. Those trips were the embassy’s show of support for free media. I would like to think that journalists took courage from our visits, and gradually a “NO” campaign opposing Pinochet’s continued dictatorship came together, and he was voted out. Leading up to the democratic vote,
12 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL one of the national (university) television stations decided to host Chile’s first-ever presidential debate, patterned on how debates were conducted in the U.S. As press officer, I was invited to sit with the television station’s planning group, and we worked out the greenlight/red-light system, the order of questioning, and so on. That involvement and cooperation was an honor for me. Chile closed down the night of the first debate, as it was such a novelty. No one was in the streets. Viewership was estimated at around 90 percent. I remember one locally employed staff member in the press section, a Foreign Service National (FSN) who had grieved the loss of democracy in Chile during those years. A dedicated polling place worker, she told me: “I hope the U.S. never experiences this loss of democracy. It is as devastating for us here as it would be for you there.” Sonja Sweek State FSO, retired Lincoln City, Oregon Why I Also Joined NARFE Full disclosure—I am a life member of AFSA and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). As a retired Diplomatic Security employee, I am also a life member of DSSAA, the Diplomatic Security Special Agents Association. If you are reading this magazine, you are probably familiar with the many benefits of being a member of AFSA. I would like to explain the three primary reasons why I decided to also join NARFE. Advocacy. As a federal employee retiree, I was uncertain what role I could play in trying to defend the pay and benefits we all worked so hard to earn. NARFE is not a union but an advocacy group representing all agencies that works to help elected officials and the public understand the importance of the federal workforce. It has numerous tools to help us engage with our lawmakers. The advocacy page on the NARFE website makes it easy for people to contact their elected officials (just don’t do that from work or from a work computer). And its advocacy arm enjoys an excellent reputation with both parties on the Hill. A recent example: NARFE officers were present at the signing of the legislation to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) affecting Social Security payments (those of you who were affected understand the magnitude of this achievement). Federal benefits education. NARFE helps current and former employees and their families understand their benefits. I was fortunate to attend the Foreign Service Institute’s retirement seminar before I retired, and it was loaded with great information. But other agencies don’t necessarily do such a good job preparing their employees. On the NARFE website, members can view numerous Federal Benefits Institute webinars on a wide variety of topics relating to benefits. Community. The community aspect of NARFE was my primary reason for joining. I retired to western South Dakota, and as you can imagine, there are not a lot of foreign affairs retirees in the area. When I want to talk about TSP, TDY, or FEHB, I have a difficult time finding someone who speaks my language. With nine local “chapters” throughout South Dakota, NARFE offers a community that understands my questions and concerns. My local chapter invites representatives from our three elected officials to give us legislative updates and relay our concerns. We host representatives of the major Federal Employee Health Benefits providers annually to help the federal family understand the Open Season options. NARFE also holds meetings at the state and national level. If your budget only allows for joining one group to advocate on your behalf, it is easy to recommend maintaining AFSA membership. But if you can afford to give up one “candy coffee” each month, and depending on where you have settled in retirement, I would strongly encourage also considering a membership in NARFE. For me, also joining NARFE was one of the best retirement decisions I made. You can learn more at www.NARFE.org. Daryl Zimmerman Foreign Service Specialist, retired Sturgis, South Dakota n Share your thoughts about this month’s issue. Submit letters to the editor: journal@afsa.org Correction In the September-October appreciation, Richard Boucher’s birth year incorrectly appeared as 1952. He was born in 1951. We regret the error.
14 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL TALKING POINTS Trump Administration Cancels Annual Federal Workforce Survey For the first time since 2010, the federal government will not conduct the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), the governmentwide questionnaire that measures morale, engagement, and satisfaction among civil servants. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced on August 15 that it has canceled the 2025 edition of the survey, citing plans to “recalibrate” FEVS to align with the Trump administration’s workforce priorities. OPM Director Scott Kupor said the updated version, expected in 2026, will remove questions added under the Biden administration on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), while refocusing on “a high-performance, highefficiency, and merit-based civil service.” The cancellation comes amid widespread upheaval in the federal workforce, including mass firings, relocations, and cuts that have already fueled concerns about morale. Past FEVS results have provided one of the clearest pictures of workforce sentiment, influencing management decisions and shaping the Partnership for Public Service’s annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings. For the State Department, those rankings have been especially sobering in recent years: Its employee engagement and satisfaction score fell to 62.8 in 2024, down from highs near 70 in 2010, placing the department 16th out of 18 large agencies. Observers warn that skipping the survey deprives both agency leaders and Congress of valuable feedback. “By making this decision, the administration is depriving itself of the ability to make data-driven leadership decisions that can help government better deliver for the public,” said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. The FEVS is also tied to a legal requirement, enacted in the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, for agencies to survey employees annually on workplace conditions. OPM has not explained how the government will comply with that mandate this year. Human Rights Reports Scaled Back The State Department’s annual “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” for 2024 were released on August 12, 2025, six months later than usual and in dramatically reduced form. For decades, the reports have been considered the most comprehensive government-produced assessment of human rights worldwide. This year’s versions, however, were significantly shortened and whole sections were removed, prompting widespread criticism that the administration is whitewashing abuses by allies, targeting adversaries, and undermining U.S. credibility. The reports, mandated by Congress since the late 1970s, have historically provided detailed, nonpartisan assessments of conditions in almost every country and territory in the world. They have served as a trusted resource for Congress, the courts, immigration adjudicators, human rights advocates, and even businesses conducting risk assessments. In 20222023 alone, lawmakers cited the reports more than 70 times in legislation. But the 2024 editions were cut by more than half, with entire sections eliminated. Coverage of government corruption, election abuses, systemic racial and ethnic discrimination, violence against women and minorities, child abuse, and LGBTQ+ rights has disappeared. Long-standing sections on prison conditions, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and reprisals against human rights defenders have also been dropped, even as the State Department itself estimates there are more than 1 million political prisoners worldwide. The result is a selective and inconsistent picture. The report on Israel, for instance, plummeted from more than 22,000 words last year to fewer than 1,500, and omits reference to International Criminal Court arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders. The report on El Salvador, once offering specific details on arbitrary detentions and torture, now concludes there were “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses.” Meanwhile, reports on Brazil and South Africa—whose governments have clashed with the Trump administration—emphasize “disproportionate” curbs on free speech and “worsened” racial tensions. Diplomacy matters. War, threats, and violence are never the answer. Dialogue, deliberation, and discussion are. We don’t always have to agree and we don’t always succeed—but we cannot stop trying. —Linda Thomas-Greenfield accepting AFSA’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy at Georgetown University, October 1. Contemporary Quote Talking Points offers a snapshot of recent developments affecting the Foreign Service. The following items were finalized for publication on September 25, 2025.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 15 Administration officials defended the restructuring as a bid to “increase readability” and remove “redundancies.” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce insisted that no country is “singled out for condemnation or praise.” Critics, however, see the cuts as deliberate politicization. “It sends a signal that there’s going to be a free pass [on human rights issues] from the United States government, that it will look the other way if a government is willing to cut deals or do the bidding of this administration,” said Uzra Zeya, head of Human Rights First and a former FSO and senior State Department official. Freedom House warned that the omissions “deal a heavy blow to U.S. leadership on human rights, serve the interests of authoritarian powers, and leave policymakers and private-sector consumers with fewer resources to inform their work.” The consequences reach beyond Washington, D.C. Civil society organizations rely on the reports’ compilation of evidence from U.S. embassies worldwide, NGOs, and international monitors. The timing of the cuts also raises alarms. In 2024 voters in more than 60 countries went to the polls, and more than 100 elections are scheduled worldwide in 2025. Yet the 2024 reports exclude sections on election abuses and irregularities, just as authoritarian governments are working to erode international standards of democratic accountability. Labor Rights at a Crossroads On August 28, President Trump issued an executive order further excluding agencies and subdivisions from collective bargaining rights under Chapter 71 of Title 5, citing national security. The order removed protections for Civil Service employees in the U.S. Agency for Global Media (including VOA), the Bureau of Reclamation’s hydropower facilities, subdivisions of the Patent and Trademark Office and NOAA, the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, as well as NASA. Union leaders warned that the action would weaken employee protections and reduce accountability. Days later, on September 15, employees and union members gathered outside NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., to protest workforce reductions and the loss of union protections. AFSA is also at the center of this fight. On April 7, AFSA filed a suit in federal district court challenging a March 27 executive order that revoked bargaining rights for 97 percent of its bargaining unit members at State and USAID. A legal battle ensued; the case remains active and is central to protecting Foreign Service members’ workplace rights. Why Diplomats Matter Congress has a responsibility to ensure America continues to have the most capable diplomatic and development workforce in the world. And I recognize your commitment to working on an authorization and the hard work of both of our staffs. As Bill Burns, one of America’s finest Foreign Service officers wrote, and I quote: “Diplomats are translators of the world to Washington and Washington to the world.” They are early warning radars for threats and opportunities. Builders and repairers of relationships, policymakers, drivers and executors, protectors of our citizens abroad, promoters of America’s economic interests, interrogators of military intelligence and economic tools, organizers, conveners, negotiators, communicators, and strategists. That is why what we do here matters. Our work must enhance, not diminish, the ability of our diplomats to succeed that has always required clear eyes, real oversight, and a bipartisan process. —Representative Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) in a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing titled “Markup of State Department Authorization Bills” on September 17. JOSH Heard on the Hill In May, Judge Paul L. Friedman granted AFSA’s request for a preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the order as applied to the Foreign Service. Although a federal appeals court later paused that injunction, AFSA has pressed forward. In August, the union filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the court to rule on the merits of its case based on the current record. The government quickly responded with its own motions, asking the district court to hold the motion for summary judgment in abeyance and asking the court of appeals to overturn AFSA’s earlier win. Judge Friedman recently granted the government’s motion to hold the case in abeyance pending the outcome of the court of appeals’ ruling on the preliminary injunction. Whatever the outcome, the case remains active and central to protecting Foreign Service members’ workplace rights.
16 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL notes that while presidents have historically excluded some agencies with intelligence or defense missions, the Trump orders sweep in more than 40 entities, including many without clear national security functions. CRS also reviews the wave of litigation by NTEU, AFGE, and AFSA, and points out that Congress could revisit or narrow the statutory authority presidents use to impose such exclusions. With executive actions, court rulings, congressional responses, and union litigation all in play, both federal and private-sector employees now face a rapidly shifting landscape for collective bargaining rights. DSS Joins D.C. Crime Crackdown The State Department’s law enforcement arm, long tasked with protecting U.S. diplomats and securing U.S. embassies and personnel around the world, has assumed a new and unusual role at home. The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is now working alongside local police in Washington, D.C., participating Meanwhile, private-sector labor faces its own crisis. In August, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals declared the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) unconstitutional in a case involving SpaceX, effectively halting enforcement of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The NLRB, reduced to two members and lacking a quorum, has nonetheless sought to defend its jurisdiction, filing a suit on September 12 against the State of New York over a new law authorizing state oversight of private-sector union elections. Congress has begun to push back. On September 17, Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), joined by more than 40 colleagues, introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act to nullify Trump’s recent executive orders and restore collective bargaining agreements in place as of March 26, 2025. A September 15 Congressional Research Service report, “National Security Exclusions from the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statutes,” provides additional context. The report A Strong, Professional Foreign Service 50 Years Ago A t a time when the United States finds itself confronted with a rapidly changing world of shifting alliances, allegiances, and centers of influence, a world in which American dominance over events is no longer nearly as certain as it was a few years ago, it is more important than ever that this country be served by a strong professional Foreign Service. Such a Service demands an educated, trained, dedicated, hard working and highly motivated corps of people. In order for the foreign affairs agencies to recruit and retain men and women with these qualifications the agencies must be able to successfully compete with private organizations which are in the market for the same people. —Letter from former AFSA President John D. Hemenway to Congressman Al Ullman (D-Ore.) of the House Ways and Means Committee in the December 1975 edition of the FSJ.
THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 17 in the administration’s effort to clamp down on crime in the nation’s capital. In August, DSS officers were deployed on the streets of Washington, D.C. State confirmed in a statement that it is “actively partnering with the Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement to provide interagency support in the ongoing mission to deter and reduce crime in the District of Columbia.” The move has sparked controversy. Critics call the deployment a political show, pointing to cases like the August 19 arrest of a part-time delivery driver who was charged with having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. A DSS officer was involved in the arrest, which later escalated into a resisting charge. One federal public defender described the case as a by-product of a “federal occupation of D.C.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the effort, saying that as the “front porch” of the United States, Washington should be safe and welcoming to foreign leaders and citizens alike. DSS has more than 2,500 employees worldwide and a mandate that includes counterterrorism, counterespionage, and protection of senior officials. As it expands its domestic profile, critics question how far the agency’s traditional diplomatic security role can stretch. Passport Bill Raises Alarm A new Republican bill in the House, introduced by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) the week of September 15, is drawing fire from civil liberties groups for giving the Secretary of State sweeping authority to revoke or deny U.S. passports. The proposal comes just months after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the visa of Turkish doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, based solely on an op-ed she co-wrote critical of Israel. This move was later overturned by a court. Critics say the bill would open the door to similar actions against U.S. citizens. The legislation claims to target “terrorists and traffickers,” but its vague reference to providing “material support” to terrorist organizations has alarmed watchdogs. Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation warned it amounts to “thought policing at the hands of one individual,” giving the Secretary the power to designate people as terrorist supporters “based solely on what they think and say.” Opponents warn the law could chill dissent far beyond the current political climate. Where Is State Magazine? Have you seen State Magazine lately? We haven’t either—not since May 2025. State Magazine is the in-house publication of the State Department, with roots dating back to 1947, when the Foreign Service News Letter was first published to keep the Foreign Service community informed of developments affecting operations and personnel. Over the decades, the publication changed names—from Department of State News Letter in 1961 to State in 1981, and finally State Magazine in 1996. The magazine went all-digital in 2015 and moved to its current online platform in 2019. It had been published monthly until this past spring. Since then, no word
18 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Site of the Month: America’s Diplomats The appearance of a particular site or podcast is for information only and does not constitute an endorsement. This month, we highlight the America’s Diplomats video series, which shines a spotlight on citizens from all over the United States who represent America abroad. Through one-on-one interviews, the series traces the personal journeys of distinguished public servants and offers first-person insights into the challenges and rewards of a diplomatic career. Launched by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, with support from the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, the project celebrates the service of career diplomats and foreign policy professionals and inspires future generations to follow in their footsteps. Speakers share how they were inspired to join the State Department, the mentors who shaped their path, and the skills that sustained them through decades of service. Episodes feature leaders including Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador Don Lu, Ambassador Todd Robinson, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, and many others, each offering a distinct perspective on advancing U.S. interests in a complex world. At a time when a strong public service is more critical than ever, America’s Diplomats offers an honest and compelling window into the lives of those who have shaped U.S. foreign policy across administrations. Watch the series at https://www.americas-diplomats.com/. from the State Department on when, or whether, State Magazine will return. We’ll be keeping an eye out. Oversight Lessons on Afghanistan The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released its July 30, 2025, quarterly report to Congress, before the office closes permanently this fall. Since 2008, SIGAR has produced 68 reports, creating the most detailed independent record of the U.S. reconstruction effort in Afghanistan. The latest report highlights the enduring lessons of that effort. Recent audits uncovered compliance lapses among contractors, adding to a record 171 criminal convictions and nearly $1.7 billion recovered. More broadly, SIGAR points to systemic problems such as corruption, poorly coordinated projects, and unsustainable programs that collapsed once U.S. funding ended. Even after the 2021 withdrawal, the office tracked more than $21 billion in ongoing aid under Taliban rule, ensuring transparency in how funds were used. As SIGAR closes its doors, its central warning resonates beyond Afghanistan: Without clear goals, local buy-in, and strong oversight, reconstruction efforts are likely to fail. To read the report, visit https://bit.ly/ SIGAR68. n This issue of Talking Points was compiled by Mark Parkhomenko.
20 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL SPEAKING OUT John H. Mongan joined the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, later CSO, in 2005 and has served in a variety of leadership roles in the bureau, including in field operations in Afghanistan and in support of the Syrian opposition in Türkiye. A former Foreign Service officer, he served tours in Albania, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. He retired from the State Department in September 2025. The Trump administration’s decision to disband the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO)—like its more publicized dismantling of USAID—represents a belief that the U.S. can choose how it wants to engage abroad. Of course, the idea that the U.S. can choose how it engages abroad is the exact thought that motivated presidential candidate George W. Bush when he said in 2000 that the U.S. “shouldn’t be in the business of nation-building.” Four years later, after 9/11, Afghanistan, and Iraq, it was President Bush who created CSO’s predecessor, the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS), and it was Bush who signed legislation institutionalizing it in 2008. As of the time of this writing, that statutory “coordinator” appears to be vested in the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) that will coordinate disaster response efforts. S/CRS was created to memorialize and operationalize the lessons of the major stabilization missions of the 1990s and 2000s—Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, among others. It evolved into CSO under President Barack Obama to “anticipate, prevent, and respond” to conflict risks and became the centerpiece of implementing the Global Fragility (GFA) and Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocity Prevention Acts of President Donald Trump’s first term. It will be interesting to see whether the department is able to implement those acts without the bureau. It is reasonable to expect that some conflict-related contingency will arise in the next decade, and the department will be no better prepared to respond than when it became necessary to establish a new mission in Pristina in 1999; provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan in 2002; effective governance in Iraq in 2003; or the GFA’s small-scale, conflict-focused interventions in different countries today. Whatever one thinks of CSO, it was the only element of the State Department specifically tasked to think through these challenges, and its absence re-creates a capability gap likely to haunt the department in the years ahead. Ironically, it would have been an organization well suited to plan for the takeover of Greenland, Gaza, or the Panama Canal, or the reestablishment of a presence in Damascus—all initiatives this administration has proposed. Without relitigating the decision to abolish the bureau, it is incumbent on department leadership to consider how to maintain some degree of conflict capacity for the time when political leadership suddenly cares about a conflict challenge somewhere. The Secret Sauce All bureaucracies have good intentions that can lead to pernicious side effects. Professionalism leads to apolitical expertise but risks the moral cowardice of careerism. Physical fitness is essential for armies in combat but leads to many officers who are better at push-ups than strategy. Patience and judiciousness are essential qualities for diplomacy but can camouflage laziness and indecisiveness. CSO challenged these diplomatic hazards by asserting that diplomatic responses to conflict require fast and decisive action, much like military responses. CSO developed a range of capabilities during its existence, but three core requirements guided its formation and operations, and remain gaps for the department: The End of CSO: Don’t Let Stabilization Expertise Go BY JOHN H. MONGAN A persistent and repeated error through the ages has been the failure to understand that the preservation of peace requires active effort, planning, the expenditure of resources, and sacrifice, just as war does. —Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War, 1996
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