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.
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