The Foreign Service Journal, November 2019

6 NOVEMBER 2019 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 89 TSP Rule Changes and New Tax Law: An Expert’s Take 89 Support AFSA’s Legal Defense Fund 90 State VP Voice—One Foreign Service 91 USAID VP Voice—Workforce Planning: The Horse That Should Pull the Reorganization Cart 92 FCS VP Voice—The Commercial Service at 40? Actually, It’s Been a Bit Longer… AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION On the Cover— West Berliners perched on top of the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate taunt the East German police, Nov. 10, 1989. Photo by then-junior FSO Mike Hammer from on top of the wall. Marketplace 103 Real Estate 106 Classifieds 108 Index to Advertisers FOREIGN SERVICE 7 President’s Views We Defend the Foreign Service By E r i c Ru b i n 9 Letter from the Editor The Wall, Then and Now By Sh awn Do rma n 20 Speaking Out Preventing Domestic Violence Is Our Shared Responsibility By Le s l i e Ba s s e t t 109 Reflections A Past Not So Distant By Amy C r a g u n Ha l l Perspectives Departments 10 Letters 11 Letters-Plus 15 Talking Points 97 In Memory 101 Books 110 Local Lens Lithuania By J ame s Ta l a l a y 93 92 AFSA Governing Board Meeting 93 FAS VP Voice—The Trees or The Forest? 93 AFSA Congratulates Job Search Program Graduates 94 WhereWe Stand—Rejecting Retreat 95 FS Retiree Outreach and a Return to Chautauqua 95 What’s New at DACOR? JAMESTALALAY