The Foreign Service Journal, November 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2021 11 LETTERS Required Reading Ronald Neumann’s article in the September FSJ , “Intervention: Unlearned Lessons, or the Gripes of a Professional,” is the most incisive and useful argument I have seen in a Journal article. It should be required read- ing for senior Foreign Service officers and others involved in foreign policy decision-making, including congressional staffers. Michael Michaud FSO, retired Lawrence, Kansas Relations with Mongolia You published our article, “Diplo- mats Make a Difference: The U.S. and Mongolia, 1986-1990,” in the Septemb er edition of the FSJ . In less than a month, it generated a new lead that gave us a better understanding for our research. As a result of the article, we have more information about what happened in Havana in January 1986. These events were among the first steps toward diplomatic recognition of Mongolia and building the relationship our two coun- tries enjoy today. In our article, we talked about the confusion over what happened when the head of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Curt Kamman (later ambas- sador to Chile and Bolivia), met with an official from the Mongolian embassy there. After the article was published online, a Mongolian acquaintance from 30 years ago reached out to me and said, “My father worked at the Mongolian embassy in Havana at that time. Do you want me to ask him?” It turned out that her father was the Mongolian diplomat with whom Kam- man spoke. Now we have both sides of the story, a better understanding of how our two countries acci- dentally interacted, and the resolution to a 35-year-old mystery. The conversation was literally an example of diplomats doing their job and making a difference. Without the platform the Journal provided, we might never have uncov- ered that integral part of the story. These answers will enable us to ask further questions and uncover even more about a pivotal event in diplomatic history that remains poorly documented. Thank you! Michael Allen Lake Alexandria, Virginia Caregiving for Parents from Afar The findings of AFSA’s retention survey in the July-August FSJ spotligh ted that “family concerns” were the most-cited reason mem- bers left the Foreign Service prior to retirement. The most pressing family concerns— such as family member employment and the lack of telework and remote work flex- ibility for Foreign Service members— were addressed in AFSA’s thoughtful recommendations. As a second-tour eligible family member (EFM), I was inspired by this vision of reform for the Foreign Service. However, to prepare the Foreign Service community for the changing landscape of the United States, I suggest one more advocacy item. We require greater understanding of how Foreign Service personnel will oversee the well- being of their parents (i.e., engage in parent caregiving, from a distance). Over the next 10 years, the ratio of middle-aged to older adults will narrow as the number of adults over 80 grows by 79 percent and the number of middle-aged adults increases by only 1 percent. How are we preparing for such drastic population shifts? Fortunately, programs such as WorkLife4You and the Senior Living Foundation Foreign Service Parent Program have played a critical role in linking Foreign Service families to caregiving resources and helping to close the gap in their efforts. Still, we need research to explain the burden of parent caregivers and to help us plan ahead and limit the strains of this rewarding, yet challenging, time of our lives. As a clinical social worker, I am pursuing doctoral research to develop our knowledge of the parent caregiving burden in the Foreign Service, so that we can operate from a foun- dation of understanding and improve the quality of sup- port to our aging parents. If you, or other Foreign Service personnel, have provided unpaid care to a parent in the past year due to an illness or other condition limiting their ability to self-care (e.g., aging), you may be eligible to contribute by participat- ing in an anonymous survey for my dis- sertation on the long-distance caregiving burden of U.S. Foreign Service and mili- tary personnel. Participation is voluntary. Visit this link to learn more: tinyurl.com/ USGParentCare. Christine D. Holmes Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Social Work University of Pennsylvania FS Family Member Embassy Jakarta