THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2024 69 Foreign Service Grievance Board Appointments Congratulations to the retired Foreign Service members appointed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Foreign Service Grievance Board for two-year terms starting Oct. 1, 2024. As required by the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the candidates were jointly nominated by AFSA and the five agencies utilizing the Foreign Service personnel system. New member Sylvia Johnson (State) replaces Ambassador Donald Yamamoto (State), whom AFSA thanks for his service. Reappointed members are Kristen Bauer (State), Ambassador Greg Delawie (State), and Stuart Hatcher (State). Reappointed as FSGB chair is legal professional Charles Carron. n AFSA NEWS Emergency Travel Policy Update AFSA extends its congratulations to Americans by Choice (ABC) for initiating the advocacy that led to AFSA’s and ABC’s partnership to secure an important update to the State Department’s Emergency Visitation Travel (EVT) policy. The revised policy now allows all State Department Foreign Service employees eligible for EVT to book authorized travel regardless of whether the destination is domestic or overseas. Over the past year, AFSA and ABC collaborated with the State Department to successfully remove the cost-construct requirement for EVT to locations outside the United States. This policy change means employees no longer need to cost-construct travel costs to their service separation residence address when the emergency destination is outside the U.S. Covered expenses include flight costs, airport taxes, connecting transportation, and checked luggage. AFSA encourages activeduty State members to review 24 State 89126 to ensure they understand the updated procedures before booking after-hours emergency tickets. We continue to advocate that this policy be extended to all six foreign affairs agencies. n
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