The Foreign Service Journal, December 2003

We’re Tested, Too! I was pleased to see the September Foreign Service Journal dedicated to specialists. However, the article “A Touch of Class: The World of Foreign Service Special- ists” indicated that Office Manage- ment Specialists do not take stan- dardized tests prior to coming on board, but rather have their qualifi- cations scored by an evaluation panel. When I came on board in 2000 as an OMS, I took a written exam and a proofreading test, and then spoke to an evaluation panel. Perhaps the exam is not standard- ized, but an exam is, in fact, given. Thanks again for highlighting our issues. Sonjia Swann Office Management Specialist Embassy San Salvador Change the Mindset You are to be commended for committing so much space to the issues dealing with Foreign Service specialists. A few observations: • As with so much in the Foreign Service, the status of specialists at overseas posts depends greatly on the attitude of the chief of mission. I served at posts where the ambas- sador made it clear that specialists were equal colleagues in fulfilling the U.S. government’s objectives and were to be treated as such. I’ve also served at posts where — despite saying the right words — the ambas- sador’s actions made clear that spe- cialists were at the bottom of the hierarchy. (Some examples I’ve seen are ambassadors who did not know where the communication center was; did not know many specialists’ names at post; and never invited specialists to the residence.) • Some specialists are their own worst enemies. When I joined the Service as an administrative officer in 1978, it was made clear to me that admin was at the bottom of the conal food chain, and I should try to “recone” as quickly as possible. Instead, because I enjoyed admin work, I was determined to help change the mindset. Specialists today are in much the same situa- tion. The perception is out there that they are not “real” diplomats, but they can change that. I’ve had specialists on the staff who were as interested in “substantive” issues as any political or economic officer — and they contributed to our policy formulation. I’ve also had specialists who — given the minimal interest they showed in their surroundings — could have been serving in Lubbock, Texas instead of Africa. But they did want all the rights and privileges accruing to a diplomatic passport holder. • I suspect that just as admin (now management) and consular affairs have become accepted as “real” diplomatic fields, some spe- cialist categories will make the breakthrough: probably starting with diplomatic security — given the crit- ical importance of that function. That’s one reason I enthusiastically encouraged one of my sons to pur- sue that specialization. One way the department could help would be to include specialists in the prestigious “Diplomats in Residence” program. What better way for DIRs to pro- mote specialists than by having some in the group? Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy Jr. FSO, retired Office of International Affairs Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas Consular Expertise In response to Thomas Hutson’s concerns regarding a “Foreign Service culture that relegates con- sular work to the realm of non-sub- stantive endeavor” (Letters, Sept- ember), I would like to point out that it has been my experience (as a coned consular officer for nearly 17 years) that those primarily responsi- ble for such relegation are consular officers themselves. How many times have I heard consular officers moan that they get no respect, that they are viewed as second-class FSOs, or that they do not get the same amount of “face time” with ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission as do political or economic officers? When I entered the Foreign Service in 1987, I believe there was some merit to these claims. During the early- to mid-1990’s, leadership and funding were lacking in the Consular Affairs Bureau, and the status of consular L ETTERS D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9