The Foreign Service Journal, December 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2015 11 hiring decisions. Because it is obviously impractical to interview the dozens of bidders on each position, the 360-degree process is a vital element complement- ing the officer’s résumé and statement of interest. In other words, State’s use of 360 references is not about professional development. It is about matching the most qualified officers with the positions where the department needs them. While I doubt it was his intention, the only way to implement Mr. Bent’s mis- guided recommendations would be to move to directed assignments for every- one. Surely AFSA does not support such a process, where officers have little or no influence over where they are assigned. Brian T. Neubert FSO Washington, D.C. The Wonderful World of Expositions Thanks to Matthew Asada for the great and informative article on “World’s Fairs Today” (October), as well as the history of State Department involvement in world expositions. Like him, I attended a world’s fair (Vancouver, 1986) in my youth and spent several days at the 1992 Seville Expo while in school. Despite the limited U.S. pavilion, I thought it was a fantastic forum for a nation to display itself and imagined doing that kind of work one day. Sadly, by the time I joined the Foreign Service, the U.S. government was no longer giving much support to such events, as Mr. Asada notes. Based now in Paris, I visited this year’s Milan Expo during my family’s summer vacation. It was great seeing my older daughter—about the same age I was when I first went to one—enjoy and A time of service…a time of need Help for Seniors May Be Just a Phone Call Away— Home Health Care Adult Day Care & Respite Care Prescription Drug Copayments Transportation to Medical Appointments Durable Medical Equipment For more information, please contact the SENIOR LIVING FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE 1716 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-2902 Phone: (202) 887-8170 Fax: (202) 872-9320 E-Mail: info@SLFoundation.org Web Site: www.SLFoundation.org The Senior Living Foundation may be able to help you or someone you know. Some examples of assistance are: SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION