The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

AFSA NEWS 64 DECEMBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL She continued: “Our younger and mid-grade officers are incredibly able. They know that what sets the Foreign Service apart is our knowledge about foreign countries. They know their job is fundamentally to establish relationships, so that you can get in the door when it is really important to do so and make the pitch for the American point of view.” See the Journal ’s interview with Amb. Patterson on page 24. Foreign Service Champions Launched for the first time in 2022, the Foreign Service Champions Award recognizes a member of Congress, the military, or another influential non-career member of the foreign affairs community who has made meaningful contri- butions to the Foreign Service and the diplomatic profession. The inaugural winners of this award are Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rep- resentative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) for their demon- strable support on Capitol Hill of FS members and U.S. diplomacy. Although neither was able to attend the awards ceremony, both submitted pre-recorded videos of their remarks, shown at the event, to thank AFSA for the recogni- tion and to reiterate their commitment to champion- ing the work of the American Foreign Service and the well- being of its members. Constructive Dissent AFSA’s four constructive dissent awards are unique within the U.S. government. Every year for nearly a half- century, AFSA has given these awards to Foreign Service officers and specialists who demonstrated the courage to dissent within the system, to question the status quo, and to take a stand. This year, the Christian A. Herter Award for Construc- tive Dissent by a Senior Foreign Service officer was given to Benjamin Dille , management counselor at U.S. Embassy Kabul, for his commitment to protecting the mission community during the pandemic and his advo- cacy for effective solutions during evacuation planning. When accepting the award, Dr. Dille was quick to thank his colleagues: “Most efforts highlighted in this award came from the larger Kabul management team, so I must give them all credit for their ideas, support, and willingness to work through the most difficult challenges I have witnessed in my career.” Ambassador Charles Rivkin presented the William R. Rivkin Award for Con- structive Dissent by a mid- level officer, named after his late father, who served as U.S. ambassador to Luxem- bourg, Senegal, and Gambia. The 2022 award went to three Foreign Service officers. Jennifer Davis was selected for her cour- age in outlining flaws within the State Department’s investigation and discipline processes and offering recommendations for their improvement; and Elisabeth Zentos and Anton Cooper were recognized for their foresight in laying out critical concerns regarding the dete- riorating security situation in Kabul and concrete policy proposals to mitigate harm. As Mr. Cooper was unable to attend the ceremony, Ms. Zentos spoke for both when accepting the award: “I would like to express the hope that the existence of this award encourages State Department leaders to not only recognize dissent after the fact. I hope we all remember the importance of including diverse voices in discussions, carefully con- sidering dissenting views, and respecting suggestions of working-level experts.” The F. Allen “Tex” Har- ris Award for Constructive Dissent by a Foreign Service specialist was presented to Steven May , a special agent with the Diplomatic Security Service who fought to improve the department’s policies on the implementation of Inter- AFSA President Eric Rubin and Amb. Anne W. Patterson (center) with exemplary performance award recipients (from left) Christine Peterson, Sharon Papp, Susan Johnson, and RaeJean Stokes. AFSA/CALEBSCHLABACH