AAFSW: Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide

Digital Diplomacy

19 Jul 2010 20:52:49 GMT

A new State Department effort to bring diplomacy into the digital age. The New York Times Magazine.

The Summer issue of Global Link is now available

16 Jul 2010 15:53:53 GMT

In PDF format for AAFSW members only. If you are a member and have forgotten your password, contact office@aafsw.org.

FYSF Welcome Back Picnic

15 Jul 2010 12:25:04 GMT

Please join the Foreign Service Youth Foundation for a picnic in honor of U.S. Foreign Service families that recently returned from overseas. The event offers food and fun for the entire family. FSYF will provide hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks. Please bring a salad, side dish or dessert to share. All U.S. Foreign Service families are invited. Come make new friends, reconnect with old friends, and welcome home your colleagues. RSVP to fsyf@fsyf.org by September 17.

Questions? Email fsyf@fsyf.org or call 703-731-2960

New in Articles and Advice: Top 10 Tips for Safe Overseas Travel with Students

15 Jul 2010 12:20:07 GMT

Detailed advice for youth/student travel from Kate Goggin, author of "Backpack Kids: The Safety Planning Checklist for Overseas Travel."

For State Department officers directing calls, adrenaline always on the line

15 Jul 2010 12:18:02 GMT

Every secret federal command center has its charms. At the Pentagon, vents slit the floor to block fumes, in case of a chemical attack. At the National Counterterrorism Center, an electric current excites gas between glass panes, fogging over for top-secret meetings. At the White House, the Situation Room seals so tightly that closing the door creates a sucking sound.

But none comes close to the State Department's Operations Center. Or its Barbie-size wooden outhouse, nailed to a beam, fitted with a miniature blue bulb. The Washington Post.

Professional Development Fellowships

12 Jul 2010 15:58:51 GMT

The Department of State announces the 2011 FLO Professional Development Fellowship program open to spouses and partners of civilian direct hire U.S. Government employees under Chief of Mission Authority. This program is designed to assist those spouses and partners who are not in a position to pursue their career paths overseas to maintain, enhance, and/or develop their professional skills. Subject to budgetary considerations, fellowships of up to $2,500 will be granted on a reimbursable basis for enrichment activities. Once activities are completed, the grantee will submit the necessary documents to support the reimbursement request and will be reimbursed accordingly. Selected applicants must fund a minimum of 25% of the cost of the proposed activities while the Fellowship stipend will cover the additional cost up to the $2,500 maximum. Activities can include, but are not limited to, continuing education and distance learning through an accredited university, professional development, participation in professional conferences, and dues for membership in professional organizations. More information is available at http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c25927.htm.

This Is War: How USAID workers are trained for work and danger in Afghanistan

3 Jul 2010 19:23:43 GMT

As a civilian USAID worker in Afghanistan, you can expect tough negotiations with tribal leaders, anger from villagers and constant enemy fire. And that's before you actually get there. The Washington Post Magazine.

AAFSW Member Directory

2 Jul 2010 16:16:18 GMT

The member directory has been updated to July 1, 2010. AAFSW members may download a copy in PDF format. If you are an AAFSW member and need the password for our members-only section, email office@aafsw.org.

It's Art&BookFair time!

2 Jul 2010 16:09:12 GMT

This year's dates: Oct. 8 through Oct. 17 at the Department of State. Volunteer today-it's easy! Click to open a printable volunteer calendar and form (PDF). Mail the form to the AAFSW Office or email your information to office@aafsw.org. We appreciate your support!

USAID compound attacked in Afghanistan; 4 killed

2 Jul 2010 13:24:14 GMT

Six suicide bombers stormed a USAID compound in northern Afghanistan before dawn Friday, killing at least four people and wounding several others, officials said. At least two of the dead were foreigners. Associated Press.

AAFSW's New Widget for Blogs

1 Jul 2010 13:50:10 GMT

If your blog is listed on our website, we would like to ask you a small favor. Please place our widget on your sidebar to let your readers know that they can read more Foreign Service blogs at www.aafsw.org! Get the code here.

GSA scraps plans for State Dept. training facility in Maryland

1 Jul 2010 13:49:28 GMT

The General Services Administration has withdrawn plans to build a $100 million training center for the State Department along Maryland's Eastern Shore after facing sharp criticism from residents. Federal Times.

State Department honors three with 'constructive dissent' awards

25 Jun 2010 18:16:50 GMT

The general had given the orders. And the orders were to be obeyed.

But for Diana B. Putman, a USAID health specialist on detail to the Pentagon's Africa Command, the orders made no sense and could potentially harm lives. So she questioned them all the way to the top -- even if others were unwilling to stick their necks out -- and got the directive changed.

At a ceremony at the State Department on Thursday, Putnam was awarded one of three "constructive dissent" awards, designed to encourage Foreign Service officers to speak out if they think U.S. policy is going in the wrong direction. There is even a discreet "dissent channel" through which staffers can cable their concerns directly to the head of policy planning, who then will alert senior officials.

The American Foreign Service Association, the Foreign Service union and the sponsor of the awards, says the dissent channel went fallow during the Bush administration because staffers feared retribution; but under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton the practice has been revived. The Washington Post.

Clements International Honors Outstanding U.S. Foreign Service Officer

25 Jun 2010 18:22:06 GMT

Clements International, the leading provider of insurance solutions for expatriates and international organizations, will award the M. Juanita Guess Award to Sarah Genton of the U.S. Embassy Madrid during the 2010 American Foreign Service Awards.

The M. Juanita Guess Award is presented to a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiative or imagination in assisting the families of Americans serving at an overseas post. This award was established in memory of M. Juanita Guess, former president of Clements International, and is one of several presented annually by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA.)

July Program: Private Tour of the Museum of the Society of the Cincinnati

15 Jun 2010 19:22:51 GMT

AAFSW cordially invites you to a special private tour to the magnificent Museum of the Society of the Cincinnati (Anderson House.) The tour will take place Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. AAFSW members, please visit our website for more information and to reserve your place for this event.

You’ve Come a Long Way (while going a long way), Baby!

10 Jun 2010 17:15:25 GMT

AAFSW's 50th Anniversary Celebration was a great success! The program included a musical play written, directed, and performed by Foreign Service family members. By popular demand, we are making the play's script, as well as the lyrics to the songs that were performed, available to AAFSW members only.

AAFSW Professional Fellowships

4 Jun 2010 20:33:36 GMT

The AAFSW Professional Fellowships for 2010 have been awarded to five eligible Foreign Service family members. Congratulations to Joshua Halpern, Michelle Cianni, Christine Yonushonis, Adanys Parliament, and Bradley Scott.

Congress votes down proposals to freeze federal pay

1 Jun 2010 21:09:47 GMT

Both chambers of Congress this week voted down proposals to freeze federal salaries. GovExec.com.

Nominations for the SOSA and Tragen Awards

28 May 2010 14:14:37 GMT

Nominations are being solicited for the Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad (SOSA) and the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award (Tragen). This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the SOSA awards. SOSA is sponsored and administered by the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW). The Tragen Award is sponsored and administered by the Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR), and the Family Liaison Office (DGHR/FLO). The SOSA and Tragen awards will be presented at the annual AAFSW awards ceremony on December 7, 2010. This cable outlines the criteria, eligibility and selection process for the two awards. Deadline for nominations for both awards is September 10, 2010. Please see the State Department cable with more details (Word document).

Clinton wants retired diplomats back

10 May 2010 17:59:28 GMT

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton issued a rare public appeal to retired American diplomats on Friday to return to work for short-term assignments to help stabilize and rebuild conflict-torn countries. The Washington Post.

A New CLO Association with a new purpose

4 May 2010 18:40:09 GMT

AAFSW is renewing, revising, and redirecting the DC-area-based Community Liaison Office Association from a social organization to one with a purpose. "CLOs to Home" (think "Close to Home") is looking for former CLOs to volunteer to assist in this important, and long overdue, endeavor--a CLO for Washington. Not just one or two CLOs, but a collection of individuals with knowledge of the Washington Metro area. Please visit www.aafsw.org or email clogroup@aafsw.org for more information.

Cuts to State Department budget ignite interparty row

29 Apr 2010 18:46:41 GMT

A dispute over the State Department budget has pitted the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, against a fellow Democrat and head of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, and the Obama administration. The Washington Times.

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship

29 Apr 2010 18:47:31 GMT

Amid mounting frustration over taxation and banking problems, small but growing numbers of overseas Americans are taking the weighty step of renouncing their citizenship. The New York Times.

Interview with Oliver Platt, Foreign Service Brat

27 Mar 2010 23:04:03 GMT

Platt says that moving with his family every two to three years helped fuel his interest in acting -- because it became a way for him to ease the transition into a new school. Fresh Air.

Gates, Clinton oppose cuts to State Department budget

26 Apr 2010 17:04:49 GMT

Defense Secretary Robert Gates joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in speaking out against the Senate Budget Committee's proposed cuts to international programs in the State Department budget. Military and diplomatic missions are too linked not to fund one side of them, they argued. Christian Science Monitor.

Ladies, Start Your Businesses!

23 Apr 2010 15:57:43 GMT

From the Global Link archives: tips on starting your own business from business coach Stephanie Ward.

As public sours on government, OPM aims to ‘re-polish' federal image

21 Apr 2010 20:48:19 GMT

The Office of Personnel Management is working on a new marketing campaign intended to boost the public's opinion of federal employees.

OPM Director John Berry said his agency is surveying liberal and conservative citizens about their impressions of federal workers and issues most important to them. Once that survey is done, OPM will contract with a marketing firm to "come up with the right vocabulary, the right messaging and the right energy that we believe will re-polish the public servant's image," Berry said at the Excellence in Government conference in Washington this morning.

Berry said that the government's outreach efforts should focus on employees' specific jobs to counter the perception of civil servants as bureaucrats. Federal Times.

The May issue of Global Link is now available

15 Apr 2010 17:22:48 GMT

In this issue: details of our upcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration, photos from the AAFSW Archives, and a salute to Opal Garnet Branch, retired Foreign Service Officer, and one of our oldest members. In PDF format for AAFSW members only.

REMINDER: AAFSW's April Music Recital

17 Mar 2010 14:49:18 GMT

AAFSW members Francesca Kelly and Debbi Miller will present a recital on Tuesday, April 20th. The program will be held in the Benjamin Franklin room at the Department of State. RSVPs are still being accepted for this event. AAFSW members please check the April issue of Global Link or visit www.aafsw.org for more information and to make your reservation.

Office Manager Position with AAFSW available June 21, 2010

5 Apr 2010 21:05:30 GMT

Part-time position, 20 hours week, Ballston office location, 2 blocks from Metro. Includes free parking. Hourly salary, no benefits.

The Office Manager reports to the Board President and is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of AAFSW Office. Duties include but are not limited to drafting and sending out correspondence, mailings, maintaining files, membership and financial databases, bill payment and answering queries. Works closely with board members to assist with logistics in their portfolios; assists with programs in the Benjamin Franklin room at the Department of State, coordinating with catering and Diplomatic Security and program logistics. Good interpersonal skills as well office management and computer skills are a must. Foreign Service background preferred. AAFSW membership and knowledge a plus. Please send inquiries and resumes to office@aafsw.org. Submit applications by May 21, 2010.

AAFSW's 50th Anniversary Celebration - Friday, June 4

13 Apr 2010 19:54:58 GMT

You are cordially invited to celebrate our fifty years of service to the Foreign Service community on Friday, June 4, 2010 in the Dean Acheson Auditorium at the Department of State. The program will include an original play written and staged by members of the Foreign Service community. AFSW members may reserve their seat online now for this fun celebration! More information in the upcoming May Global Link and at www.aafsw.org.

New in Foreign Service Books: A Modest Silence

12 Apr 2010 19:08:05 GMT

Written by Sheila Coral Grimes, a U.S. diplomatic spouse, this novel has a Foreign Service setting.

U.S. Outposts in the Crosshairs

12 Apr 2010 18:57:57 GMT

As the most visible symbols of U.S. foreign policy around the world, embassies have always been a target for political violence. Last weekend’s attack on the U.S. consulate in Peshawar was just the most recent example. But embassies are addressing their vulnerabilities, as the Peshawar case shows: While two consulate employees were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside, the casualties could have been much worse if gunmen had breached the mission’s heavily guarded gate. Foreign Policy.

China 60, U.S. 0: Culture centers in other's country

8 Apr 2010 19:06:41 GMT

Members of Congress have urged China, which has set up 60 cultural centers in the United States, to allow more than the four American centers it says can operate in China — a limit analysts attribute to Beijing's fear that those centers would promote human rights. The Washington Times.

Language proficiency is Foreign Service's 'greatest challenge,' Negroponte says

8 Apr 2010 19:02:58 GMT

Although the quantity of State Department and Agency for International Development officers has increased steadily in recent years, serious gaps in their number and foreign language proficiency remain. The Washington Post.

Explosions near U.S. Consulate in Peshawar kill at least 8

5 Apr 2010 19:03:26 GMT

A terrorist attack near the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed two consulate security guards and at least six others Monday, authorities said. CNN.

U.S. Embassy Rents Some Pricey Land In Kabul

2 Apr 2010 19:52:18 GMT

Some things may be cheap in Afghanistan. Renting land anywhere near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul apparently is not. The Washington Post.

State Department official recalled

2 Apr 2010 19:53:42 GMT

Reginald Eugene Hopson, a 30-year State Department foreign service officer, was summoned back to Washington from South Africa in October, stripped of his top-secret security clearance and questioned by federal investigators, records show. The Washington Times.

Telework cuts federal government's losses during D.C. area snowstorms

26 Mar 2010 20:27:55 GMT

If there was a silver lining to the heavy clouds that dumped record amounts of snow on the Washington area this winter, it was the boost the storms gave telework as a way to keep the government running under difficult circumstances.

That boost reverberated Wednesday when a House panel advanced, with a voice vote, legislation that is likely to result in more federal employees getting permission to work at home. Although the bill was around long before the winter storms -- it was introduced a year ago Thursday -- the snows that closed D.C. area federal offices gave the legislation a greater sense of urgency. The Washington Post.

Condolences to the families of Foreign Service personnel killed in Mexico

22 Mar 2010 21:00:06 GMT

AAFSW has received the following information: Condolences may be sent to the Consulate, which will pass them on to the families. American Consulate General Ciudad Juarez Human Resources Office P.O. Box 10545 El Paso, TX 79995 A fund has been established for the orphaned daughter of Lesley Enrique, the dual national FSN who was killed along with her husband. Contributions may be sent as follows: The Rebecca Redelfs Fund Wells Fargo Advisors 201 E. Main St., Ste. 101 El Paso, TX 79901 Account number: 20866274

Feds alarmed by anti-government movement

22 Mar 2010 20:55:47 GMT

Four days after a gunman shot two federal policemen near the Pentagon entrance, federal employee Sandy Ressler posted a short essay online, expressing dismay at what appeared to be an increasingly hostile climate for government workers.

"I work for the government and I am NOT the enemy," read his March 8 post on the social networking site GovLoop. Ressler, a program manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, lamented that the country is becoming "more and more polarized" and worried about growing misperceptions about federal employees. His post generated scores of sympathetic comments from fellow federal employees.

Their concerns are justified: Weapons violations on federal properties increased by 10 percent over the last year; threats against IRS facilities are up by 11 percent. And while threats are up, the level of protection at federal buildings is down. The Federal Protective Service has shrunk by 15 percent over the last seven years; hundreds of IRS buildings have no security at all. Federal Times.

For Foreign Service workers in Mexico, Juárez slayings stress the increasing danger in drug war

22 Mar 2010 20:52:32 GMT

The recent gangland slayings of an American Consulate worker and two others in Ciudad Juárez, a city across from El Paso, is yet another reminder of the danger faced by Foreign Service workers in Mexico and across the world. The Dallas Morning News.

Local Author Draws on Diplomatic Background for Inspiration

22 Mar 2010 20:51:25 GMT

Arlington author and musician Sheila Grimes spent decades traveling the world as a diplomat’s wife. Now she has self-published a novel, “A Modest Silence,” to give readers a sense of that experience. SunGazette.

At State, Clinton reaches out and widens her circle

22 Mar 2010 20:49:47 GMT

Hillary Rodham Clinton ran a presidential campaign notoriously insular and unhappy, managing a group of egos and backstabbers whose dysfunction may have cost her the White House. Understandably, people wondered what kind of management style she would bring to the State Department.

But a little over a year into her tenure as secretary of state, allies and detractors alike say Clinton has made a vigorous effort to widen her circle, pulling into her orbit the agency’s Foreign Service and civil service officials, many of whom said that she has brought a new energy to the building. The Boston Globe.

How is Clinton doing?

22 Mar 2010 20:48:51 GMT

The recent glowing profile of Secretary Clinton in the New York Times coupled with an earlier puff piece in the Washington Post suggest that the time might be ripe for a provisional assessment of her performance. Foreign Policy.

Bill would boost federal pay for language skills

22 Mar 2010 20:47:50 GMT

New legislation to increase pay for federal jobs requiring foreign language skills could help make up for the loss of a long-running financial incentive at the Customs and Border Protection bureau. GovExec.com.

Decision on Americans' departure was before deaths

22 Mar 2010 20:46:03 GMT

After deciding last week to help family members of U.S. consulate employees in northern Mexico leave the area, the State Department waited until Sunday to announce the move.

On Saturday three people associated with the consulate in Ciudad Juarez were gunned down.

It's not clear that an earlier announcement would have changed the outcome in the city near El Paso, Texas, since two of the three shooting victims lived on the U.S. side of the border and the third person was a local Mexican not covered by the departure plan. Associated Press.

Feds defend $450K for art, design shows

22 Mar 2010 20:45:06 GMT

The State Department is poised to spend nearly a half-million dollars on a pair of upcoming art and architecture exhibitions in Italy, an expense that fiscal watchdogs criticize with the nation's budget picture stuck in the red. The Washington Times.

Family starts scholarship to spur government careers

17 Mar 2010 14:47:00 GMT

Heirs to a supermarket fortune will launch a multimillion-dollar scholarship foundation on Tuesday that is designed to encourage graduate students to pursue government careers in national security, foreign policy and international development.

The Robertson Foundation for Government plans to eventually provide full financial support to hundreds of graduate students in those fields who agree to at least three years of service with a federal agency within five years of graduation. The Washington Post.

Few blacks serve in top U.S. diplomatic posts

17 Mar 2010 14:46:21 GMT

The State Department is searching for new ways to bring minorities to high-profile positions. New assignments this summer will increase diversity, one official promises. The Los Angeles Times.

The April 2010 issue of Global Link is now available.

15 Mar 2010 15:56:11 GMT

In PDF format for AAFSW members only.

Two Drug Slayings in Mexico Rock U.S. Consulate

15 Mar 2010 12:25:42 GMT

Gunmen believed to be linked to drug traffickers shot a pregnant American consulate worker and her husband to death in the violence-racked border town of Ciudad Juárez over the weekend, leaving their baby wailing in the back seat of their car, the authorities said Sunday. The gunmen also killed the husband of another consular employee and wounded his two young children. The New York Times.

Overworked U.S. Embassy in Kabul straining to meet administration's demands

11 Mar 2010 16:16:42 GMT

The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, which may soon overtake its counterpart in Iraq as the world's biggest diplomatic mission, is overworked, underappreciated and struggling to meet the demands placed on it by President Obama's new strategy, according to the State Department's inspector general. The Washington Post.

State Department plans 7 new posts in public diplomacy

11 Mar 2010 16:14:49 GMT

The State Department plans to create seven new senior positions to ensure that a public-diplomacy perspective is always "incorporated" in policymaking around the world, as well as to respond quickly to negative coverage of the United States in foreign media. The Washington Times.

Hillary Rodham Clinton widens her circle at the State Department

11 Mar 2010 16:12:01 GMT

A little over a year into her tenure as secretary of state, allies and detractors alike say Clinton has made a vigorous effort to widen her circle, wooing and pulling into her orbit the agency's Foreign Service and civil service officials, many of whom said in interviews that she has brought a new energy to the building. The Washington Post.

Students hear the path from here to there starts now

8 Mar 2010 15:58:57 GMT

The goal of the Pickering Fellowship is to diversify the Foreign Service. Not just racially, but socio-economically and geographically -- to better reflect the face of America. Lincoln Journal Star.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Hillary Clinton

8 Mar 2010 15:55:58 GMT

Biographical information from U.S. News and World Report.