Life at Post

GENERAL BIDDING RESOURCES

• Foreign Service Acronyms and Abbreviations: Helpful acronyms and abbreviations to help you navigate life at post.
• Link to FSI Handouts, including a Guide on Household Employees
• Mail and Diplomatic Pouch Services
• State Department - So You’re an American? A Guide to Answering Difficult Questions Abroad: Multi-layered resource from the Transition Center, best viewed on a computer or tablet.
• State Department Country Information and Bidding Resources

• Keep important documents for every member of the family in a waterproof case, ready to take with you. Visit GLO's List of Important Documents  for a full list of items. 

• TalesMag – Created by expats for expats, Talesmag is your first stop for honest, unbiased insights on your next international relocation.

EMERGENCIES AND POST EVACUATION

• AAFSW Crisis Fund — Help for Foreign Service community members in crisis (such as spousal abandonment): E-mail office@aafsw.org
• AAFSW Evacuation Support
• AFSA Divorce Resources (members only)
• Surviving Divorce in the Foreign Service: AFSA’s tips for navigating divorce.
• CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response
• FSYF Youth & Family Evacuations
• Hardship Homemaking blog Evacuation Tips
• State Department - Divorce and the Foreign Service
• Tips from GCLO Personal Preparedness Planning webpage will help guide your plan development.

OVERSEAS HOUSING

• Hardship Homemaking blog Decorating Tips
• Life as a Drexpat Facebook group
• State Department - Living Quarters Allowance

AWARDS PROGRAMS

• AAFSW's Awards and Scholarships
• AAFSW's Champions of Career Enhancement for Eligible Family Members (CCE-EFM)
• AFSA (American Foreign Service Association) awards
• The Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award, administered by DACOR
• The Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad (SOSA)

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARDS

• AAFSW's Livelines: An e-mail discussion group, also a platform for housing announcements.
• AAFSW's Online Housing Office and Classifieds
• Trailing Houses Facebook group

Video Resources

• The First Line of Defense – How Diplomats Protect American Security (4mn video). A few examples of how diplomats impact the daily lives of Americans. Don’t hesitate to share with your family and friends!