state magazine, november 2008

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NOVEMBER 2008 MAGAZINE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Picture Perfect A Day in the Life Of Mission Mexico

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The November 2008 issue of State Magazine, published by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, features the public-private effort to bring development to Brazil; the Office of Foreign Missions as our Office of the Month; and Belfast, Northern Ireland as our Post of the Month!

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: State Magazine, November 2008

NOVEMBER 2008

MAGAZINE

U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

PicturePerfectA Day in the LifeOf Mission Mexico

Page 2: State Magazine, November 2008

DaringRuseEmbassy works withColombia to gainhostages’ rescue.

12Post of theMonthPeace and prosperitycome to Belfast,Northern Ireland

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NOV2008

StandingFirmNation’s first blackdiplomat brokemany barriers.

07

S T A T E M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 5 2 8

Dramatic lighting makes Queen’s Universityin Belfast glow on a winter night.

Page 3: State Magazine, November 2008

08 ‘The Last 3 Feet’Washington Foreign Press Centercelebrates 40 years of service.

10 Explaining AmericaForeign Press Centers help foreignmedia cover U.S. elections.

14 Partners in ProgressPublic-private effort brings develop-ment to Brazil.

16 Constant ChangeLES meets the challenges of theU.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

18 Candid CamerasMission Mexico captures a dayin its life.

22 Dial 7-2000Department consolidates IT help desks.

32 Evolving RoleEconomic officers adapt as foreignpolicy changes.

34 Office of the MonthOffice of Foreign Missions helpsforeign missions on U.S. soil.

08

FEATURES

ON THE COVERHands reach out to snap a photographof a scenic view in Mexico.Photograph by Getty Images

2 From the D.G.

3 In the News

38 Medical Report

40 Education & Training

41 Appointments

42 Retirements

43 Obituaries

44 The Last Word

COLUMNS

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Page 4: State Magazine, November 2008

2 | STATE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2008

Let me take this opportunity to wish all of you ahappy and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

I count it a great honor to work with the professionalswho comprise the State Department, and I am gladwhen they get the recognition that they deserve.

This year, one of State’s own, Kate Friedrich, receivedthe distinguished 2008 Service to America NationalSecurity and International Affairs Medal awarded by thePartnership for Public Service, based on her exceptionalcontributions in leading the U.S.-Afghan Women’sCouncil. The council, a major public-private effort toenhance the economic, social and political status ofwomen in Afghanistan, created a microfinance programthat has served 30,000 Afghan women, helping them tostart businesses and improve their financial literacy—toname just some of its achievements. These women,deprived of their basic human rights in the 1990s, arenow increasingly empowered and liberated—provingthat our work can and does make a real difference.

Kate, a Civil Service employee serving as a specialadviser to the Under Secretary for Democracy andGlobal Affairs, was honored at a gala awards ceremonyin Washington, D.C., along with seven other awardrecipients, including a scientist who created a tsunamidetection system and a person who is helping restore thequality of life for soldiers who have suffered traumaticbattle injuries.

Service to America Medals are presented annually bythe Partnership for Public Service to honor the achieve-ments of America’s public servants. They help shine thelight on the important work that federal employees do.

This is not the first time State employees havebeen so honored. Previous winners include EdwardMessmer (2007), Ambassador Nancy Powell andChristina Sanford (2006), Tobin Bradley (2005) andAmbassador Prudence Bushnell (2004). It is gratifyingwhen their great work receives the recognition itdeserves. I encourage all bureaus to considernominating worthy employees for the 2009 Service toAmerica Medals. To learn more about the applicationprocess and obtain online application forms, please goto www.servicetoamericamedals.org.

We in the Bureau of Human Resources want to serveyou efficiently and well. If you have comments orsuggestions, feel free to send them to me via unclassifiede-mail at DG Direct. ■

Giving Thanks forExceptional Service

D.G. HARRY K.THOMAS

Page 5: State Magazine, November 2008

newsDepartment Among Top 20Best Places to Launch a Career

The Department of State was the top-ranked federalagency and ranked 12th among all employers in BusinessWeekmagazine’s annual assessment of the best places to begin acareer. The listing, released in September, showed the Depart-ment had moved up from a 19th-place ranking in 2007.

This was the third consecutive year that the Departmentplaced among the top 20 organizations in the BusinessWeek

listing. At number 12, the Department edged out, in order,Microsoft, Target, Abbott Labs and the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration. The ranking is based oncombined survey data from career services directors,undergraduate students and employers. Detailed informationis at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/08_37/B4099magazine.htm.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 3

Page 6: State Magazine, November 2008

The Department of State values diversityas a moral and legal matter, and also becauseit wants to “bring in and keep the best andthe brightest from all backgrounds,” saidUnder Secretary for Management Patrick F.Kennedy in his remarks to a diversity leader-ship reception in September.

The reception celebrated the launch of anew Diversity Governance Council initiative,the Leadership Liaison program. The council

is co-chaired by Under Secretary Kennedyand Director of the Office of Civil RightsJohn M. Robinson, who is also the Depart-ment’s chief diversity officer. The councilapplies a diversity lens to the developmentand implementation of all Departmentmanagement policies and initiatives.

The council’s membership also includesJohn B. Bellinger, the Department’s legaladviser; Sean I. McCormack, assistant secre-

tary for PublicAffairs; ThomasA. Shannon,assistant secretaryfor Western Hemi-sphere Affairs;Daniel B. Smith, theDepartment’s exec-utive secretary;Susan H. Swart,chief informationofficer; Harry K.

Thomas, director general of the ForeignService and director of Human Resources;and Ruth A. Whiteside, director of theForeign Service Institute.

The Leadership Liaison program matchescouncil members with recognizedDepartment employee affinity groups, whichwork for change, share ideas, brokersolutions and provide networking opportu-nities for members. The groups are the AsianAmerican Foreign Affairs Association, CarlT. Rowan Chapter of Blacks in Government,Disability Action Group, Executive Womenat State, Foreign Affairs Chapter of Blacks inGovernment, Gays and Lesbians in ForeignAffairs Agencies, Hispanic EmployeesCouncil of Foreign Affairs Agencies,Thursday Luncheon Group and YoungProfessionals Society.

For further information, contactDavid King in the Office of Civil Rights at(202) 647-9295 or [email protected].

4 | STATE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2008

In a ceremony at Main State, top State Department officials inSeptember honored a member of the Provisional ReconstructionTeam in Sadr City, Iraq, who was killed there in a June attackby insurgents.

Steven Lee Farley, 57, a civilian employee of the Department, wasremembered by Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedyfor “a career built on military and civilian service” like that offormer Secretary of State George C. Marshall. Farley spent 34 yearsin the military and, after retirement, volunteered for Iraq in 2007. Asa senior governance specialist, he advised the Sadr City DistrictCouncil. He and three other Americans were killed when a bombexploded at a council meeting.

Farley volunteered for Iraq because “he wanted to live and workwhere he could make the biggest contribution to improving peoples’lives,” said David Welch, assistant secretary for Near Eastern Affairs.

Saying “Steve’s sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice presented Farley posthumously with the SuperiorHonor Award. She also said he was a family man—he leaves behindboth parents, a wife, three sons and a granddaughter. Several familymembers attended the ceremony in the Dean Acheson Auditorium,

and Farley’s wife accepted the award and a folded American flag thathad flown over the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The ceremony’s remembrances concluded with those of one ofFarley’s former colleagues, Elisa Catalano. She said his courageinspired her and that another co-worker had said of Farley: “Noterrorist can undermine Steve’s legacy.”

Top Officials Paired With Diversity Groups

Fallen PRT Member Receives High Honor

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OCR Director John M. Robinson, left, talks with Luis E. Arreaga, director ofthe Office of Recruitment, Examination and Employment, while in the back-ground, Paul Schafer, manager of Accessible Electronic and InformationTechnology Projects, talks with Somer Bessire-Briers, the Department’sdiversity outreach manager, who helped organize the reception.

Secretary of State Rice presentsthe Superior Honor award to thewidow of Steven Farley.

Page 7: State Magazine, November 2008

Italy’s only American Corner,in Trieste, celebrated its firstbirthday in September.

Hosted by the Italian-American Association of FriuliVenezia Giulia, the AC keepsalive the dream of a longtimeU.S. representative in Trieste,Paolo Bearz. The consulateclosed in 1986, and Bearz,formerly the consulate’s polit-ical specialist, became the U.S.consular agent in Trieste,holding that position until hisdeath in February 2006.

The Italian-American Associ-ation, which he helped found,promotes the United States byshowing American films inlocal schools, teaching English,hosting a traditionalThanksgiving dinner andhosting the AC. The associationworks with Trieste’s large scien-

tific community and theUniversity of Trieste’s AmericanStudies program and has hostedfour lectures by Americandiplomats and speakers at theAC. The AC has books, DVDs,audio-visual equipment andpublic Internet computers. Inits first year, 5,000 people usedthe collection or participated inan association activity.

Giorgio Rosso Cicogna, pres-ident of the association and aformer Italian diplomat, saidthe AC “gave us theopportunity to tell Trieste’syouth about the traditionalclose ties between Trieste andthe United States.”

Elizabeth Griffin, the associa-tion’s executive director, saidthe AC in coming months “will

be extremely busy,” with thecollection open 20 hours perweek and the adjoining lecturehall booked almost weekly bylocal groups. She said the ACwill show nine first-run U.S.films, continue its Englishclasses and hold Halloween,Thanksgiving and U.S. electionnight celebrations—plus itsannual cookie festival.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 5

The U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik, Iceland, is striving to decrease itscarbon footprint and establish environmentally friendly policieslike those of Iceland itself.

Iceland’s reliance on geothermal and hydropower plants toproduce 80 percent of its energy means that all of the embassy’selectricity, heat and hot water come from clean, renewable sources.

Furthermore, one-third of embassy employees ride bikes towork. In response, the general services office this summer installeda bike rack. The GSO also collects paper, plastic bottles andaluminum cans within the embassy and takes them to theReykjavik recycling center.

More broadly, the embassy has sought bilateral cooperation onseveral renewable energy and climate-change-related projects. InAugust, Iceland signed two U.S. Department of Energy-initiatedmultilateral agreements involving research and development ongeothermal power and the implementation of clean-energy policies.

In the private sector, Columbia University, the University ofIceland and Reykjavik Energy Company are jointly working on acarbon-sequestration project that would capture carbon dioxideand store it as a solid.

Embassy Uses Earth-friendly Practices

Consular Officer Amiee McGimpsey, left,and Linda Lopez, the ambassador’s officemanagement specialist, bike to work.

More than 200 local dignitaries and members of the Italian-American Association of Friuli Venezia Giulia applaudedthe inauguration of the American Corner on September 17, 2007.

Italy’sAmericanCornerCelebratesFirstAnniversary

Page 8: State Magazine, November 2008

The State Department’s 2008 CombinedFederal Campaign got under way October 1with a kick-off event in the Exhibit Hall atMain State. There, several of the charitiesthat receive CFC funds made clear toemployees why their giving is needed.

The campaign seeks to raise $2.195million from Department employees, partof the $61 million sought by CFC fromfederal employees throughout the nationalcapital area. The goal is slightly more thanthe $2 million raised last year by theDepartment.

Employees can designate a pledge to oneor more of approximately 4,000 charitiesreceiving CFC funds, including severalhundred that are new to the CFC roster.They may contribute in a lump sum bycheck or cash, or have their contributionwithdrawn in one or more installmentsfrom their paycheck.

This year the CFC is particularly seekingsupport from young employees, said YvonneC. Sims, a Department of Labor official onloan to the Department for the campaign.Presently, the campaign’s most generous

donors, she said, are older employees, manyof whom will soon qualify for retirement.

Younger employees are also being soughtas “keyworkers,” volunteers who approachco-workers to encourage them to contribute.The enthusiasm of younger employees, Simssaid, means “they will be the biggest [CFC]cheerleaders” in their offices.

To gain younger employees’involvement, Sims said the campaign isadvertising on the YouTube and MySpaceWeb sites, and encouraging online contri-bution via EmployeeExpress.gov orCFCNCA.org, the campaign’s regional Website. The latter means is also the best wayfor retirees to contribute, Sims said, sincethey do not receive pledge cards unlessthey request them.

The campaign, which runs through theend of 2008, will include special givingactivities such as the annual Basket Raffle,where employees bid on baskets donated bythe bureaus. Bureaus donated theme basketsin the 2007 campaign, and employees madedollar donations on chances of winningthese baskets.

6 | STATE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2008

Department Launches 2008Federal Giving Campaign

MAGAZINE

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

Ed WarnerDeputy Editor

Bill PalmerWriter/Editor

David L. JohnstonArt Director

Advisory Board Members

James A. ForbesExecutive Secretary

Kelly Clements

Annette R. Cocchiaro

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165)is published monthly, except

bimonthly in July and August, by theU.S. Department of State, 2201 C St.,

N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicalspostage paid at Washington, D.C.,and at additional mailing locations.

Change of AddressSend changes of address to State

Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W., SA-1,Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-

0108. You may also e-mail addresschanges to [email protected].

SubscriptionsState Magazine is available bypaid subscription through the

U.S. Government Printing Office bytelephone at (202) 512-1800 or on

the web at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

SubmissionsFor details on submitting articlesto State Magazine, request our

guidelines, “Getting Your Story Told,”by e-mail at [email protected];

download them from our Web siteat www.state.gov; or sendyour request in writing to

State Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W.,HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236,

Washington, DC 20522-0108.

DeadlinesThe submission deadline for the

January 2009 issue is November 15.The deadline for the February 2009

issue is December 15.

The Department’s CFC coordinator, Shelly Kornegay, left, and Yvonne C. Sims, an executive officerat the Department of Labor, engage in CFC planning.

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Page 9: State Magazine, November 2008

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 7

residence with thousandsof armed soldiers,holding Bassett and hisfamily hostage in a five-month siege.

With almost every newadministration in Haiti,opponents had soughtrefuge in the missions ofthe American orEuropean powers.However, U.S. policy wasto accept asylum seekersonly in extreme cases, if atall. Bassett knew Secretaryof State Hamilton Fish,and perhaps PresidentGrant himself, would notbe pleased. However,Bassett believed Canal andother asylum-seekerswould by killed by Haitiantroops. Bassett led theminside his home, offeringthe slim protection inter-national treaties and lawafforded him.

Weeks became monthsas the siege dragged intothe summer. Finally, Secretary Fish took action. Washington ordered a warship to steamtoward Port-au-Prince. Domingue relented under the threat, and just after midnight onOctober 5, 1875, Bassett escorted Canal to board a ship to safely send him into exile.

Canal ReturnsMonths later, Bassett would have to deal with a coup against Domingue, and would

see the eventual triumphant return of Canal and Canal’s assumption of the presidency. With the end of the Grant administration in 1877, Bassett resigned and returned to

the United States, where he spent 10 years as a Haitian diplomat, Haiti’s Consul Generalin New York City. He remained active in political and human rights matters until hisdeath in 1908.

Bassett’s work altered U.S. foreign policy. For the first time, a nation founded onequality had as its representative abroad someone who had previously been less thanequal under the law. This movement toward equality and democratization would be aforce impossible to turn back.

But Bassett was not just a symbol. His bravery and skill in negotiating set him apartfrom his contemporaries. In spite of conflicts, he was gifted at establishing personalrelationships with foreign leaders and had a tremendous sense of political acumen.

This year marks the centennial of Bassett’s death, but his principled adherence toAmerican ideals lives on. ■

The author is the public affairs officer at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico.His biography of Bassett, “Hero of Hispaniola,” is at http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C35195.aspx.

Born in Connecticut on October 16, 1833,the grandson of slaves, Bassett became the firstblack student to attend college at theConnecticut Normal School, in 1853. Later, hewould help abolitionist Frederick Douglassrecruit black soldiers during the Civil War. Hisactivism paid off when Grant won the WhiteHouse and looked to reward his politicalsupporters from the black community. Overthe next eight years in Port-au-Prince, Bassettfaced civil war, coups d’état and hurricanes, but proved his mettle through every crisis.

It was a time of great political instability onthe island of Hispaniola. President Grantattempted to annex the Dominican Republic,causing chaos on both sides of theHaitian/Dominican border. Bassett frequentlyfought symptoms of malaria or other tropicalillnesses while working under difficult circum-stances with a hostile host government.

Severe CrisisIn 1875, Bassett faced his most severe crisis

when he refused to turn a political opponent,General Pierre Boisrond Canal, over toHaitian authorities. The enraged president ofHaiti, Michel Domingue, surrounded Bassett’s

FIRST BLACK DIPLOMAT BROKE MANY BARRIERS BY CHRISTOPHER TEAL

Standing FirmMost everyone knows

Colin Powell was the firstAfrican-American Secretaryof State, but few Americans,white or black, rememberthe name of Ebenezer D.Bassett, the first black Amer-ican diplomat. With hisappointment in 1869 byPresident Ulysses S. Grantto head the AmericanLegation in Haiti, Bassettbroke a color barrier, and hecourageously brought thesame revolutionary spirit tohis work as a diplomat anda defender of internationalhuman rights.

Bassett’s student photographfrom 1855.

Page 10: State Magazine, November 2008

Panelists at the WFPC’s 40th anniversary considera question put to them by an attendee.

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In July, a small unit of the Departmentcalled the Washington Foreign Press Centercelebrated its 40th anniversary with a discus-sion about the center’s history, an address byUnder Secretary for Public Diplomacy andPublic Affairs James P. Glassman and areception that brought 300 journalists, pressofficers and current and former employeestogether to reflect on the center’s importanceto U.S. public diplomacy and to foreigncorrespondents.

The WFPC, a unit of the Foreign PressCenter, opened in 1968 as part of the United

States Information Agency with a mission toprovide the 160 Washington-based foreigncorrespondents and visiting journalists withbackground information to better informtheir reporting and provide a platform forU.S. policymakers to engage with the world’smedia. Its mission unchanged, the centernow is part of the Department’s Bureau ofPublic Affairs.

Promoting AccuracyThrough press briefings, roundtable

discussions, one-on-one interviews and

reporting tours throughout the UnitedStates, the WFPC provides the nearly 2,000foreign correspondents based in Washingtonwith accurate information about U.S. policyand society.

For 40 years, WFPC and its sister office inNew York have “shown that open discussionof democracy, tolerance and personalfreedom is a genuine path to better lives forall,” Under Secretary Glassman said in hiskeynote address at the anniversarycelebration. “We have an important role as afacilitator and a convener.”

FOREIGN PRESS CENTER CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF SERVICEBY JENNIFER ARCHIBEQUE

‘The Last 3 Feet’

Page 11: State Magazine, November 2008

Active WFPC members agree that thecenter opens doors that might have other-wise remained closed.

Paulo Sotero, a Brazilian journalist basedin Washington since the 1980s, explainedthat when he arrived the WFPC providedhim with the access every journalist needs.

“It was very difficult at that time andremains difficult for a Latin Americancorrespondent to have access…but [theWFPC] was a place where you had anopportunity to learn more about the UnitedStates,” said Sotero, now director of theBrazil Institute at the Wilson Center.

Conducting ToursMatthias Rueb, correspondent for

Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,said WFPC’s reporting tours are the center’sgreatest attraction.

“I have been on several trips—forexample, one to the U.S. border regions—and I would have never been able to arrangea trip with the Border Patrol on my own,”Rueb said.

Joyce Karam, correspondent for MiddleEastern daily Al Hayat, said the tours helpedher better understand U.S. society.

“We went to Virginia and Maryland withthe help of the Foreign Press Center to see

how Americans—normal Americans—vote,” she said. “It contradicted many thingsyou see published in the media or hear onArab television every day.”

WFPC Director Gordon Duguid said thecenter tries to ensure that foreigncorrespondents have the most accurateinformation and know the context in whichU.S. policy is made and how U.S. society isorganized.

“The context is vitally important toensure that their reporting gives theirreaders, viewers or listeners informationabout how and why the United States takesa particular course of action,” Duguid said.

Executive OutreachThe WFPC, he said, is a platform for the

entire Executive branch to engage foreignmedia. The center works closely with otherdepartments and agencies to feature brief-ings that provide all angles of a given issue.Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez isa frequent briefer.

“Before traveling abroad on behalf of theUnited States, I always visit the ForeignPress Center to brief reporters about thepurpose of my travel,” Secretary Gutierrezsaid. “It is a great way to reach foreign audi-ences with our message.”

The WFPC also provides a space whereForeign Service and Civil Service employeesand political appointees can forgerelationships with foreign correspondents.

“It’s a gathering spot for building therelationships that allow us to affect how theUnited States is presented to audiencesoverseas,” said former FPC program officerMarti Estell.

Several officers and directors who haveworked at the FPC mentioned theimportance of these relationships inadvancing U.S. objectives, and Duguidagreed, noting famed correspondent EdwardR. Murrow’s “last three feet theorem.”

Murrow once said, “The real art in thisbusiness is not so much moving informationor guidance or policy five or 10,000miles…[but] moving it the last three feet inface-to-face conversation.”

“The most important aspects of publicdiplomacy are the face-to-face encounters,listening to journalists, engaging them ontheir concerns and gaining a productive,professional relationship that helps youmove the message,” Duguid said. ■

The author is media relations officer for theWestern Hemisphere in the WashingtonForeign Press Center.

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy andPublic Affairs James P. Glassman cuts thecake at the anniversary celebration.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 9

Page 12: State Magazine, November 2008

This year’s presidential election has made headlines in U.S.media for nearly a year and a half. But interest regarding the elec-tion has also grown among foreign media outlets, such as Brazil’sO Globo and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

And a small office in the Department of State’s Bureau of PublicAffairs has had a front-row view on the growth in media interestfrom overseas. The Foreign Press Centers have helped direct inter-national media attention to the American political stage this year.

The FPCs have reached billions of people worldwide by workingwith more than 3,500 foreign correspondents in the United States.The centers have gained reporters access in the presidentialprimaries, caucuses and conventions, and conducted 31 electionbriefings with political party representatives, polling firms, punditsand issues experts. And the FPCs have arranged 24 tours to takereporters to the presidential debates and key battleground states.

“[FPCs] are uniquely positioned to help the foreign press tellAmerica’s story,” said James Dickmeyer, director of the FPC, whichoversees the Washington Foreign Press Center. “The real story ofwhat our democratic process looks like can be found only byvisiting other cities and states. Foreign journalists need tounderstand the context in which Americans make theirdecisions—and the FPCs have helped them find that.”

Mingxia Cheng, a reporter from Beijing’s Economic Observernewspaper who participated in a March two-week FPC tour to theTexas primaries, agreed.

“It was a big help to get a real picture of what was going on,” shesaid. “When I was in Texas and went to the events of candidates,I talked with voters and heard their views, which was more impres-sive than any interviews with political experts.”

FPC reporting tours focused on the primaries, caucuses and

FOREIGN PRESS CENTERS HELP FOREIGN MEDIA COVER U.S. ELECTIONSBY STACY MacTAGGERT

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International media crowd the FPC’s DemocraticNational Convention filing center, which was aworkspace, briefing room and gathering place.

10 | STATE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2008

Explaining America

Page 13: State Magazine, November 2008

debates, bringing more than 1,000 foreign media from 132 coun-tries to election events in 15 states and to five debates. Participantsincluded the U.S.-based foreign press, the FPCs’ daily constituentsand media members from overseas who were nominated by a U.S.embassy to attend an FPC tour. Supporting overseas posts indemocracy promotion is a cornerstone of the FPCs’ election-yeargoals, and its programming was increased in response to theseoverseas requests.

The FPCs also organized centers where foreign reporters couldfile stories at the Democratic and Republican national conventions.The FPCs have provided the national conventions with outreach toforeign media since 1984 and have run story-filing centers at everyconvention except in 2004. The filing centers also serve as briefingrooms, and 22 speakers visited the FPC filing centers this year forpress events. The Department’s offices of Broadcast Services andInternational Information Programs also attend the conventions toprovide election-related programming and work with the FPCsthroughout the year to develop outreach programs.

“[FPC] is helpful because, if you are not connected to a bigorganization in the United States, it helps us get a little more accessto the stories,” said Eric Sorensen, bureau chief of Canada’s GlobalTV, who covered the Republican National Convention. “We maynot be able to attract a Republican strategist on our own, but wehave the opportunity as a group to attract this type of speaker.”

Lourdes Heredia, a British Broadcasting Corporation reporterwho attended FPC briefings at both conventions, summed up theFPCs’ work by saying, “When [you’re in] a city you’ve never beento before, the FPC is like a home.”

The pinnacle FPC program this year was the Elections EmbedProgram, in which the FPCs partnered with the InternationalCenter for Journalists to bring 50 reporters to the United States.The reporters were embedded at local newspapers and radiostations across the country for the two weeks before the election,gaining a rare perspective on the American electoral process.They also saw American journalism in action and created therelationships that help build bridges between nations.

FPCs’ active election-year programming was augmented byfinancial support from the Bureau of Public Diplomacyand Public Affairs. The programs demonstrated the unique plat-form the FPCs offer to promote Department goals worldwide onany topic.

“I am convinced that one of the best ways to share America’svalues and story with the world is through people-to-peopleexchanges, and nothing is more fundamentally American thanour democratic process,” said former Under Secretary for PublicDiplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes. “By bringingforeign journalists here to witness the vitality of Americandemocracy, we share our best traditions of citizen participation,free speech, free press and representative government and helpfoster greater freedom worldwide.”

This year’s election season showed the value of exchanges,ongoing relationships and public outreach to the Departmentand to America’s standing in the world. ■

The author is a media relations officer for East Asia and the Pacificin the Washington Foreign Press Center.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 11

Clockwise from top: FPC Media Relations Officer Jean Duggan, right,helps a foreign correspondent at the 2008 Democratic National Convention;Journalist Jose Mereilles Passos of Brazil’s O Globo newspaper checksannouncements from the FPC’s filing center at the Republican NationalConvention; Foreign journalists on an FPC tour to learn about electionissues first-hand quiz a U.S. officer at a border crossing in Laredo, Texas.

Page 14: State Magazine, November 2008

FARC, which the Colombiangovernment has battled for 44 years, livesoff murder, extortion and large-scalenarcotics trafficking, operating mostly deepin Colombia’s jungles. The guerrillas holdhundreds of hostages for ransom, butformer Colombian presidential candidateIngrid Betancourt, 11 Colombian police

officers and soldiers, and the three Ameri-cans were FARC’s crown jewels.

Americans Marc Gonsalves, ThomasHowes and Keith Stansell gained theirfreedom after more than five years incaptivity thanks to an intrepid Colombianplan and years of U.S. assistance. Thethree had worked as contractors at the

embassy verifying coca eradicationefforts. During a 2003 mission above aFARC-held area in Colombia’s densejungle, their plane experienced severeengine trouble. The plane’s pilot, TommyJanis, crash landed in a narrow clearingand all aboard survived, but arrivingFARC guerrillas killed Janis and Sgt. LuisAlcides Cruz, a Colombian soldier on themission. FARC held the three Americansfor more than five years, constantlymarching them and others through thejungle to escape detection.

Search LaunchedFrom the moment the plane went down,

the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá mustered aninter-agency search team. Throughout theensuing five years, a dedicated cadre of P

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In a daring and creative rescue, theColombian Armed Forces on July 2 freed 15hostages, including three Americans, heldby the terrorist Revolutionary Armed Forcesof Colombia, or FARC. The action was avictory for the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá,which had worked tirelessly to free the triosince their capture in 2003.

EMBASSY WORKS WITH COLOMBIA TO GAIN HOSTAGES’ RESCUEBY MICHAEL TURNER

Daring Ruse

Freed hostages, from left, Keith Stansell, MarcGonsalves and Thomas Howes receive a briefingfrom Ambassador Brownfield aboard a U.S. C-130aircraft on U.S. efforts to free them.

Page 15: State Magazine, November 2008

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 13

professionals in intelligence, diplomacy, themilitary and law enforcement searchedalongside Colombian government represen-tatives to find the trio. U.S. assistance,including training and information sharing,focused on bringing home the hostagesand helping the Colombian governmentdefeat FARC.

Finally, in 2008, repeated blows againstFARC leadership disrupted its control overthe units holding the hostages, and theColombian military—in a plan code-namedOperation Jaquemate (“checkmate”)—spotted an opening. They duped the FARCunit holding the hostages into believingFARC’s supreme leader wanted the hostagesturned over to a nongovernmental organi-zation that would send helicopters to thejungle for the hostages. The local FARCcommanders, known as “César” and“Enrique Glasses,” were told to bring thehostages hundreds of miles through thejungle on foot to a designated landing zonein central Colombia.

On July 2, at the appointed time andplace, two white, Russian-made MI-17 heli-copters, bearing the logo of the fictitiousNGO, arrived at the landing zone to recoverthe hostages. Each helicopter was in factloaded with Colombian Special Forcestroops, dressed and trained to act asmembers of the press and the NGO. TheSpecial Forces team won over the twosenior FARC unit leaders, and the FARCleaders and the 15 hostages, includingIngrid Betancourt, boarded the helicopter.Shortly after take-off, the Special Forcestroops tackled the FARC leaders and putthem in handcuffs in under a minute. Theonlooking hostages were shocked.

“We’re the National Army,” the troopsshouted. “You are free!”

Great JubilationThe hostages’ jubilation was so great,

one later said, they almost crashed thehelicopter.

The Embassy’s deputy regional securityofficer, a U.S. military liaison officer and ahostage recovery expert met the helicoptersat a forward operating base. The threeAmerican hostages were greeted by Ambas-sador William R. Brownfield, who presentedthem with their new U.S. passports. Theiroriginal passports had expired while theywere in captivity.

The three Americans were soontransferred to Bogotá and greeted by three

dozen embassy comrades, includingcontractor employees who had flown withthe trio years before and members of thespecial team that had spent years working tosecure their freedom. After tearful greetingsand hugs, the trio boarded a Texas-boundAir Force C-17 aircraft and enjoyed theirfirst pizza and beer in five years.

Eleven hours after they first boarded thatbulky, white helicopter deep in Colombia’sjungle, they landed as free men onAmerican soil.

With hundreds of its employees havingspent years trying to win the trio’s release,the embassy celebrated, too. When theembassy’s intercom announced that theColombian government had freed the 15hostages, an enormous roar went up

throughout the embassy, especially in theconsular waiting room, which was packedwith Colombians rejoicing in theircountrymen’s freedom. Two days later, theU.S. Embassy in Bogotá enjoyed thesweetest Fourth of July party ever.

Operation Checkmate’s success could nothave happened without the long-termstrategic partnership between the UnitedStates and Colombia. While a score of U.S.government employees deserve credit forhelping bring the hostages home, theUnited States also owes the Colombiangovernment credit and thanks for pullingoff such an audacious operation. ■

The author served as the Ambassador’s staffaide at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá.

Joyously returning from captivity, are at top, Keith Stansell; middle, Thomas Howes; and bottom,Marc Gonsalves.

Page 16: State Magazine, November 2008

Fostering partnerships between U.S. andBrazilian companies and local communitiesis a key component of the U.S. Embassy inBrasilia’s strategic agenda. Since 2006,Mission Brazil has used its Corporate SocialResponsibility program to invest in effortsthat help promote sustainable social andeconomic development while advancingAmerican business interests.

To understand how CSR partnershipsserve Brazil, consider the case of a mannamed Pedro. Just two years ago, Pedro wasilliterate with few job prospects in Brazil’snortheastern city of Salvador, which hassome of the country’s poorest communitiesand highest unemployment. Pedro learnedto read and write through a local

nongovernmentalorganization. Then he joinedthe CSR-funded Enter Jovemyouth employment program,where he developed computerskills and obtained an intern-

ship at a post office, where he was laterhired full-time.

“I never thought I’d be hired by a largebusiness like the post office,” he said. “NowI plan to save to buy a house.”

Enter Jovem has provided job skills tomore than 6,500 at-risk Brazilian youth in anation where approximately 35 millionpeople are between the ages of 15 to 24, andjobs for the young are hard to find. Withsupport from the region’s utility companyand a $100,000 investment by Motorola—matched by funds from the U.S. Agency forInternational Development—Enter Jovemworks through local community centers tohelp youth develop such skills as resumepreparation, job searching, interviewing,

public speaking, professional behavior,computer training and entrepreneurship.

When Secretary of State CondoleezzaRice visited Salvador in March, she metEnter Jovem youth and educators and thestate of Bahia’s governor, who proposedexpanding the program’s English teachingas a way to promote opportunity in theregion’s rapidly growing tourism industry.The Secretary pledged support to thepeople of northeast Brazil, and MissionBrazil worked with officials in Washingtonand Brazil to deliver on the pledge.

Program ExpandsThe results came in August, when

Director of Foreign Assistance and USAIDAdministrator Henrietta Fore visitedSalvador and signed an agreement toexpand Enter Jovem into Bahia’s publicschool system, with a new English-languagecomponent. The U.S. government pledged$500,000, and more than 20 private-sector P

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PUBLIC-PRIVATE EFFORT BRINGSDEVELOPMENT TO BRAZIL

BY CAROLINE M. SCHNEIDER

Partners in Progress

Ambassador Clifford Sobel plantsone of 50 tree seedlings to openthe Mais Unidos Volunteer Weekin São Paulo in October 2007.

Page 17: State Magazine, November 2008

approximately 155,000 people annually.Mission Brazil expects Mais Unidos to

soon release its first report on 2006-2007CSR activities by U.S. companies in Brazil.The report will identify beneficiaries andstate the results in the context ofMillennium Development Goals. It will alsoanalyze trends, challenges and areas forfuture investment.

“What began as a desire by corporateleaders to engage in philanthropy hasevolved into something that makes goodbusiness sense,” Fore told Mais Unidos. “Iwant to capitalize on the tremendous energyand enthusiasm in the developmentcommunity.”

The positive response to CSR in the busi-ness community has companies turning toMission Brazil for technical assistance, suchas guidance in selecting partner nongovern-mental organizations and expertise inproject evaluation and monitoring. Usingthese new channels of communication withthe private sector, the mission is enhancingthe image of U.S. business and maximizingU.S. assistance. ■

The author is the American presence officerfor Belém in the public affairs section of theU.S. Embassy in Brasilia.

leaders announced their intent to contribute. “These partnerships are living examples of a new era of development, an era of interde-

pendence, where special emphasis will be placed on leveraging public-private partnershipsto spur innovation and results,” Fore said.

The embassy is working with nine other Brazilian state governors to replicate EnterJovem, including its strong focus on English teaching.

Mission Brazil launched the CSR program in October 2006 and also created MaisUnidos—”more united” in Portuguese. The group’s goal is to strengthen public-privatealliances to enhance CSR investments and help them achieve Millennium DevelopmentGoals, eight development goals endorsed by 189 nations. The members of Mais Unidos,which now includes more than 60 American companies, meet monthly to explore coopera-tion and promote their CSR activities.

Historic OpportunityShortly after the group’s creation, Columbia University professor of sustainable develop-

ment Jeffrey Sachs urged Mais Unidos to focus on Brazil’s poorestand take advantage of the “opportunity for all of you to play a rolein [Brazil’s] real and historic transformation.”

American companies invest more than $250 million per year inBrazil in areas such as education, health and the environment. Mostof these companies also have extensive volunteer programs, engaging

Clockwise from top: Secretary of State Rice meets with mem-bers of Enter Jovem; Enter Jovem’s computer training helpsyouths find jobs; the Bagunçaço Cultural Group performs for,from left, Governor of Bahia State Jaques Wagner, USAIDAdministrator Henrietta Fore and Brazilian and American officials.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 15

Page 18: State Magazine, November 2008

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is a place of contrasts and action.Busy diplomats and young Marines, rifles on their shoulders, walkthe corridors of Saddam Hussein’s former palace under crystalchandeliers. People swarm around tiny workstations set in thepalace’s opulent halls. Alongside military vehicles that look like across between tanks and trucks, embassy vehicles run in and out ofthe parking lot. Helicopters of every size and shape fly in and out.

One day you wake to distant car-bomb explosions in the RedZone; the next, to the sound of cooing doves.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is anything but a “normal”embassy, as I found during my recent tour.

Besides diplomats and Locally Employed staff, the embassyemploys fixed-term contractual diplomats, Iraqi-Americans servingas bilingual bicultural advisers, a dwindling number of Iraqi LEstaff, many Jordanians and Egyptians and a growing number of LEstaff from around the world, including me.

I volunteered for Baghdad from my post in Bangladesh inNovember 2007. Most volunteers say they volunteered to contribute

to the U.S. government effort in Iraq. My reasons were less altruistic.I wanted to observe history in the making, up close in the post-Saddam era, and be part of it.

Cultural ChallengesI joined my team of co-workers at the cultural affairs office of

the public affairs section and worked in a very multiculturalenvironment. My co-workers were from Africa, Europe, SouthAmerica and the Middle East. Of course each of us viewedsituations through our own cultural lenses. Sometimes, bodylanguage and attitudes and expressions contributed to communica-tion gaps between co-workers. At other posts, the LES are often ahomogeneous group, but at Baghdad this is not the case.

I managed local grants issued by the cultural affairs office toIraqi recipients, most of them public diplomacy grants thatcontributed to engagement with women’s empowerment groups. Itwas heartening to see women’s groups active in various sectors suchas education and rehabilitation. The PAS often sought out such

MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BAGHDADBY SABREEN RAHMAN

Constant Change

A beautiful sunset near Baghdad illustratesthe contrasts that currently exist in the city.

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groups and worked to support efforts that engaged womenand youth.

I also helped with events hosted by Ambassador RyanCrocker for Iraqi alumni and contacts. It was a challenge forIraqis to come to the International Zone to attend theAmbassador’s receptions, but most alumni and PAS contactsappreciated the opportunity to meet him.

One of the biggest challenges of working with Iraqis wasthe language barrier. Not everyone spoke English well, andwe needed constant help.

The “Green Room” of Baghdad’s PAS is home to the presssection and to military units of the ProvincialReconstruction Team, and it pulses with energy like acampaign headquarters on election night. This sense ofurgency, of around-the-clock operation, is endlessly stressful.People become territorial about their work and fiercelycompete to establish their ground. The FSOs try to keepeveryone on track.

The embassy is like a train station, and the staffing patternoperates like Russian roulette in that people are alwaysleaving. Theoretically, continuity is to be maintained in allspheres of work, but on a practical level, this is difficult: Theconstant employee turnover leads to unavoidable losses.

Another problem is the “fish bowl” environment, whichcontributes to some people’s short fuses. Day in and day out,employees see the same faces, deal with the same issues andundercurrents, and have the same places to hang out. Thus,they suffer from lack of mental and physical space. True, thepost has recreation facilities, and there are exercise classes,dance classes, Karaoke nights, bars and, of course, food—plenty of food to eat one’s loneliness away.

Ways to CopePeople find their own ways to cope with homesickness

and loneliness. KBR Inc., the contractor formerly known asKellogg Brown & Root, provides plenty of food for everyonein the IZ. KBR subcontracts to catering companies in theMiddle East that hire people from developing countries. Iwas happy to find Bangladeshi bearers and cleaners in thedining facilities. They worked hard and never complained.

Another problem was that most employees lived inspartan trailers before the new embassy compound openedin May.

We had our scares. People raced to bunkers or jumpedfrom bed whenever the alarms signaled incoming rocket ormortar fire, but we got used to the intermittent episodes ofshelling and bombing in the IZ. A real taste of war came inMarch, when the IZ was under constant mortar and shellattack. The casualties, death and destruction shook ourbubble-like existence, and the staff took refuge in Saddam’sformer palace, where we worked, ate and slept in the officespaces and corridors.

Tour EndsAmbassador Ryan Crocker did all he could to take care of us,

and we tried to keep our spirits up and support each other,but the constant threat challenged all of us. We worked as if ourlives depended on it.

People always ask me, “How was Iraq?” and I find myself at a lossfor words. It was an unusual experience. As happens with mostvolunteers, my ties with my loved ones were tested by the distanceand danger. In sum, the tour challenged me intellectually,physically, emotionally and spiritually. ■

The author is a cultural affairs specialist at the American Center of theU.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 17

Above: The author with then-Commanding General Multi-National Force-IraqGeneral David Petraeus. Below: At her workstation in the embassy.

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A snapshot of a day in the life of Mission Mexico—its people,the embassy and all nine U.S. consulates—would take thousands ofphotos. But this is just what Mission Mexico recently accomplished:a day-in-the-life project that in book form—and eventuallyonline—depicts the events of an average day across the mission’smany operations.

The project was a team effort. Ed Ramotowski, consul general inGuadalajara, secured a donation from Kodak de Mexico of 200disposable cameras, which were distributed to volunteers across themission. John Dinkelman, principal officer in Nogales, helped gaina grant from the Una Chapman Cox Foundation to support theproject’s organizational, layout and printing costs. Karen Martin,principal officer in Merida, identified a talented eligible familymember, Dan Taylor, who agreed to lay out a book featuring photos

that captured the breadth of mission activities. With the support of regional security officers, information offi-

cers and 350 eager volunteers, the photography got under way.Over several days in February, mission community members—

including family, local guards, contractors, Locally Employed staffand direct hires from all mission agencies—snapped away. Theytook photos of visa lines, cafeteria staff, U.S. government planesawaiting take-off, maintenance staff checking warehouseinventories, the mailroom team hauling pouch bags and theForeign Commercial Service promoting U.S. companies.

There were also photos of employees beginning their commutes,local guards checking the gate, staff members typing, children onthe school bus, staff playing after-hours soccer and an awards cere-mony or two.

MISSION MEXICO CAPTURES A DAY IN ITS LIFEBY MATTHEW A. MYERS AND LESLIE BASSETT

Candid Cameras

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Pitching InIn Merida, a visa applicant photographed every step of

his interview process. There were aerial photos from Tijuanaof the U.S.-Mexico border, taken during a Customs andBorder Patrol ride-along, and from Merida of famous Mayanarchaeological sites.

As part of the project, every post in Mexico was asked to takea “family photo,” and add a little local flavor to the shot. The U.S.Embassy in Mexico City provided a wide-angle shot of about400 of its 800 staff members. In Nuevo Laredo, the consulategeneral’s staff wore cowboy hats. In Monterrey, employeesspelled out the post’s name by positioning their arms and legs tomake the letters. The staff in Ciudad Juarez used software toplace its group photo under the archway of one of the mainborder crossings between the United States and Mexico.

With the help of entry-level coordinators and informationspecialists at the mission’s nine consulates and a large embassyteam led by Eva Sibaja, the project team uploaded more than10,000 photos into a shared network site. Then the hard workbegan, as the team culled through large files of wonderfulpictures to select the few that could be included in the day-in-the-life book, capturing the broad range of mission activities.

Project Editor Dan Taylor spent months poring over thephotos, selecting the right ones for each topic area. The teamrealized a narrative would be required to put the photos incontext. Jeff Adler, vice consul in Merida, and Matthew Myers,a consular officer in Ciudad Juarez, took the lead in craftingthe words to go along with the photos. Taylor then wentthrough four more edits of the book beforehe was finally satisfied.

Teamwork The chosen photos highlighted the mission’s nonimmigrant and immi-

grant visa work and American citizen services work. They also depictedmethamphetamine lab seizures undertaken by Mexican law enforcementofficers who had been trained by their American colleagues. They capturedthe mission’s efforts to promote U.S. investment and agricultural trade,stop trafficking in persons and preserve the environment. Finally, theycaught vividly how the mission team keeps buildings operational, informa-tion flowing, facilities secure and its communities safe and happy. Frommorning to night, the photos show Mission Mexico working as a team.

The project team posted each edit of the book on Mission Mexico’s blogand received rave reviews from participants, although some weredisappointed that their photos weren’t selected.

Thanks to funding from the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, themission will publish 1,000 copies of an 84-page photo book, which will goto diplomats in residence, State Department offices, political advisers,interagency colleagues and the National War College. They will also beused to explain how the Foreign Service promotes U.S. interests and torecruit new members. A Web version will be posted on the mission’sInternet sites.

The Mission Mexico blog at www.intelink.gov/communities/state/mexico details how the project was organized, and the Web sitehttp://mexico.usembassy.gov/dayinthelife has the book. In all, the projectwas a fairly low-cost effort with terrific payoff in morale and public diplo-macy benefits. ■

Matthew Myers is a consular officer at the U.S. Consulate General in CiudadJuarez, and Leslie Bassett is the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy inMexico City.

Page 23: State Magazine, November 2008

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Any domestic employee of theDepartment of State who uses acomputer will soon see a change in theway he or she receives desktop support.The Department is shifting from adecentralized support system of bureau-based help desks to a centralized system,with support provided by the Bureau ofInformation Resource Management.

“State Department employees shouldalways be able to think of technologyand information as tools to help themconduct diplomacy and realize theiroperational goals, not as challenges that

make their jobs more difficult,” saidChief Information Officer Susan Swart.

The IT Consolidation Program, to becompleted next year, brings the Depart-ment’s information technology desktopsupport under one umbrella to improvecustomer service, enhance security andcontain costs.

At its core, IT consolidation is allabout service. Providing the service froma single source will standardize andnormalize technical support and providea better means of measuringperformance.

Customers should receive betterservice, and they will receivestandardized services regardless of theirphysical location or bureau affiliation.Because the centralized help desk willhave access to the Department’scomplete technical knowledge base,customers’ most complex issues will beresolved. Customers will also have accessto the IT Service Center staff 24 hours aday, seven days a week.

The center’s technical support staffwill work side-by-side with their otherIT counterparts. For IT staff, the key

DEPARTMENT CONSOLIDATES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HELP DESKSBY CRISTINA LISA PEREZ

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The IRM IT Service CenterSupport Team responds tocustomer service requests.

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Dial 7-2000

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Right: RonnieHartwell and AliciaTruesdale worktogether to solve acustomer’s problem.Bottom: ToneeWinborne usesRemedy to performher customer serviceduties.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 23

benefits of working in such a large IT communityare greater opportunities for career advancementand job training.

High-level ServiceTo ensure that customers consistently receive

high levels of service, IRM wants to gain customerfeedback and incorporate it into how the helpdesk provides support. Customers will be able toprovide feedback with each help desk call, andIRM’s quarterly customer survey will report howIRM can improve support and overallperformance.

IT consolidation is an established industrypractice. As public and private organizationssought to improve IT service while minimizingcosts, many capitalized on the benefits of ITconsolidation, including increased efficiency,improved customer service and bolstered organi-zational security due to the common operating

environment. While there are still challengesahead, the Department has established a foun-dation to sustain operational processimprovement.

Many of these benefits stem from the factthat one group—in this case, IRM—hasassumed responsibility for supporting alldesktop computers. The Department has setcustomer service standards and will monitorthose standards through IRM’s Department-wide metrics. These standards are based on thebest expectations in the industry.

Finally, consolidation simplifies the serviceprocess for customers by giving them just onenumber to call when they need help: 7-2000.

In October, about half of the Department’s34 bureaus were being supported by the ITService Center. As the program moves towardthe finish line, it will continue seekingcustomer input. More information is on theIT consolidation Intranet Web site athttp://itconsolidation.a.state.gov. ■

The author is a budget and finance coordinatorin IRM.

Page 26: State Magazine, November 2008

A sunny day brings people to thegreen around Belfast City Hall.

BelfastU.S. helps forge peace in Northern Ireland

By Michael Brakke and Susan Elliott

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For many Americans,Northern Ireland evokes imagesof sectarian violence. Fordecades, the region was torn bycivil strife, the legacy of whichtime has not fully erased. Butyears of uncertainty have beenreplaced by a new climate ofpeace, economic prosperity andoptimism.

The connections betweenNorthern Ireland, the UnitedKingdom and the United Stateshave always been strong. TheU.S. Consulate General inBelfast, America’s second-oldestcontinuously operatingconsulate, has reflected since itsopening in 1796 the depth andpermanence of a relationshipforged by immigration, tradeand cultural affiliation.

In its early days, the consulateexisted primarily to safeguardthe interests of U.S. citizens andfoster transatlantic commerce.America’s capitalists andconsumers were eager to accessBelfast’s flourishing textile andmanufacturing industries. Thecity was known for itsshipbuilding prowess and even-tually gained notoriety as thebirthplace of the Titanic. “It wasfine when it left here,” localspoint out. Enhancing economicties remains a core mission ofthe consulate.

Northern Ireland played animportant role during WorldWar II. Aware of the city’sprodigious output of essentialwar implements, the Nazisunleashed a punishing bombingcampaign on Belfast. The firstU.S. troops sent to Europelanded in Northern Ireland, andthe Supreme Commander of

Allied Forces, General DwightEisenhower, frequently visitedthe province.

“The Troubles”Since Northern Ireland’s

earliest days, Catholics andProtestants, suspicious of eachother’s motives, have been at theroot of Northern Ireland’sdivide. Yet the conflict never fitinto the simple rubric ofreligious intolerance. Instead,faith traditions became a proxyfor fundamental differences inpolitical ideology, allegiance ortreatment.

At the most basic level,“unionists” or “loyalists” wantNorthern Ireland to continue tobe a part of the UnitedKingdom, while “nationalists” or“republicans” espouse Ireland’sunification into one republic.For various reasons, the formertend to be Protestant and thelatter Catholic.

In the 1960s, civil rightsmovements developed inNorthern Ireland and manygroups decided to resist. Theconflict soon escalated into acycle of deadly retributioncolloquially known as TheTroubles. By the 1990s, TheTroubles had claimed approxi-mately 3,500 lives.

In 1995, President BillClinton made a historic visit toNorthern Ireland, the first by asitting president. He wasgreeted by tens of thousands ofpeople lining the streets andwaving American flags. As he litBelfast’s Christmas tree,partisans from all sides seemedinspired that a differentNorthern Ireland was possible. P

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Left: Consul General SusanElliott and her family cross theCarrick-A-Rede rope bridge onNorthern Ireland’s picturesqueNorth Antrim coast. Spanning adeep chasm, the swinging bridgewas built by salmon fishermen.Right: President and Mrs. Bushmeet students of LoughviewIntegrated School in Belfast dur-ing their June visit. Such schoolsbring Catholics, Protestants andchildren of other faiths togetherin an environment where theycan learn to understand andrespect their differences.

Below: Standing 113 feet tall, theAlbert Clock in central Belfast is builton wooden piles on reclaimed landand is known as Belfast’s “LeaningTower of Pisa.” The top leans four feetoff the perpendicular.

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Good FridayThat same year, former

Senate Majority Leader GeorgeMitchell was appointed thefirst special envoy on NorthernIreland. Throughout histenure, the consulatesupported him in navigatingthe political forces of a fragileprovince. Mitchell’s persistenceculminated in the laudedBelfast Good FridayAgreement of 1998. The agree-ment represented anunparalleled advance inNorthern Ireland affairs butdid not immediately solveNorthern Ireland’s problems.Disputes quickly led torenewed uncertainty about itspractical significance.

In 2006, the St. Andrew’sAgreement addressed many ofthe outstanding issues. OnMay 8, 2007, historical adver-saries Martin McGuinness ofSinn Féin and Ian Paisley ofthe Democratic Unionist Partycame together to celebrate theformation of a newgovernment. Standing by theirside were the leaders of a presi-dential delegation sent towitness this historic event, U.S.Senator Edward Kennedy andUnder Secretary forDemocracy and Global AffairsPaula Dobriansky, who wasappointed as Special Envoyon Northern Ireland inFebruary 2007.

Because of the influence ofits Irish immigrant communi-ties, the United States hasalways had a multidimensionalattitude toward Irish

independence. The more than40 million Irish-Americansretain exceptional nostalgia fortheir ancestral homeland.Some, invoking colonialAmerica’s struggle against theBritish, have supported theunification of Ireland.

At the same time, theUnited States’ close bonds withthe United Kingdom and theappreciable influence of itsUlster Scot (Scots Irish) popu-lation mean that U.S. opinionon Ireland is not monolithic.Hence, the consulate in Belfasthasn’t engaged in contentiousdebates about NorthernIreland’s constitutional status.Instead, the United States hasfostered close relationshipswith both the London andDublin governments whilerespecting their divergentvisions of Ulster’s future.

Strong BondsProviding services to Amer-

ican citizens will always be theconsulate’s first priority, butpromoting bilateral ties isimportant, too. The consularsection issues many visas toyoung adults participating ineducational exchanges orpursuing higher education inthe United States. In oneprogram, the consulate helpsthe Irish Institute at BostonCollege choose students,academics, politicians andcommunity leaders to come tothe United States to learnabout the similarities anddifferences between the UnitedStates and Northern Ireland. P

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Left: Danesfort House, home of the U.S. Consulate since2004, looks serene after a snowfall. It was built in the 19thcentury for a local linen magnate. Below: Deputy Chief ofMission Richard LeBaron, left, and Consul General SusanElliott get a tour of the former Crumlin Road Prison andGirdwood Army Barracks in North Belfast from Tim Losty.The site is now a major community regeneration project.

Left: The Giants Causeway inCounty Antrim has about 38,000basalt columns created by a vol-canic eruption. This WorldHeritage Site is NorthernIreland’s most popular touristattraction. Right: Former U.S.Poet Laureate Billy Collins, left,poses with Management OfficerPrasenjit Gupta at the JohnHewitt International PoetrySummer School in July. Theevent received a grant from theBureau of Educational andCultural Affairs.

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Above: Stormont, NorthernIreland’s Parliament build-ings, built in 1922, are six

miles east of centralBelfast. Right: Torr Head

on the Antrim coast iswhere the Irish Sea meets

the North Atlantic.

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At a GlanceCountry The United Kingdom ofGreat Britain and Ireland

Capital London

Total area 244,820 sq km

Approximate size Slightly smallerthan Oregon

Government type Constitutionalmonarchy

Life expectancy 78.85 years

Population 60.94 million

Languages English, Welsh andScottish form of Gaelic

Currency British pound (GBP)

Per capita income $35,100

Import partners Germany (13.7percent), United States (8.3 percent)and Netherlands (7.2 percent)

Export partners United States(14.1 percent), Germany (11 percent)and France (7.8 percent)

Internet country code .uk

Belfast

Another example of thestrong bonds between Americaand Ulster is the sisters citiesrelationship between Belfast andNashville, Tenn. The consulatehas assisted in visits to NorthernIreland by Nashville’s mayor. InJuly, Belfast will be the first cityoutside the United States to hostthe Sister Cities Annual Interna-tional Conference, whichattracts more than 3,000 partici-pants worldwide.

The consulate staff workswith Northern Ireland’spolitical, business and commu-nity leaders to promote changeand growth. Special EnvoyDobriansky, U.S. Ambassador tothe United Kingdom RobertTuttle and Consul General SusanElliott have guided the consulatein pursuit of three broad diplo-matic objectives designed tosecure the peace process andpromote U.S. interests:supporting a more stablegovernment, promoting apluralistic society anddeveloping a strongentrepreneurial economy.

Consulate staff participated inthe planning andimplementation of a successfulinvestment conference in Belfast

in May. U.K. Prime MinisterGordon Brown, Ireland’s head ofgovernment Brian Cowen, NewYork Mayor Michael Bloombergand other dignitaries joinedpotential investors to exploreNorthern Ireland’s businessclimate and investmentpotential.

President and Mrs. Bushvisited Belfast in June. One ofthe highlights of their trip was avisit to an integrated school.Since approximately 95 percentof Northern Ireland’s childrenattend schools divided alongreligious lines, support for inte-grated education is essential tobreaking down sectarian dividesand developing new, healthycommunity relations.

Northern Ireland is one ofAmerica’s most significant andbipartisan foreign policy successstories. Today, the consulate’sfour officers and dedicated localstaff strive to help the regionovercome its divisive history infavor of a shared, moreprosperous future. ■

Michael Brakke was a 2008 sum-mer intern at the U.S. ConsulateGeneral in Belfast. Susan Elliott isthe consul general.

Public affairs section Locally Employedstaffer Peter McKittrick, center, hikeswith friends in the Mournes, a mountainrange in southeastern Northern Ireland’sCounty Down.

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Foreign Service Career Cones

As U.S. foreign policy has adjusted to theaccelerating pace of technological advance-ment and globalization, the shock of the9/11 attacks and the renewed importance ofenergy security and climate change, theDepartment’s economic cone officers havecontinually adapted, changing theirapproach and how they make decisions.

Yet, despite new tools, priorities andpolicy goals, the mission of the economiccone remains “to promote economic secu-rity and prosperity at home and abroad,”said Daniel S. Sullivan, assistant secretaryfor Economic, Energy and Business Affairs.

Whether working at the computerterminal, conferring with counterparts inforeign capitals or participating ininteragency meetings in Washington,

today’s economic officers know their infor-mation is part of a common pool of dataaccessible worldwide and updated aroundthe clock.

“The worldwide proliferation of theInternet and other communicationstechnologies provided economic officerswith new tools for policy advocacy andtransformed the way they work,” said DavidNelson, principal deputy assistant secretaryof the Bureau of Economic, Energy andBusiness Affairs.

While economic officers once primarilyfilled in knowledge gaps and did researchand reporting, now they increasingly seekout the needed data, such as that crucial toclinching a trade deal, influencing policyand legislation or explaining the U.S. posi-

tion to skeptical publics. An added benefitof their expanded role is that, thanks to e-mail and digital video teleconferences,communication between Washington andoverseas has itself expanded and can oftenoccur in real time. Because information isnot always reliable, economic officers facechallenges when sharing information toadvance U.S. interests with their host-nation contacts.

One WorldGlobal integration is essentially an

economic phenomenon, and it offerseconomic officers greater opportunity toadvance policies, in coordination withother key institutional partners, thatsupport the positive aspects of P

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ECONOMIC OFFICERS ADAPT AS FOREIGN POLICY CHANGESBY VIKTOR SIDABRAS

Evolving Role

From left, are EEB’s Principal Deputy Assistant SecretaryDavid Nelson and EEB staffers Nicholle Manz, LillianWasvary and Danielle Monosson. Manz and Monossonare economic cone officers.

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NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 33

globalization. For example, thanks to a tremendous increase in theflow of cross-border, foreign direct investment, the total value offoreign-owned assets in the United States nearly tripled in 10 years,rising from almost $600 billion in 1996 to almost $1.8 trillion in2006. At the same time, the value of assets abroad owned by Ameri-cans rose from almost $800 billion to almost $2.4 trillion. Thisrapid expansion of international investment has provided opportu-nities for U.S. business overseas and jobs for Americans at home.

Economic officers have promoted this beneficial integration bypromoting the expansion of free trade agreements, bilateral invest-ment treaties and air services agreements worldwide to protect U.S.investments. They also lead U.S. efforts to promote global Internetand cell phone connectivity, which will encourage economicgrowth and the free flow of information.

Additionally, their participation in the interagency Committeeon Foreign Investment in the United States helps ensure an openclimate for foreign investment in the United States and for U.S.investment abroad.

As part of the Transformational Diplomacy initiative, manyeconomic officer positions have been reprogrammed from WesternEurope and Washington, D.C., to important developing countries,including China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and othernations. Economic officers also play a central role in coordinatingwith the global donor community to ensure the maximum impactof scarce funds.

Fighting TerrorThe 9/11 attacks emphasized the nexus between economic pros-

perity and national security. Economic officers have addressed thechallenges posed by security threats by taking key leadership rolesin the interagency effort to combat terrorist financing and protectU.S. borders.

“A big change in the post-9/11 environment for economicofficers is the increased need for coalition-building with our part-ners and for reaching out to stakeholders on trade and otherissues,” said Amy Holman, deputy director of EEB’s Office of Bilat-eral Trade.

Now, economic officers take the lead inbuilding international coalitions to denyterrorists and their supporters access tothe global financial system, strengthenmultilateral initiatives and assist countriesthat have vulnerable financial systems. Inaddition, economic officers perform thelead interagency work on internationaloutreach and coordination regardingmaritime and aviation security.

An example of how the post-9/11world affected economic officers wasoffered by John N. Ries, economic sectionchief at the U.S. Embassy in Port ofSpain, Trinidad and Tobago. “When Iserved in the Office of Bilateral Trade in1999-2001, I covered trade with all devel-oping countries in Asia with theexception of China,” said Ries, a veteranof 18 years as an economic officer. “After9/11, I understand that office had one ormore people working full time on

Pakistan and Afghanistan, countries barely on the radar screenduring my watch.”

The Secretary of State’s 2007 decision to include “energy” in thename of EEB, the home bureau of economic officers, underscoresthe importance of energy security, especially with the dramatic risein oil prices and the use of oil as a political lever by some keyproducers. Implementing energy legislation passed by theCongress, the Secretary designated Under Secretary for Economic,Energy and Agricultural Affairs Reuben Jeffery III as theDepartment’s coordinator for International Energy Affairs. Anumber of senior officials focus on energy security under the coor-dinator’s direction.

Hot Topic“Energy as an issue used to blow hot when prices were high and

would go cold when prices fell,” economic officer Ries said. “Now,the prospect is for energy to stay a high priority, and everyoneneeds some level of familiarity with energy issues.”

Economic officers also now focus on developing transparentglobal energy markets that offer open access to suppliers andencouraging key producers to increase their investment in energyproduction. They also helped lead the effort to obtain the Group ofEight’s endorsement of the President’s Climate Change/EnergySecurity initiative.

The increasing importance of the work of economic officers isreflected by increased demand for them. To compensate for earliershortages, the number of Foreign Service economic officers grew12 percent from September 30, 2003, through July 31, 2008.

The talented women and men of the economic cone are ready tomeet the rising demands placed upon them as they contribute tothe creation of a diplomatic service for the 21st century. ■

The author is a public affairs adviser in EEB’s Office of EconomicPolicy Analysis and Public Diplomacy. This is the first in an occasionalseries of State Magazine stories on how the career cones are changing.Future stories will look at public diplomacy, political and other cones.

Having a chat at a reception hosted by the International Labor Organization’s Caribbean office are, fromleft, Stephanie Hutchison and Ellen Wong, both economic officers, and John Ries, economic section chiefat the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain.

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Smart new diplomatic license plates arepopping up on the roads in Washington,D.C., and across the United States, theproduct of the first new diplomatic licenseplate redesign since diplomatic plates werefirst issued in the United States in 1984.

These distinctive light blue and red plateswere designed by the State Department’sOffice of Foreign Missions for thethousands of foreign diplomats living in theUnited States.

Administering license plates for foreigndiplomats, however, is not the central func-tion of OFM. Created in 1982, OFM hasperhaps the most unusual mission in theDepartment.

Administering the Department’s versionof the “golden rule” through the practice of

reciprocity helps improve the lives ofForeign Service officers abroad, enhanceDepartment operations worldwide andprotect the interests of U.S. communitiesand their citizens.

Congressional MandateBefore 1982, the Department had limited

legal authority to impose restrictions on aforeign mission, in spite of the sometimessevere restrictions that nations mightimpose on U.S. missions abroad. To resolvethis disparity, Congress that year passed theForeign Missions Act, giving theDepartment authority to more effectivelyregulate foreign missions in the UnitedStates. The act established OFM todetermine foreign missions’ privileges and

immunities, based on reciprocity andnational security needs.

“The Foreign Missions Act has helped farbeyond its original intention,” said AssistantSecretary for Diplomatic Security andDirector for the Office of Foreign MissionsEric J. Boswell. “OFM has become a criticaltool for the conduct of Americandiplomacy.”

OFM’s mission has expanded to includea broader range of foreign policy issues. Theoffice helps bring the interests of U.S. diplo-mats abroad, U.S. communities andDepartment legal and financial considera-tions into the decision-making processregarding the operation of foreign missionsin the United States.

OFM also helps improve the benefits

OFFICE ASSISTS FOREIGN MISSIONS ON U.S. SOILBY ROB BARTON AND BRIAN LEVENTHAL

FAIR PLAY

Gathered at OFM’s office in the Harry S TrumanBuilding are, from left, Kim McMahon-Carter,Irina Kolb and Cliff Seagroves.

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NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 35

At aGlance

Office nameOffice of Foreign Missions

SymbolDS/OFM

Office directorAmbassador Eric J. Boswell

Staff size83

Office locationMain State, Room 2236

Web sitewww.state.gov/ofm

Members of OFM’s staff include, fromleft, Myrna Adlena, Victorio Flores andKiona Johnson.

available to American diplomats and theirfamilies overseas through the use ofreciprocity. A nation sometimes restrictsthe tax, customs, driving and travelprivileges of U.S. diplomats. By applyingequivalent restrictions to that nation’sdiplomats in the United States, OFMprovides incentives for the foreign govern-ment to reverse these practices.

For example, OFM often uses its controlover individual tax exemption to match thetax privileges available to an Americandiplomat. Sometimes, that can meanproviding another nation’s diplomats withno tax exemptions, or no exemption forcertain types of purchases or requiring aminimum dollar amount before an exemp-tion applies.

Customs ReciprocityOFM’s control over customs issues also

aids U.S. diplomats overseas. The officeprovides the Department’s concurrence onthe importation of shipments to foreignmissions or their members in the UnitedStates. OFM uses reciprocity in approving,rejecting or delaying such shipments.

“When the hassles of getting tax relief orgetting household effects released or

obtaining a license plate begin to affect postmorale, it helps that our staff knows OFMis there and ready to equalize treatment,”said Carol Urban, deputy chief of missionat the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile.

“She calls OFM “a major source of infor-mation and expertise on a variety of issuesaffecting daily operation of our embassiesand the lives and morale of our employees.”

Using reciprocity, OFM also helps obtainbetter terms for Department propertyacquisitions abroad and tax exemptions,which have saved the Department tens ofmillions of dollars.

The Foreign Missions Act gives OFM theauthority to disapprove foreign missions’real estate acquisitions in the United Statesfor reciprocity or security reasons and givesthe Bureau of Overseas BuildingsOperations leverage in real estate negotia-tions abroad.

“OFM has aided OBO in obtaining relieffrom value-added taxes on property andbuildings acquisitions overseas, which hasextended the buying power of the fundsappropriated for this purpose,” OBODirector Richard Shinnick said.

He said construction of the new U.S.Embassy in Beijing, recently dedicated by

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President Bush, was possible only becauseof the successful negotiation, led by anOFM negotiator, of a Conditions ofConstruction Agreement with the Chinese.

Protecting PropertyWhen the United States ends diplomatic

relations with a nation, OFM carries out theDepartment’s obligation to protect theforeign governments’ diplomatic property.Over the years the office has had custody ofproperties belonging to the governments ofCambodia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam andthe former Yugoslavia. Its care of these

properties benefited the Department whenrelations were restored.

Finally, OFM’s control over foreign anddomestic tax matters is an important finan-cial asset for the Department. Oneachievement in this area has been theDiplomatic Tax-Relief Initiative.

Through this program, OFM helpedcreate more than 40 bilateral tax-reliefarrangements, which provided reciprocaltax relief for the construction and renova-tion of diplomatic facilities abroad and inthe United States. These arrangements willyield an estimated savings of roughly $300million, the cost of two large embassies.

OFM protects the interests of U.S.communities by advising their governmentsand citizens on the privileges and immuni-ties provided to foreign diplomats in theircommunities. When a locality inquiresabout a poorly maintained embassybuilding or what hotel exemptions shouldbe granted to foreign missions, OFMprovides guidance and coordination.

Registering VehiclesOFM also protects localities’ interests by

overseeing diplomatic motor vehicle use in

Above: Members of OFM's Diplomatic Motor Vehicle Office, tax and customs operation, are from left, Dean Olsen, LaVerne Minter, Jacqueline V. Norrisand Gerry Maynard. Below: Rob Barton is the acting deputy assistant secretary in charge of OFM.

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the United States. The Foreign Missions Actgives OFM the authority to control the acquisi-tion and operation of motor vehicles by foreignmissions. OFM can enforce compliance withU.S. parking and traffic laws, which foreignmission personnel must respect under theVienna Conventions. OFM issues drivers’licenses and vehicle registrations, and canrevoke or suspend driving privileges. It alsoensures that all foreign mission personnel carrysufficient vehicle insurance.

Besides serving the foreign embassies inWashington, D.C., OFM serves 543 consularposts throughout the United States and its terri-tories and 190 missions to the United Nations.OFM has six regional offices, located inChicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, NewYork and San Francisco.

Since 1982, OFM has evolved and matured,gaining wide expertise on foreign governmentalmatters. Today, OFM is involved in a range ofDepartment issues and participates in some ofthe Department’s most vital negotiations. ■

Rob Barton is acting deputy assistant secretaryin OFM, and Brian Leventhal is the deputydirector for Public Affairs in the Bureau ofDiplomatic Security.

Above: Bill Ellis, right, a foreign missions program specialist, works with a customer at OFM’s customer service center. Below: Joan Morningstar, actingdirector of OFM’s motor vehicles office, stands with system engineer Ed Zietoon.

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Medical

GOING OVERSEAS? CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONSREQUIRE PLANNING BY MARI C. SULLIVAN

Traveling WellA mentor, Dr. Elaine Jong, once

told me, “We are given the body weare given, and it is up to us to makethe most of it.” It is essential that weallow ourselves to live at our highestphysical and mental health potential.

Many in the Foreign Service havechronic medical problems that wemanage while living overseas inunfamiliar environments. Life over-seas can be rewarding, exciting andenjoyable if we remain healthy, evenif one has asthma, diabetes,hypertension, heart disease, HIV,cancer or a mental health condition.

Many people with chronicmedical conditions have a Class 2medical clearance, which requires apost-specific clearance based on localavailability of medical care for thecondition. Therefore, one mustobtain post approval before biddingon overseas posts. MedicalClearances will need a current reportregarding your medical condition.You should make an appointmentwith your physician two monthsbefore the bidding season and askfor a medical report summarizingyour medical status and receive therequired follow-up for the next twoyears. Submit this report to MedicalClearances and bring a copy to postfor your health provider.

Anyone with a chronic healthissue should be prepared for overseastravel. You need to consider access tomedical care, increased oxygendemands of aerobic exercise, changesin diet, the effects of altitude, and the

effects of humidity and heat. Discussyour condition with your U.S.specialist or healthcare providerprior to travel and contact him orher by telephone or e-mail if youhave health questions or problemswhile overseas.

Check in with the post health unitupon arrival overseas. If your postdoes not have a medical officer,inform the regional medical officerabout your condition. This gives youand the RMO or Foreign Servicehealth practitioner the opportunityto discuss your condition and ensureoptimal care is available. Themedical staff will be aware of themedical resources throughout theregion and can suggest places youcould go for treatment, if necessary.

You should also tell the Office ofMedical Services and your healthcareprovider about any changes in yourcondition, to ensure medical accessat onward assignments.

Bring at least a three-monthsupply of any daily medications inyour carry-on luggage. Make yourselfaware of the prescription benefitsavailable to you through the FederalEmployees Health Benefits program.Most insurers have a mail-inpharmacy that will provide a three-month supply of a prescription drugfor minimal co-pay. Some insurerswill allow a one-year supply ofmedications for those with a chronicmedical issue who are stationedoverseas. Consult your insurancebrochure, available online, for infor-

mation regarding your FEHBprescription policy.

People with diabetes should haveenough supplies to get themthrough the first four to six monthsat post. The mail-in pharmacieswill not ship temperature-sensitivemedications overseas, so have yourinsulin delivered to you before youleave for post. Plan to pick up yourrefill during an R&R trip, or arrangefor someone to bring the insulinto you.

Specific conditions, such asasthma or chronic obstructivepulmonary disease, may require adifferent approach overseas; andenvironmental conditions at post,such as poor air quality, may exacer-bate a condition. Bring a peak-flowmeter to post so you can monitoryour progress at home. Also ask for amanagement plan from your U.S.-based healthcare provider, RMO orFSHP if the peak-flow numbers indi-cate you are encountering increasedproblems with your asthma.

Those with chronic medical issuescan, with planning, enjoy a full andrewarding career in the ForeignService. Here’s to safe and healthytravels wherever you may go. ■

The author is a Foreign Service healthpractitioner at the U.S. Embassy inKuala Lumpur. She is the author ofthe chapter “Travel with ChronicMedical Conditions” in The Traveland Tropical Medicine Manual, 3rdand 4th editions.

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LearnFSI Web Page

Find everything you need to know about FSI and its trainingopportunities at http://fsi.state.gov. This site is constantly updatedto give you just-in-time information on services such as:

• Online Catalog: Up-to-the-minute course schedules andofferings from live classroom training to distance learning.

• Online Registration System: Submit your training applicationfor classroom, distance learning and even External Training,using the online registration link found on virtually everycourse description or the External Training Web page.

• Training Continua: Roadmaps to help you effectively planyour training for the year or beyond.

• About FSI: Get a snapshot view of FSI’s history andenrollment statistics.

• Links to training resources: View information on specificcountries, language learning and testing, and a myriad helpfulreference materials.

Student Records OnlineLocated on the FSI Web page, Student Records Online is a

secure, password-protected site that provides access to all FSItraining information. Features include:

• Reviewing and printing your training schedule.• Reviewing and printing your student transcript.• Tracking the status of your training request.• Canceling an already-scheduled FSI course.• Requesting changes or canceling an external training

registration.• Creating and submitting your Individual Development Plan/

Work and Development Plan for Locally Employed Staff.• Retrieving your FasTrac password.For more information and to establish your logon, visit the Web

site at https://fsiapps.fsi.state.gov/fsirecs/Login.aspx.

FasTrac Distance Learning ProgramLearn at your own pace, when and where you want! All State

Department employees, FSNs and EFMs are eligible. With yourFasTrac password, you may access the entire FasTrac catalogof more than 2,500 courses, from home or office. To viewthe complete FasTrac catalog, visit the FasTrac Web site athttp://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

For more information on all distance learning opportunities,visit the FSI Web site at http://fsi.state.gov and click on “DistanceLearning.”

ACE CreditFSI participates in the American Council on Education’s

College Credit Recommendation Service. Several FSI courses andlanguage proficiency tests have been designated for ACE Creditrecommendation at either the undergraduate or graduate level.Students wishing to participate in this program must declare theirintention of pursuing a Credit recommendation two weeks priorto course start-date. To obtain Credit recommendation, programparticipants will be required to successfully complete additional

coursework or achieve a specified final exam/test score. Studentsthen apply to ACE to request an ACE transcript be forwarded totheir college or university. More information can be obtained athttp://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg/print.asp?Heading= Accreditation/Certification.

Introduction to Working in an EmbassyNewly updated, this course introduces employees of U.S.

government agencies and their eligible family members to thestructure and function of United States embassies and consulatesoverseas. It is designed to assist them in working successfully in adiplomatic environment. With MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar,this course fulfills the security requirement for individuals on afirst-time overseas assignment lasting 30 days or more. It is notappropriate for Foreign Service Generalists or Specialists.

Ask FSILooking for information on a specific course, training location

or distance learning? Experiencing a problem with registration,accessing a course or technical issue? “Ask FSI” is your answer.Found on the homepage of FSI (http://fsi.state.gov), Ask FSIallows you to review frequently asked questions or submit yourown inquiry. Questions are routed quickly for prompt response.

Length: H = Hours, D = Days, W = Weeks

Dates for FSI Transition Center Courses are shown below. Forinformation on all the courses available at FSI, visit the Scheduleof Courses on OpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov. See Department

Notices for announcements of new courses and new course datesand periodic announcements of external training opportunitiessponsored by FSI. For additional information, please contact

the Office of the Registrar at (703) 302-7144/7137.

Security Dec Jan Length

MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar 1, 15, 22 5, 26 2D

Foreign Service Life Skills Dec Jan Length

MQ107 English Teaching Seminar 3 2D

MQ115 Explaining America 24 1D

MQ116 Protocol and theU.S. Representation Abroad 6 10 1D

MQ704 Targeting the Job Market 13 1D

MQ853 Managing Rental Property 28 2H

MQ950 High Stress AssignmentOutbriefing Program 5 9 2H

Career Transition Center Dec Jan Length

RV101 Retirement Planning Workshop 8 4D

RV103 Financial Management andEstate Planning 10 1D

RV104 Annuities and Benefits andSocial Security 9 1D

RV105 Mid-Career Retirement Planning 28 2D

Page 43: State Magazine, November 2008

U.S. Ambassador toSenegal and Guinea-BissauMarcia Bernicat of New Jersey, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofSenegal and, concurrently, to theRepublic of Guinea-Bissau. Previously,she was the Bureau of South and CentralAsian Affair’s director for India, Nepal,Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. She hasserved in Barbados, Malawi, Morocco,India, France and Mali. She has two sons.

U.S. Ambassador to MalawiPeter William Bodde of Maryland, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof Malawi. Previously, he was deputychief of mission in Islamabad. Beforethat, he was consul general in Frankfurt.His other assignments includeGeorgetown, Kathmandu, Hamburg,Sofia, Copenhagen and New Delhi.

Assistant Secretary forPolitical-Military AffairsMark Kimmitt of Virginia, a formerArmy officer and Department of Defenseofficial, is the new Assistant Secretary forPolitical-Military Affairs. Previously, hewas deputy assistant secretary of Defensefor Middle East policy. An Army officerfor more than 30 years, he retired withthe rank of brigadier general. His assign-ments included deputy director ofoperations and chief military spokesmanfor Coalition forces during OperationIraqi Freedom.

U.S. Ambassador to QatarJoseph E. LeBaron of Oregon, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the State of Qatar.Previously, he was ambassador to Mauri-tania. He has also served as deputy chiefof mission in Manama and as consulgeneral in Dubai. Other postings includeAmman, Ankara and Istanbul. He ismarried and has a daughter.

U.S. Ambassador to AlgeriaDavid D. Pearce of Virginia, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the People’s Demo-cratic Republic of Algeria. Previously, hewas minister counselor for politicalaffairs in Rome. While in Rome, heserved two excursion tours to Iraq. Hehas served as chief of mission and consulgeneral in Jerusalem. Other postingsinclude Riyadh, Kuwait, Dubai andDamascus. He is married and has twochildren.

U.S. Ambassador toMacedoniaPhilip T. Reeker of the District ofColumbia, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class ofCounselor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto the Republic of Macedonia.Previously, he was counselor for publicaffairs in Iraq. Before that, he was deputychief of mission in Budapest. He hasbeen deputy spokesman and “spokesmanat large” for the Department. His wife isalso in the Foreign Service.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 41

Appointments

Page 44: State Magazine, November 2008

U.S. Ambassador toLebanonMichele Jeanne Sison of Maryland, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to the Republicof Lebanon. Previously, she was ambas-sador to the United Arab Emirates.Before that, she was principal deputyassistant secretary in the Bureau of SouthAsian Affairs. Her other postings includeIslamabad, Chennai, Abidjan, Douala,Cotonou, Lome and Port-au-Prince. Shehas two daughters.

U.S. Ambassador toRwandaW. Stuart Symington of Missouri, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofRwanda. Previously, he was ambassadorto Djibouti. He served in Iraq, workingon election process and political issues.Other postings include Honduras, Spain,Mexico, Ecuador and Niger, where hewas deputy chief of mission.

U.S. Ambassador to CyprusFrank C. Urbanic Jr. of Indiana, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Republic ofCyprus. Previously, he was principaldeputy assistant secretary and deputy tothe coordinator in the Office of theCoordinator for Counterterrorism.Other postings include Kuwait, Istanbul,Abu Dhabi, Freetown, Doha, QuebecCity, Amman, Tunis and Riyadh. He ismarried and has two children.

U.S. Ambassador toArmeniaMarie L. Yovanovitch of Connecticut, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Armenia. Previously, she wasambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.Before that, she was senior advisor to theunder secretary for political affairs. Herother postings include Kyiv, where shewas deputy chief of mission; Ottawa;Moscow; London; and Mogadishu.

42 | STATE MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2008

Appointments

Bagchi, Plaban K.Bennett, David R.Colquhoun, Richard AndrewConlon, Margaret A.Devlin, Joseph M.Estes, Ellis MerrillGianfranceschi, Robert E.Hofer, CurtJarrett, Kenneth HowardJones, Richard H.

Kelly, Thomas E.Morales Colon, Hector E.Nebel Jr., Claude J.Rich III, SantiagoRosenblatt, Josiah B.Schuh, Thomas E.Semmes III, RaphaelSmith, Stephen T.Ward III, Francis B.Yoas, Michael J.

Beck, Nancy L.Causey, Paula J.Chen, Ying ChihDrahos, Hazel E.Fannin, Mary C.Farrar Jr., John H.Fitts, James EdwardGlasgow, Gloria J.Hammontree, John L.Hovey, Susan M.Hunter, Donald R.

Keefer, Edward C.Lassiter, Immy R.Macon, George C.Marino, Margot U.Mozingo, Donald E.Nelligan, JoannePatten, Patsy J.Ponomaryova, Marina N.Williams, CarnellaWood, Rosetta R.

FOREIGN SERVICE CIVIL SERVICE

retirements

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Helen K. Blair, 86, a retired Foreign Service specialist,died Aug. 17 in Waynesburg, Pa., following a long illness. Sheserved overseas in England and Iran. After returning to GreeneCounty, Pa., in 1963, she focused on investments and enjoyed hercollections of Persian rugs, first-edition books and silverware.

Robert M. Forcey, 90, a retired Foreign Serviceofficer, died Sept. 7 from pneumonia in Washington, D.C. Heserved in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He joined theDepartment in 1950 and served overseas in Frankfurt, PanamaCity, Tripoli and Benghazi. After retirement, he worked as aprofessional assistant for the National Academy of Sciences.

Lucille A. Lawley, 86, a retired Civil Serviceemployee, died Sept. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla. During her 30 yearswith the Department, she specialized in U.S.-Soviet relations andonce hosted former Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin at herhome. She also was an executive assistant to Secretary Dean Rusk.She was active in charitable giving and endowed scholarships atGeorgetown University School of Nursing.

Leonard Reed, 90, a retiredVoice of America journalist and freelancewriter, died recently in Chevy Chase, Md.He served in the Navy during World WarII before joining the U.S. InformationAgency as an editor and writer. As chief of

VOA’s European bureau, based in Munich, his was the voice onthe first VOA broadcasts into Warsaw and Moscow. Later, he waseditor of Amerika Illustrated, a USIA magazine distributed in theSoviet Union. He was an avid tennis player.

Ruth Anne Rogers, 90,a retired Foreign Service officer, died Aug.30. She had lived in Fort Myers, Fla., sinceher retirement in 1973. She sponsoredchildren through World Vision andtraveled to the Dominican Republic when

she was 89 to meet one of them. She was active in her communityand church.

David B. Timmins, 78, aretired Foreign Service officer, died July 16in Salt Lake City, Utah. He joined theDepartment in 1955 and served overseasin the United Kingdom, France, Iceland,Spain, Morocco and Guatemala. After

retirement, he accompanied his wife Lola on her Foreign Servicepostings to France, Mexico, China, Romania and Switzerland. Hetaught international finance and economics at universities locallyand abroad. He ran for Congress in 1996 in Utah.

Donald M. Welch, 86, a retired Foreign Service officer, died Aug.28 of natural causes. He lived inSpringfield, Va. He served in the Navyduring World War II and joined theDepartment in 1949. He served overseas inJapan, Germany, Brazil, Morocco, Ecuador,

Mexico, Ethiopia, Bermuda and Jamaica. His three children—Joseph, Elizabeth and David—now work for the Department as acontractor, financial management officer and assistant secretaryrespectively.

NOVEMBER 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 43

Obituaries

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This issue reads like a virtual resumecovering many of the things the StateDepartment does around the world. TheDepartment partners with others forprogress; colleagues expand their comfortzones to meet the challenges facing moderndiplomacy; embassies “dare mighty things”to accomplish audacious goals; entire

professional cones evolve to adapt to arapidly changing world economy; and oneof the Department’s largest missions takes acandid look at a single day in its life.

Mission Mexico covers a lot of territory,from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City tothe nine U.S. consulates spread throughoutour sprawling neighbor to the south.Capturing a typical day in the complex lifeof this huge mission took teamwork, dedi-cation and perseverance. Generous supportfrom the Una Chapman Cox Foundationand 200 disposable cameras from Kodak deMexico moved the plan from the idea stageto reality. Then, 350 volunteers from allwalks of the mission community aimedtheir cameras and clicked away.

The result: A soon-to-be-published84-page photo book covering the breadthof mission activities and the scope ofan “ordinary” day of an extraordinarymission.

Another post with an extraordinarymission, Baghdad, attracts a wide spectrumof volunteers—Foreign Service officers, CivilService employees, contractors and LocallyEmployed staff from many countries. Their

reasons for volunteering also range acrossthe board, but a fairly simple motivation ledone of our LES colleagues from Bangladeshto volunteer: she wanted an up close andpersonal view of history in the making, evenif it meant stretching her comfort zone. Shegot that, and more.

The emerging worldwide economic crisishas focused more attention on the Depart-ment’s economic cone officers, who operateunder the broad mission mandate “topromote economic security and prosperityat home and abroad.” Once consideredbackground players as researchers andreporters who filled in knowledge gaps,econ officers increasingly play key roles inclinching trade deals, influencing policy andlegislation and explaining U.S. positions tooften skeptical audiences. The numbersreflect their growing importance in theDepartment’s mission: From September2003 through July 2008, the number ofForeign Service economic officers grew by12 percent.

Last but never least, a final salute to ourcolleagues en route to their final posting:Helen K. Blair; Robert M. Forcey; Lucille A.Lawley; Leonard Reed; Ruth Anne Rogers;David B. Timmins; and Donald M. Welch. ■

Coming in December• Mission Argentina Celebrates Voting Day • PRT Muthanna Hits the Dirt

• OES Targets Illegal Wildlife Trade ... and much more!

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

THE LASTWORD

CorrectionOur story about the new U.S. passport cards (State Magazine, October 2008)incorrectly stated that they could be used for re-entry into the United States byair whereas only the U.S. passport book can be used for that purpose.

Adding the Extra to Extraordinary

Page 47: State Magazine, November 2008
Page 48: State Magazine, November 2008

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