Say it Ain't So, George!

Interesting article in The New Republic about George F. Kennan, far and away one of the most admired America diplomats of the last century.

In contrast to his reputation as a cool and sober analyst par excellence, historian Perry Anderson depicts Kennan as an unhinged and extreme thinker, advocating a litany of kooky and aggressive schemes from outlawing the Italian Communist Party (which Kennan admitted might lead to a military rebellion) to invading Iran in 1979.

The real problem, according to the article, is not that Kennan was more of a reactionary Cold Warrior than previously thought. The problem is that esteemed diplomats and statesmen tend to be infected with Big Picture-itis. They think, in the words of Simon Bolivar, in terms of centuries, and see the world in terms of continents. This means that individual countries, much less individual lives, have little meaning.

This outlook is plainly evident (says Anderson) not only in realpolitikers such as Henry Kissinger but more moderate figures like John Lewis Gaddis arguing that the career of George W. Bush was “one of the most surprising transformations of an underrated national leader since Prince Hal became Henry V" or Zbigniew Brzezinski proposing a scheme whereby “European youth could repopulate and dynamize Siberia."

I have never witnessed such grandiosity in the halls of the State Department or among my colleagues. But there is still time!

Off Site and Out of Mind

Time to escape that stuffy classroom and get out....to a stuffy hotel! This is the 'off-site', the bonding and esprit de corps-strengthening time when we all go to a moderately priced hotel and eat mediocre food....together!

After a series of team-building exercises (often involving blindfolds) we passed a reflective night of drinking and karaoke in preparation of the next day.

For you see, this morning was the Embassy Simulation. We were divided into our respective sections and given a series of escalating crises to deal with. In the consular section, we had everything from anti-American protestors to fussy visa applicants to distraught US citizens looking for their lost relatives.They threw everything they had at us.

Also the Ambassador had a rabid civet loose in her office. Not a real one, presumably - I wasn't invited to deal with that particular case.

A Few Words

I do my best to avoid jargon, however working for a government bureaucracy always includes heavy use of code-words and acronyms. Here are a few of the more useful:

Bid: The process by which FSOs secure their next assignments.

Charge D'affaires: The 'unofficial' head of a Mission in absence of an Ambassador.

CODEL: Congressional Delegation. An official visit by a member or members of Congress to a foreign country.

Cone: One of the five general roles an FSO might take. They are: Consular, Political, Economic, Public Diplomacy, and Management. 

Corridor Reputation: How FSOs are considered by their peers during the bidding and training process.

DCM: Deputy Chief of Mission. The second-in-command of a Mission.

Differential: The pay increase paid to FSOs for serving in remote, unpleasant, or dangerous countries. Ranges from 5% to 35%,  Danger and Hardship pay are separate and cumulative.

ELO: Entry-Level Officer.

FSO: Foreign Service Officer. A diplomat. Different from an FSS because FSOs are considered 'generalists' and can serve in any one of the five Cones.

FSS: Foreign Service Specialist, A diplomat with a specific role at a given embassy, such as Human Resources, Security, IT etc.

Mission: People sent to represent a foreign government. Usually includes Embassies, Consulates, and all their staff.

PNG: Persona non grata (unwelcome person). A term used to describe when a country revokes the diplomatic privileges of a foreign official and asks them to leave the country under threat of arrest. State Department types often use it as a verb ("He got PNGed out of the country").

The Foreign Service on Screen: Blue Jasmine

Typical FSO

Generally, Hollywood has been pretty light on depictions of diplomats in action. This is not a surprise: the behind-the-scenes work of most embassies looks fairly dull and bureaucratic from the outside. When members of the Foreign Service do appear it's usually in the form of ambassadors and Special Envoys and other sexier, flashier roles.

Occasionally, though, one of the Lower Orders does sneak in. Blue Jasmine, one of Woody Allen's more recent efforts, tells the story of the titular Jasmine, the widow of a crooked billionaire who has fallen on hard times and must rely on the support of her much-maligned working class sister. In short, it's an updated version of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Along the way, Jasmine meets Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), who really does introduce himself by humbly saying "I work for the State Department." We don't, I think, ever get his actual title. What 'working for the State Department'  means, apparently, is that he gets regular postings to Paris and Vienna, has high political ambitions, and has scads of money to spend on decorating his enormous bayside mansion.

Really, Dwight? No postings to Mexico City, or Riga, or Accra, or even Port Moresby? Where are you getting the money for that giant house? And why do you have so much free time to hobnob around San Francisco?

In a way, it's nice to know that people still think of being a diplomat as a glamorous and desirable profession. Not doing much for our image as pin-striped cookie pushers, though.

What is Diplomacy?

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!" until you can find a rock.

- Will Rogers

The State Department Goes to Hill

 

Capitol Hill, that is...yes, it's a pretty obvious joke.

The system of making  various government bureaucracies work together - coyly known as 'the inter-agency process' -  is rarely more contentious than between any Executive branch department and Congress. At least with Defense or Justice we get the impression that they WANT to work together, even if they have a completely different perspective and way of doing things.

Not so Congress. The State Department is a relatively small agency with no local constituency and a reputation for being a bunch of snooty intellectuals and hippies. This makes us an easier target for anything and everything that might go wrong in foreign policy - much better than the military. We don't wear uniforms and we don't usually put ourselves directly in harm's way (though it happens more than you might think).

On top of this, all embassies are charged with running CODELS - Congressional Delegations. Any high-level visit is a logistical pain in the neck, but CODELS are notorious for being junkets in disguise.

In return, Congress is aware of how they are seen and are incredibly defensive and touchy about this (as they are about everything). I have not run any CODELS myself. I can hardly wait.

Lingua Diplomatica

An old joke goes like this:

What do you call someone who speaks three languages?

Trilingual.

Two languages?

Bilingual.

One?

American.

Naturally as suave international diplomats we are expected to be slightly more worldly. The State Department requires that all FSOs become reasonably fluent in at least one foreign language within five years, and two languages at some point in their careers.

In the old days, of course, this was simple: all diplomatic communication was in French. As recently as the 1980s, the official complaint filed by the US government against Iran for the seizure of the US Embassy and staff in Tehran (in violation of the Vienna Convention) was written by the US in English and French, and the response from the Iranians in Farsi and French.

Now, people are expected to converse in each others' native tongue. Language classes are given at FSI and students are graded from 0 (no knowledge) to 5 (academic fluency).

The Good Old Days

Getting Your First Post

People sometimes ask how diplomats get their assignments. Once one gets beyond the first couple of tours, the FSO has a certain amount of control - they can bid on any available job and see what sticks. They cannot be assigned to any job they didn't specifically apply for.

Entry-Level Officers (ELOs) have it different. Our first two tours are 'directed', meaning we have to be ready for whatever is available.

The first time out, we draw up a list of personal concerns. Examples of this may include:

- Desire to learn a new language/improve a current one
- Family concerns (needs a school for the kids, job for the spouse etc.)
- Career goals
- Taste

These are weighed against the needs of the service, such as:

- Matching language-speakers to the relevant post
- Getting people with the right experience/in the right cone
- Which posts need people right away
- not wasting training on those who won't need/use it again

Somehow, the Career Development Officers hash out a resolution that will anger/terrify the fewest number of people.

So Why the 'State' Department?

 

Hey, why doesn't the US have a Foreign Ministry like everywhere else? What's the deal with calling our foreign affairs thing 'State'?

You see, in the beginning...

When the United States was recently founded, we did indeed have a Department of Foreign Affairs, led by John Jay. However, this was soon abolished and the new country had only four cabinet departments: Army, Treasury, Attorney General, and State.

Foreign Affairs was a very low priority for the US throughout most of its history. On the eve of World Ear II we had less than 1,500 professional diplomats representing us overseas. Ambassadors were called 'ministers' and went around deliberately underdressed to represent their republican humility.

Because of this lack of interest in international diplomacy, foreign affairs wasn't considered important enough to merit its own cabinet post. Originally, State was responsible for the Mint, the Census, and everything else that couldn't fit into another department.

State Department U.

Several people have likened the experience of A-100 to going off to college. It sounds like a funny comparison, but it's really true. The difference is that what in college felt childish and 'basic' has now been significantly upgraded. Among other similarities:

- The Foreign Service Institute has a rather pretty, bucolic campus right outside a major city. With a cafeteria! And shuttles to take you back and forth 
- A gift shop full of swag with our logo on it (hoodies, shot glasses, bumper stickers etc.)
- choosing your post assignments instead of class assignments. 
- the humble meal plan has transformed into the per diem 
- Pre-assigned housing (luxury apartments instead of dorms)
- Lots of drinking (legal this time; mostly at happy hours)
- Constantly introducing yourself to new people (and wearing of name tags). Except instead of high schoolers you're meeting former military officers, lawyers, professors and more of the intimidatingly accomplished.

Go Diplomats!

Me Vs. The Bid List

At a certain point in every FSO's life, he or she has to 'bid'. That is, they are presented with the available posts they qualify for and must choose the ones they would prefer.

Your first two assignments as an FSO are 'directed', that is, you cannot turn them down. One of the two must be doing consular work, and one has to be a 'hardship' post.

The first time out, A-100 members must bid on ALL available jobs (dozens in total) ranking them in order of preference. Our class just got the list. While I cannot post the complete list, it offers a fairly wide range of geographical diversity, with a focus on Latin America and East Asia. Most of the jobs, though, involve consular work (read: stamping visas).

The bidding process takes at least a month. We meet with our Career Development Officers (CDOs) who try to help us balance our expectations and wishes with the needs of the service. A loooot of strategizing goes on during this time, most of it in vain. Do I rank Rome and Madrid high on the off chance I'll get it? Should I go straight for super-duper hardship posts and make money/win brownie points? Does anything I do make a difference?

Since I have a foreign language, I am required to serve in one of those countries at least once in my first two tours.

We don't get our assignments for about another month. Oh, the uncertainty!

The Oath

Did you know that Foreign Service Officers take an oath? Well, we do - twice, actually. The first time, it's more of a formality to get paid. The second time is supposed to be more earnest.

It goes like this:

I, [name], do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will support and defend the Constituion of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this oath freely and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office which I am about to enter. So help me God.

While we said it flags waved and bald eagles soared overhead. Pretty neat.

A-100: Day One

At last, we begin!

The purpose of the first day is to clear away as much bureaucracy as possible. This means filling out forms, getting our ID badges, and cramming us with an overwhelming amount of information about health plans, retirement plans, how not to leak classified information etc.

Observations on the latest A-100 class

Size: Roughly 45 people. Much smaller than most A-100 classes, which are usually between 80-100. Budget cuts, sequestration, etc.

Demographics: Mostly white. A fairly even split between men and women. Age tends towards late 20s/early 30a, but there are some mid-career people who are older.

Previous careers: Some lawyers, administrators, a few lucky recent college grads. MANY people who are transferring from another branch of government service, such as the military or State Department Civil Service. 

Included in the security brieifing were some notes on proper use of social media. As such, here are a few things you will not see on this blog:

- Criticism of US policy or officials
- Interior photos of embassies or other government buildings
- Photos and identifying information of USG officials (except maybe ambassadors)
- Identifying information about me. Yes, obviously some of you know who I am, but I don't need to make things easy.

Fear not; I'll still find a way to make this interesting.

Onwards and upwards!