State Magazine, June 2008

MAGAZINE

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

JUNE2008

HeartANDSeoul

SPECIAL SECTION

Safety & State

4-18-83Embassy commemo-rates 25th anniversaryof Beirut bombing.

12StormTeamsMission Mexico Readiesfor Hurricane Season.

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JUNE2008S T A T E M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 5 2 4

Post ofthe MonthSeoul, glitteringjewel of theKorean peninsula.

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16 Virtual Visits Embassy videoconferences withHungarian high schools.

18 A Matter of TimeDepartment gears up for possibleavian influenza pandemic.

22 Helping HandsEldercare benefits employees withelderly parents.

40 Keeping the PeaceDepartment observers monitor treatyin the Sinai.

40Peace Keepers

FEATURES

ON THE COVERBlooming flowers and a boomingeconomy surround this Buddhisttemple in Seoul, South Korea. Photograph by Getty Images

3 Letters

4 In the News

44 Education & Training

45 Appointments

45 Retirements

46 Obituaries

48 The Last Word

COLUMNS

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Safer StateWhether at home or abroad, on foot or in cars,employees are safer—thanks to the Department’s efforts.

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2 | STATE MAGAZINE | JUNE 2008

This month, I would like to tell youabout the work being done by PatriciaNelson-Douvelis and her team in theOffice of Retirement Services. Ms. Nelson-Douvelis came to us in July of 2007 fromthe Office of the Coordinator for Recon-struction and Stabilization, where she wasthe Director for Response Strategy. Shenow leads the office that is responsible forthe many complex issues related to yourretirement.

HR/RET administers, with the Bureauof Resource Management, the multi-billion dollar Foreign Service Retirementand Disability Fund, which is the fundingvehicle for the three Foreign Serviceretirement plans covering nearly 27,000current and former Foreign Serviceemployees: the Foreign Service Retirementand Disability System (the “old” system),the FSRDS-Offset system and the ForeignService Pension System (the “new”system). These retirement plans paid outnearly $650 million in benefits last year toall Foreign Service annuitants in theDepartments of State, Agriculture andCommerce, as well as the U.S. Agency for

International Development and thePeace Corps.

Pat and her team of 29 counselors,policy experts, HR assistants and otherprogram support staff have sole responsi-bility for adjudicating retirementannuities for all Foreign Serviceemployees and share responsibility withthe Office of Personnel Management foradministering benefits to Departmentemployees in the three Civil Service retire-ment plans: the Civil Service RetirementSystem (the “old” system), the CSRS-Offset System and the Federal EmployeesRetirement System (the “new” system).

The HR/RET team works closely withthe Foreign Service Institute’s CareerTransition Center and participates innumerous planning and related courses tohelp employees understand the importantdecisions that surround their retirement.The retirement counselors, led by Jacque-line Long and William Jones, are availableto assist individual employees withspecific questions or help themunderstand what questions they should beasking. Other experts on the team, such asRosetta Wood, also advise on entitlementto Social Security, Medicare, the FederalEmployees Group Life Insurance and theFederal Employees Health Benefitsprograms. In addition, HR/RET adminis-ters the Thrift Savings Plan forDepartment employees.

Most employees start the retirementprocess by exploring the informationprovided on HR/RET’s Web site,www.RNet.state.gov. If you have anyquestions after reviewing that site, werecommend that you send them [email protected], or the HR/RETe-mail address—RETServices—on theGlobal e-mail directory.

Working hand-in-hand with HR’ssystems developers, HR/RET is workingon an exciting project to make the retire-ment process more efficient and annuity

calculations more timely—all to serve youbetter. Later this year, first Civil Serviceand then Foreign Service employees willhave access to a new Employee BenefitsInformation System, a software productthat will provide each employee with animmediate, up-to-date, personalized state-ment of their benefits. The new annuitycalculator that is part of EBIS will allowemployees to perform “what-if ” scenariosconcerning their retirement annuity, high-3 average salary, TSP annuity, TSPprojected account balance, and so on.

EBIS will contain a comprehensivereference library of information related toFederal benefits, covering Civil Serviceand Foreign Service plans, FEHB, FEGLI,TSP and Social Security, as well as onlineseminars about retirement. This newsystem will also enable employees tosubmit retirement packages electronically,making the process much morestreamlined, although a few forms willstill require original signatures and willhave to be mailed or faxed to HR/RET.

To make the new system work at itsoptimum, we will be asking employeeswithin five years of retirement to ensurethat their personnel records reflect all oftheir prior civilian or military service.Correct personnel records will ensure thatthe employee can run his/her annuitycalculation accurately from the outset. Forthe first time, the new system will allowthese changes to remain a permanent partof the employee’s personnel records.

EBIS will be for Department employeesonly. HR/RET will continue to revise andupdate the RNet Web site to keepall our annuitants and our clients atother Foreign Service agencies apprisedof developments of particular interestto them.

We want to serve you efficiently andwell. If you have any comments or sugges-tions, please feel free to send them to mevia unclassified e-mail at DG Direct. ■

Retirement Services—Serving ThoseWho Faithfully Served the Department

D.G. HARRY K.THOMAS

JUNE 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 3

from the villages surrounding the lakes,has adopted a management plan for thearea that, once approved, will allow NEPAto designate the area as a national park.The success to date is largely due to theeffort of the Wildlife ConservationSociety. The Wildlife ConservationSociety, USAID and the embassy will workfor designation of Afghanistan’s firstnational park and to protect other signifi-cant natural areas of Afghanistan.

Clay MillerEnvironmental AdvisorU.S. Embassy in Kabul

Nadelman RememberedThe obituary of E. Jan Nadelman in

your March issue struck a chord for me.Many new Foreign Service officers cameunder his purview 50 or so years ago

because he was in charge of the A-100course when I joined the Foreign Servicein January 1957. I’ll never forget hislasting impression on me, even though Ihad virtually no contact with him over theyears after the course. He epitomized howan American diplomat should look, act,think and speak. He was very articulate,responsive to our inquisitiveness andconsiderate in all respects to make sure wehad a firm foundation about the expecta-tions and rigors of Foreign Service life.

Gilbert H. SheinbaumRetired Foreign Service officer

Vienna, Va.

Memorial EstablishedFriends and colleagues of retired

Foreign Service officer Clyde G. Nora haveestablished a memorial foundation to

honor him. He died May 16, 2007, andhad retired in 1997 after 30 years in theForeign Service. The foundation will carryon his important work in providing coun-seling, mentoring and coaching to youngpeople in their efforts to enter careers inpublic service.

The foundation’s Clyde G. NoraMemorial Award will be presented annu-ally to an outstanding high school senioror college student who has excelledacademically, demonstrated leadershipskills in school and community, and hasactively participated in volunteer services.The winner will receive a plaque and afinancial award. As the foundation’scontact person, I can be reached at(571) 345-3711.

William Marcellus ButlerRetired Foreign Service officer

Silver Spring, Md.

I would like to provide an update on the Band-i-AmirLakes article in the March 2008 State Magazine. Since earlysummer 2007, when the author of this article visited thelakes, this significant natural resource is closer todesignation as the first national park in Afghanistan. TheU.S. Embassy in Kabul partnered with Afghanistan’sNational Environmental Protection Agency and Ministryof Agriculture, the United Nations EnvironmentalProgram, the Asian Development Bank and the WildlifeConservation Society, which is funded by the U.S. Agencyfor International Development, to implement a frameworkto protect areas of the nation having significantenvironmental and natural heritage value. A Band-i-AmirProtected Area committee, composed of representatives

Story Updated

Letters

Via E-mail: [email protected] /// Phone: (202) 663-1700 /// Fax: (202) 663-1769Mailing Address: 2401 E Street, NW, HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108

Letters should not exceed 250 words and should include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. All letters becomethe property of State Magazine. Letters will be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. Only signed letters will be considered.

Let Us Hear from You

NEWS


The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh’s firstannual health fair featured 34 exhibitors,including hospitals, pharmacies, clinics anddental offices, and attracted more than 850embassy employees and family members,plus staff from the German, Japanese andAustralian embassies. There were informa-tion booths, a blood drive, blood pressureand blood sugar screenings, a play aboutHIV transmission, a session on women’shealth screening and a question-and-answer session with the secretary generalof the Cambodian Red Cross.

Embassy’s Health Fair Includes Blood Drive

At the start of the fair, the director ofthe nation’s blood bank mentioned anurgent need for one of the rarest bloodtypes, B negative, for a pediatric cardiologypatient. By 4:45 p.m., not a single suchdonation had been made, but one of thefinal donations matched, and it was rushedto the hospital. As Ambassador Joseph A.Mussomeli stated in a missionwide e-mailto potential donors: “I hate giving blood.I am afraid to give blood. I repeatedlyfaint when I give blood. But I alwaysgive blood.”

Health care in Phnom Penh hasimproved dramatically in recent years, asindicated by the many booths showcasingclean and well-equipped medical facilities.One attendee said he had never soughtdental care for his children because heneither knew where to take them nor real-ized it was affordable.

The fair’s screenings identified 11 casesof undiagnosed hypertension and twocases of diabetes. Patients with potentiallydangerous health conditions were referredto trained local doctors and hospitals.

Be Positive


Consular officer Stephanie Bunce and postlanguage program instructor Ahmed Karoutpractice handling emergency ACS phone callswithout visual clues.

On a February morning in New Delhi thisyear, 3,000 people, including more than 100U.S. Mission India staff and family members,engaged in the capital’s first “Walk for Life,” afive-kilometer walk-run to raise breast cancerawareness. Modeled on similar U.S. events,the walk was led by a group of prominentbreast cancer survivors, including JeanneMulford, wife of U.S. Ambassador to IndiaDavid C. Mulford.

More than 400,000 women die every yearfrom breast cancer, with more than 75 percentof these deaths occurring in the developingworld, where the likelihood of early detectionand treatment is low. According to Indiansources, the number of breast cancer casesthere is growing rapidly, and many deathscould be prevented if women were adequatelyinformed about the disease and became moreproactive about their health.

Mission India began a countrywide publicdiplomacy campaign to spread public aware-ness about the growing incidence of breastcancer, aiming to destigmatize family andpublic discussion of breast cancer. It also part-nered with a New Delhi-based organization

caring for people with cancer and invited anexecutive of the Susan G. Komen for the CureFoundation to meet with women’s healthactivists across the country and share recom-mendations. Public affairs section staffmembers in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbaialso recently created programs and events tointroduce the need for breast cancerawareness in India.

The Walk for Life coincided with the FirstAsian Breast Cancer Congress in New Delhithe same weekend. The conference attractedmore than 350 researchers and doctors fromacross the region and the United States. Mrs.Mulford spoke as the conference’s chiefguest, calling on people to reject the taboo ofspeaking about breast cancer andencouraging her friends in India toundertake “an open and frank discussion ofbreast exams, treatment and life after cancer.”

Being a breast cancer survivor “is asisterhood none of us would have chosen,” shesaid. “We are committed to working aspartners to help other women who face thesame fight to receive the early diagnosis andtreatment that will let them lead full lives.”

Mission India Promotes Nation’s Breast Cancer Awareness

Consular officers of the U.S. Embassy inDamascus and the post language program’sinstructor traveled to the Syrian city of

Aleppo in March for a weekend ofdedicated practice in consular interviewingin Arabic. The Consular Arabic Immersion

Weekend provided an opportunity for theofficers to learn how to communicate effec-tively and clearly with visa applicants andlocal residents in American citizen servicescases. It also allowed consular managers tocoach two newly arrived consular officerson the peculiarities of consular operationsin Syria.

The weekend featured lessons on vocab-ulary, nonimmigrant visa interviews,immigrant and Iraqi Special ImmigrantVisa interviews, in-office ACS appointmentsand practice in taking ACS emergencyphone calls. For the phone-call session, theofficers sat back-to-back with theinstructor, eliminating visual cues andimproving their ability to elicit informationverbally.

Attendees spoke only in Arabic duringmeals, breaks and while in transit, makinglearning truly immersive.

WEEKEND SESSIONS BOOST ARABIC SKILLS

In March, the State Department and U.S. Marine Corps signed anew Marine Security Guard Memorandum of Agreement in theTreaty Room at Main State, renewing a civil-military partnershipthat is more than 200 years old.

The enhanced agreement was signed byActing Assistant Secretary for DiplomaticSecurity Gregory B. Starr; Special AgentCharlene Lamb, assistant director of DSInternational Programs; Marine CorpsLieutenant General Richard Natonski; andRaymond Geoffroy, the Marine Corpsassistant deputy commandant who over-sees the Corps’ security operations.

It has been nearly 60 years since thefirst letter of agreement was signed by theSecretaries of State and the Navy onDecember 15, 1948. After World War II,an alert, disciplined force was needed toprotect U.S. diplomatic missions, andMarine Corps volunteers were tapped tofill these posts. The resulting MSGprogram became one of the most presti-gious assignments in the Corps.

The 1,300-member Marine CorpsEmbassy Security Group is an elite groupof men and women who have been specially trained and selectedfor this duty. MSG detachments serve 149 U.S. embassies andconsulates worldwide.

MSGs are typically the first Americans seen at U.S. missions.Standing duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they protect U.S.

government personnel and property and prevent classified informa-tion and equipment from being compromised. MSGs also controlaccess within U.S. missions; inspect to ensure that classified infor-

mation is secure; monitor surveillance devices and fire alarms; andare the focal point for all post emergency communications. Theyhave protected U.S. embassies and consulates from anti-Americanriots and demonstrations, and helped evacuate U.S. diplomats andtheir families during crises.

MARINE SECURITY GUARD TRADITION CONTINUES

At an April ceremony hosted by Dr. Ruth Whiteside,director of the Foreign Service Institute, FSI dedicated aframed poster of the Consular Leadership Tenets toAmbassador Maura Harty on the occasion of Harty’sretirement as a Foreign Service officer. As Assistant Secretaryof State for Consular Affairs, Ambassador Harty championedthe development of consular leaders.

New FSOs must do at least one year of consular work at thebeginning of their careers, and she encouraged consularmanagers to model effective leadership to get new officers offto a good start and prepare them for leadership. AmbassadorHarty also supported training by conducting sessions for eachnew A-100 class at FSI and making special presentations tosenior leadership courses.

The Consular Leadership Tenets were developed by theBureau of Consular Affairs in 2006 after receiving input from87 overseas consular sections. The tenets provide theframework for CA’s leadership development efforts, whichinclude the development of a feedback tool for managers anda leadership awards program. FSI’s Consular Training Divisionhas also integrated the tenets into many of its courses.Information about these resources is in the Consular Leader-ship Toolbox on CA’s Intranet Web site.

Maura Harty, left,stands with Dr.Ruth Whitesidebefore a framedcopy of the tenets.

FSI Enshrines Consular Leadership Principles

Gregory Starr, acting assistant secretary for diplomatic security, right, and Marine Lieutenant GeneralRichard Natonski sign the MSG memorandum of agreement.


As part of a competition, a group ofemployees of the U.S. Embassy inBucharest, Romania, lost a total of 168pounds in 12 weeks. The Bucharest Beau-tiful Bodies competition ended in April, andprizes were awarded to all whoparticipated, with special prizes going tothe top three losers. They are: Sadia Lixan-droiu, an escort in the regional securityoffice; Maria Schamber, an office manage-ment specialist; and Viorell Bastinaru, acommunication technician.

The participants received weekly weigh-ins, individual counseling and e-mailedexercise tips. They restricted portion sizeand made healthy food choices, and everyFriday afternoon, received a 15-minute peptalk. The employee cafeteria offered partici-pants special salads and fresh fruit assnack alternatives and displayed caloriecounts and the nutritional values of varioussnack choices. Its daily specials were alsoanalyzed, allowing customers to becomemore aware of their eating habits.

Somali students participate incomputer instruction during theYouth Enrichment Program.

Embassy Celebrates Big Losers

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi’s Somalia Unit conducted its firstYouth Enrichment Program for Somali youth in April. Twenty-fiveSomali youth, all living in Kenya, gathered at Al-Imran School ofModern Teachings in Eastleigh, Nairobi’s largely Somali neighbor-hood, for a week of computer instruction, English-languagediscussion and camaraderie.

During the closing ceremony, where each participant received acertificate signed by Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger, the

students praised the program, which largely marked their firstexposure to the United States, and said it gave them theopportunity to discuss peace and tolerance. The female studentssaid the program was a rare chance to participate on equal footingwith male participants.

Nairobi HoldsYouth Enrichment Day


MAGAZINE STAFF

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) ispublished monthly, except bimonthly inJuly and August, by the U.S. Departmentof State, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington,DC. Periodicals postage paid atWashington, D.C., and at additionalmailing locations.

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The U.S. Embassy in Caracas,Venezuela, hosted the first meeting of theConsular Working Group in April. Theconsular section’s fraud prevention unitspearheaded formation of the group byorganizing a meeting for officers from 11foreign missions. The group will expandinternational cooperation andinformation sharing on illegal migration,fraud prevention and border protection.

Attending the meeting were consularand immigration officers from theembassies of Argentina, Canada,Colombia, France, Germany, GreatBritain, Italy, Panama, Peru and Spain.They met with the U.S. embassy’s consulgeneral, fraud prevention unit staff, anassistant regional security officeinvestigator and an officer from theDepartment of Homeland Security’s VisaSecurity Unit to discuss fraud trends andpotential collaboration. The group touredthe post’s visa unit, seeing biometriccollection and visa procedures and theVSU’s high-tech fraudulent documentexaminer.

The walls of the old row house are linedwith hundreds of brochures and flyersdepicting exotic and romantic locales fromaround the globe. But this isn’t a localtravel agency—it’s The George WashingtonUniversity’s Office for Study Abroad.

Every year, more than 200,000 studentsfrom American universities study abroad,nearly a 150-percent increase over the pastdecade. Countless others go abroad outsideof university programs to volunteer, work,intern and vacation. More than 100,000students spend spring break in Mexicoannually.

Responding to this growth, the Bureauof Consular Affairs has launched a new“Students Abroad” public affairs campaign,encompassing slick brochures called “go!guides,” public service announcements,advertising on social networking Web sites,and a new Department Web site,http://StudentsAbroad.state.gov. Thecampaign is designed to promote safe,

smart travel to college students and spring-breakers by packaging the information in away that appeals to young people.

“We are concerned about the safety andsecurity of all Americans overseas, butcollege-age Americans can be particularlyvulnerable, especially if traveling overseasfor the first time,” said Michele Bond, CA’sdeputy assistant secretary for overseas citi-zens services. “We hope Students Abroadwill help young Americans better preparefor their trips, so that their experience willbe enriching and rewarding.”

The growth in the number of studentstraveling abroad doesn’t seem to beslowing. Last year, a federal commission onstudy abroad urged Congress to supportinternational programs to increase thenumber of students studying abroad toone million by 2017.

For more information about thecampaign, e-mail [email protected].

Campaign Addresses Student Travel Safety

Caracas HostsFirst ConsularWorking Group

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In two-and-a-half days, Hurricane Wilmadamaged 98 percent of the hotels in Quin-tana Roo, the Mexican state that includesthe tourist destinations of Cancun,Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. The hurri-cane crippled the region’s communicationsand power lines, and paralyzed ports,airports and roads.

The U.S. Consulate in Merida, Mexico,which counts Quintana Roo as part of itsconsular district, had a staff of only six

Department of State direct-hire employeesand less than five days’ advance warning, soit sought assistance from other MissionMexico posts. The result of this unifiedeffort was no American deaths,approximately 25,000 Americans evacuatedon commercial airlines in one week andmore than 12,000 phone inquiries handled.

Joint ResponseWhile the response was considered a

success, the consulate and the rest ofMission Mexico knew additional steps wereneeded to prepare for future hurricanes.

During these types of emergencies, theconsulate relies heavily on its three consularagents in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa delCarmen. The agents and their support staffoffer local expertise and instantaneousinformation that is difficult to obtain fromMerida. The consulate also brings incolleagues from other Mission Mexico poststo assist with preparations, on-the-groundoutreach and post-disaster relief.

“In Mission Mexico, crisis managementis a team sport,” said Consulate MeridaPrincipal Officer Karen Martin. “Weprepare, drill and coordinate with manydifferent entities, including our professionaland experienced counterparts in theMexican government.”

In short, the missionwide effort requirescommunication, cooperation and lots ofplanning.

In October 2005, tens of thousands of Ameri-cans arrived in Cancun, Mexico, and thesurrounding area, expecting sparkling sand,golden sun and luxurious resorts. Instead,they found themselves in the path ofHurricane Wilma, the most devastating stormever to cross Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

MISSION MEXICO READIES FOR HURRICANE SEASONBY THU M. NGUYEN

Storm Teams

Hurricane Wilma’s damage toshopping areas led to a loss ofincome of nearly $10 million perday for the state of QuintanaRoo, Mexico.

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In May 2007, the U.S. Consulate inMerida boosted its preparation for thatyear’s hurricane season by hosting a crisismanagement exercise that brought inexperts from the Foreign Service Institute,the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs,the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance,the local civil protection authority, theRed Cross, airlines, other nations’ consularrepresentatives and others. They engagedin role playing, travel to the Cancunairport, liaison with key players anddiscussions about emergency scenariosand responses. As a result, the consulatecompiled a comprehensive list ofemergency contacts in the Mexicangovernment and local organizations tofacilitate future disaster efforts. It alsodeveloped its emergency action planwith an eye on the months of Julythrough November, when disasterthreatens to strike.

Teams at ReadyPrincipal Officer Martin credited the

success of preparations for 2007’sHurricane Dean to the crisis managementexercise and implementation ofrecommendations arising after HurricaneWilma. More than 36 hours before Hurri-cane Dean was due to hit the YucatanPeninsula, advance teams of staff fromMission Mexico had been deployed to keyareas where Americans were clustered. Theteams helped disseminate information toAmericans, met with airport and city offi-cials to confirm emergency plans andverified the capabilities of local sheltersand transportation companies.

Mission Mexico’s presence prior to thestorm reassured Americans that the U.S.government was ready to assist. AlthoughHurricane Dean turned away toward thepeninsula’s more sparsely populatedsouthern tip, consulate employees believe

that their recent training left them wellprepared for any crisis.

This year, Mission Mexico has takenmore steps to prepare for the 2008 hurri-cane season. The U.S. Embassy in MexicoCity has coordinated the production offlyaway kits, which will help equip futureresponse teams dispatched to outlyingareas. The consulate in Merida hasstrengthened its warden network tocommunicate better with Americans. Andthe entire mission has trained officers andlocal employees to lend their expertiseduring preparations and response.

Although no one can predict whatstorm will strike in 2008 or beyond, theconsulate and the rest of Mission Mexicoare poised to assist Americans throughany crisis. ■

The author is an entry-level officer at theU.S. Consulate General in Merida.

Hurricane Wilma crippled the region’scommunications and power lines, andparalyzed ports, airports and roads.

Opposite page: HurricaneWilma as seen from a satel-lite image. Above: An offi-cial of the U.S. Agency forInternational Developmentworks during the USAID-sponsored emergencyresponse training inFebruary. Right: EmbassyMexico City InformationOfficer Judith Bryan, left,discusses the flooding withMexican President VincenteFox, in baseball cap.

April 18, 1983,was a beautiful spring day

in Beirut, Lebanon, and theU.S. Embassy was bustling.


EMBASSY COMMEMORATES 25THANNIVERSARY OF BEIRUT BOMBINGBY NUSHIN ALLOO

Then, just before 1 p.m.,terrorists drove a bomb-laden

vehicle to the front of theembassy and detonated it. Thefour-story concrete and steel

building was lifted off the groundand then caved in, flames spewing

in all directions.


It was the deadliest single attackon a U.S. diplomatic mission since World War II. In all, 52 embassyemployees were killed. Many others also perished as they werevisiting or just walking by. More than 100 were injured.

One of the injured was local employee Mary Apovian. Two daysafter the attack, she awoke in a hospital not remembering what hadhappened. Later, she was told that Ryan Crocker, then a politicalofficer and now U.S. ambassador to Iraq, had pulled her from therubble, saving her life. Following a year of recovery and numerousreconstructive surgeries, she returned to work

Still employed in the embassy’s human resources office, Apovianremembers her recovery.

“I had bandages on my head and couldn’t walk well,” she said.“The Lebanese personnel would actually carry me running acrossthe Green Line dividing East and West Beirut, dodging sniper firejust so I could get to work.”

Second Attack Seventeen months after the 1983 attack, the

new embassy annex had been open for less thansix weeks when a van, falsely fitted withdiplomatic plates, drove up to the annex at highspeed and detonated 500 pounds of explosives.Twelve people were killed and 63 injured, amongthem Ambassador Reginald Bartholomew, whowas found buried under the rubble. Between thetwo events, on October 23, 1983, terrorists hadblown up the U.S. Marine Corps barracks nearthe Beirut airport, killing 220 Marines and 21other American servicemen.

Today, the words “They Came in Peace” arecarved on the embassy memorial to those killedin the three attacks and others who gave theirlives in the service of the United States inLebanon. Their names are written on the memo-rial near the entrance to the embassy compound,where each April 18 the American and Lebanesemembers of the embassy community gather toremember them.

This year, events in Beirut and Washingtonmarked the 25th anniversary of the 1983bombing.

In Beirut, Chargé d’Affaires Michele J. Sison,the embassy’s chief of mission, welcomed theformer employees and families of victims. Shenoted that eight Lebanese who were employedby the embassy in 1983 still work there.

“Truly Humbled”“I am truly humbled by such dedication, and I

know that all of the American staff here join mein feeling truly proud to be working with you,”she said. Just three months ago, she said, twocourageous embassy colleagues, Dany Massoudand Bechara Badr, were injured in the January 15attack on an embassy vehicle.

C. David Welch, assistant secretary of state forNear Eastern affairs, also attended. As a youngdiplomat in 1983, he was the desk officer forLebanon who received the fateful telephone call

reporting the attack. “In the immediate aftermath of each attack, heroes emerged

from the rubble,” he said. “Together, American and Lebanese staffmembers did the work that needed to be done. They pulled theircolleagues from the destruction. They tended to the wounded.”

Asked why the victims returned to work, given the risks involved,one survivor of the 1983 bombing responded, “I love my job. Weare like family here, and you can never leave your family.”

An embassy committee that included many local employees whowere victims or relatives of victims organized the commemoration,which included the planting of a cedar tree, the symbol of Lebanon.The committee also designed commemorative coins and pins for allwho attended, and the children of embassy staff members created aposter in remembrance of the victims.

The author is a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. PH

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On the day of the embassy bombing,a member of the 22nd MarineAmphibious Unit stands guard.

The Americans, Lebanese and otherskilled 25 years ago in the bombing of theU.S. Embassy in Beirut “were all innocentpeople stolen from us in a moment ofterror,” said Secretary of State CondoleezzaRice in a Main State ceremony commemo-rating those lost or injured in the attack.

She said the 52 embassy employees whowere killed gave America their best.

To the Department employees whorushed to lend aid and bring order to theaftermath, she said: “You made Americaproud.”

Ambassador Robert Dillon, chief ofmission in Beirut at the time, told the 200-some attendees that when terrorists

detonated anexplosives-filledvehicle at the frontof the embassy, he had been minutes fromjoining his retinue at that very location.Several close associates, including hisappointments secretary, were killed.

In the aftermath, he said, the names ofsurvivors were checked off on a list ofembassy employees until, five hours later,no more survivors were found. Severalemployees who survived, including PublicAffairs Officer John Reid, were in the audi-ence and were greeted by Secretary Rice.

Dillon, who received a standing ovation,said he’d been too choked up to finish hisfirst speech in remembrance of the victims,made in the American University of Beirut’schapel a week after the attack.

Claire Votaw, daughter of slain embassyemployee Albert Votaw, and MarinaChamma, a locally employed staff memberof the embassy, read the names of thosekilled in the attack, and a moment ofsilence followed.

The day before the April 18 commemo-ration event, President Bush issued astatement saying the commemoration ofthe attack was “a timely reminder of thedanger our diplomats, military personneland locally employed staff bear in theirservice to the United States.” ■

The author is deputy editor of StateMagazine.


Above: Secretary Rice addresses the commemoration event. Top right:Ambassador Robert Dillon recalls the bombing’s aftermath. Middle: TheMarine Corps color guard stands in front of the granite memorial on theembassy compound. Bottom: Claire Votaw, left, and Marina Chamma readthe names of victims of the 1983 Embassy Beirut bombing. Votaw’s fatherwas killed in the attack.

WashingtonRemembers

BY ED WARNER

chool outreach has been a cornerstone of publicdiplomacy for years, but limited personnel and staffand the vast size of many countries often makepublic diplomacy programs for studentsimpractical.

The U.S. Embassy in Budapest has developed aprogram that overcomes this obstacle, allowing it toextend its school outreach efforts to the farthestoutposts of Hungary. Through an innovativeprogram spearheaded by Vice Consul Dan Koskiand the public affairs section, officers are engagingremote audiences through free videoconferencingtechnology provided by Skype.com. Equipped withhigh-speed Internet connections and Web cams,officers now conduct “virtual” outreach visits withstudents all across Hungary.

The new program represents a novel way toaddress one of Ambassador April Foley’s highestpriorities: increasing the number of Hungarianexchange students going to U.S. colleges and univer-

sities. Skypecasting helps to increase the number ofyoung Hungarians who return home with a sympa-thetic interest in American society and values,developing an audience more open to values-basedforeign policy messages. To promote U.S. study, theambassador personally travels at least once permonth to high schools and universities all overHungary to explain the benefits of a term of studyin the United States. Embassy officers deliver thesame message at other schools, sometimes visitingtwo or three in one day in small provincial cities.

Time ConstraintsYet, owing to time constraints, many schools

located at a great distance from the embassy cannotbe visited easily or often. This is especially trueduring periods of officer shortages throughoutthe embassy.

The solution was offered by Koski during his firstorientation visit to the public affairs section in

EMBASSY VIDEOCONFERENCES WITH HUNGARIAN HIGH SCHOOLSBY MARK S. TAUBER

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Virtual Visits

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Deputy Assistant SecretaryColleen Graffy, right, participatesin a Skypecast during her March2008 visit to Budapest.

September 2007. Koski’s wife had long used theSkype program and a Web cam to keep in touchwith her family in Bolivia and found it had goodsound and image quality. He thought the embassycould establish a similar connection to Hungarianhigh schools. If it worked, anyone from the embassy,without leaving the building, could pay “virtual”visits to Hungarian teens at high schools that wouldotherwise take hours to reach by car.

The PAS staff was excited to try. Local areanetwork manager Norbert Vitéz conducted testvisits with American Corners to ensure that connec-tions and images transmitted well. High SchoolOutreach Coordinator László Vizsy chose, for thefirst virtual visit, a class taught by AmericanFulbright teacher Chris Pultz in Békéscsaba, morethan three hours east of Budapest by car. Koskianchored the first Skypecast in December 2007—an event lasting more than an hour in which studentsasked about everything from the Visa WaiverProgram to missile defense and the future of Iraq.

A FirstThe U.S. Embassy in Budapest has held many

more virtual visits since that initial Skypecast latelast year. During her visit to Budapest in March2008, Colleen Graffy, deputy assistant secretary inthe Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,conducted a Skypecast to students at a school more

than 200 miles outside of Budapest. Her virtualvisit marked the first time a U.S. official had visitedthat school.

This new outreach model has already paid bigdividends. At effectively no cost to the embassy, ithas expanded public affairs coverage to hard-to-reach regions of Hungary and significantly reducedan officer’s time commitment for each event. Anevent that previously would take a full day,including travel, can now be accomplished in anhour or less. It is possible to conduct same-dayconsecutive Skypecasts with multiple schoolswithout officers leaving the embassy.

The Skype outreach model attracts tech-savvyteenagers and has engaged students via the Internet,a medium they embrace. Its broad appeal hassparked local media coverage of Skypecasts.

Since the project’s inception, the public affairssection has refined the procedure, and now it can beeasily replicated at other posts. Skypecasting hasbeen featured as a best practice on the State Depart-ment Web site and within the Bureau of Europeanand Eurasian Affairs. For their contributions,Koski’s public affairs section team received a GroupFranklin Award for an innovation that opened newopportunities in embassy youth outreach. ■

The author is cultural affairs officer at the U.S.Embassy in Budapest.

Left: A student uses Skypecasting to ask aquestion. Below: Pista Menkó, right, a computerteacher at Rózsa High School in Békéscsaba insoutheast Hungary, instructs a class during aSkypecast with Vice Consul Dan Koski.


An event thatpreviouslywould take afull day,includingtravel, cannow beaccomplishedin an houror less.


DEPARTMENT GEARS UPFOR POSSIBLE PANDEMICBY VIVIAN KELLER

AMatter

ofTime


Throughout 2005, numerous media reports discussed anaggressive form of avian influenza, the highly pathogenic H5N1virus, which could pose a serious threat to humankind. If the virusmutated into a form easily transmitted among people, the storywent, a massive pandemic could strike down tens of millions world-wide, leaving even powerful governments and economies reeling.

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There was no pandemic. But avianinfluenza has continued its deadly marchthrough more than 60 countries, resulting inthe slaughter of hundreds of millions ofbirds and killing nearly two-thirds of thealmost 400 people it has infected. Epidemi-ologists say it is only a matter of time beforean evolved form, or another virus as yetunknown, is transmitted sustainably andefficiently among humans, causing aninfluenza pandemic. Although scientistscannot predict how severe that pandemicwill be, the Department of State is workingwith global partners to help prepare theworld—and the Department—for the worst.

Since 2005, when President Bush chargedthe Department with leading U.S.international engagement on avianinfluenza, the United States has pledged$629 million—more than any otherdonor—to support containing the disease’sspread and assist human pandemicpreparedness in more than 100 countries.Reporting to Under Secretary forDemocracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobri-ansky, the Avian Influenza Action Group isthe Department’s 18-member “flu crew,”coordinating and implementing the U.S.

international strategy. “The experts tell us the pandemic threat

has not diminished, and we continue towork with the international community to

combat avian and pandemic influenzawhile building capacity to mitigate suchthreats in the long term,” said SpecialRepresentative on Avian and PandemicInfluenza John E. Lange.

AIAG works with others in the Depart-ment—including the Bureaus ofManagement; Oceans, Environment andScience; and Economic, Energy andBusiness Affairs—and interagency andinternational partners. Its objectives are to:

• Develop and implement nationalplans for coping with a pandemic;

• Support disease surveillance and labo-ratory capacity;

• Stockpile emergency equipment andhealth commodities;

• Conduct public awareness campaigns,• Train those who respond to animal

outbreaks; and• Improve foreign governments’

national response capacity. Thanks to this effort, the world is better

prepared for a pandemic—or other poten-tial global emergencies involving animaland human health.

While Under Secretary Dobriansky andAmbassador Lange concentrate on U.S.

international efforts, Under Secretary forManagement Patrick F. Kennedy focuses onpreparing Department employeesworldwide. The Department’s domestic

efforts, such as enhancing telecommunica-tions, reflect those of other U.S. agencies.

Dealing with a pandemic overseasinvolves additional measures, however. InMarch, U.S. agencies approved a policy,advanced by the Department, regardingAmericans under Chief of Missionauthority and private Americans abroad ina severe pandemic, one that would kill atleast one to two percent of those infected.The policy:

• Recommends that all Americans over-seas prepare to remain in country, asthis may be the only option ifcommercial transport is not readilyavailable;

• Recommends that, when a severepandemic begins, Americans who areat greater risk by remaining abroad, orwho are not comfortable doing so,should return to the United States;

• Authorizes departure fornonemergency American personneland eligible family members underChief of Mission authority in anaffected country;

• Institutes “liberal departure” fornonemergency personnel and EFMsin as-yet-unaffected countries,allowing them to use Rest and Relax-ation and other authorizations todepart post;

• Advises Americans that once commer-cial transportation operations are notreadily available they should expect toremain in country, without recourseto evacuation; and

• Advises Americans that only in thecase of a country breakdown of civilorder will the U.S. governmentconsider noncombatant evacuationoperations.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Office ofAmerican Citizens Services and CrisisManagement has since 2005 been urgingAmericans abroad to prepare to remain incountry for up to 12 weeks, advising themto maintain personal supplies of food, waterand medications. The office reaches out toAmerican citizens abroad through hundredsof town hall meetings and warden messagesand by liberally distributing brochures andnewsletters in consular waiting rooms, atpublic gatherings and throughwww.travel.state.gov.

Some posts have gone even further. TheU.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia, sent a

team upcountry to the towns of Ndola,Kitwe and Kabwe, and to Lubumbashi inthe Democratic Republic of Congo in lateJanuary. The team met with more than 120missionaries in just four days.

The same month, the U.S. ConsulateGeneral in Kolkata, India, transformed itsscheduled Consular Leadership Day into alive avian influenza outreach exercise whenan outbreak among birds occurred in WestBengal. Consular staff responded to thecrisis by drafting and issuing wardenmessages, organizing an emergency townhall meeting, preparing Hindi translationsof avian influenza information sheets andDVDs, and visiting backpacker hostels todistribute information.

“Some Americans have told us to stopgiving them information—they said they’dheard enough,” said Michelle Bernier-Toth,acting director of CA’s Office of OverseasCitizens Services. “But we can’t do that.They need to know.”

The Office of Medical Services, theOperations Center’s Crisis ManagementSupport, Family Liaison Office, Bureau ofDiplomatic Security and other Departmentpartners have pressed missions to prepare.

MED released a video series, BeingPrepared for Pandemic Influenza, and hasensured that posts have pre-positionedsufficient supplies of the antiviral medica-tions Tamiflu and Relenza to treatAmericans and EFMs and to provide work-related post-exposure prophylaxis to allemployees. Antibiotics, respirator masks,gowns and guidelines for responding to apandemic will also be available.

MED’s Safety, Health andEnvironmental Management Division isalso considering possible deployment ofthe pre-pandemic vaccine once it is avail-able, and MED’s overseas staff regularlyhold town hall meetings about the disease.

Many posts abroad have avian influenzaaction committees that assess in-countryconditions, determine an outbreakresponse and review “tripwires” that wouldtrigger specific mission action. CrisisManagement Support staffers are workingwith the Office of Management Policy,Rightsizing and Innovation, and MED toestablish global tripwires, as well. Someposts have revised their water-filtrationcapabilities to supply potable water or aredetermining cost-effective treatments to

use water in swimming pools and cisterns.Other posts are reviewing options foremergency food supplies, including mealsready-to-eat, and have identifiedalternative staging points outside theirmissions.

U.S. missions in Asia—avian influenza’sso-called “ground zero”—are particularlyactive. The U.S. Consulate General inGuangzhou, China, for instance,cooperates with government officials,scientists and academics on emergencyplanning, public awareness andmonitoring. It also hosted for threemonths a National Institutes of Healthscience fellow who enabled the mission toreach out to Guangdong Province’s Centerfor Disease Control, local hospitals, drugcompanies and health research institutes,and to strengthen the consulate general’sreporting to Washington.

The science fellow “helped enhance ourunderstanding of how China is dealingwith key health-related issues,” said ConsulGeneral Robert Goldberg. ■

The author is the Avian Influenza ActionGroup’s consular liaison and press officer.

Above: A poultry seller holds his chickens near the site in Bamako of aninternational conference on Avian influenza. Top right: Kathleen Reddy-Smith, deputy coordinator of the AI Action Group, confers withCoordinator Ambassador John E. Lange regarding a report on pandemicinfluenza. Bottom: Members of the AI Action Group gather in the group’sconference room.


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When crises like these arise, what areoverseas State Department employees to do,given the costs of immediate travel? Theanswer is the Eldercare Emergency

Visitation Travel program, for when anelderly parent needs personal care or place-ment in a care facility, and the Medical EVTprogram, for when a parent is dying. Both

programs underwrite trips by employees,their children and their spouses.

Both programs cover the cost of anemployee’s or spouse’s roundtrip travel tothe United States, a benefit that averages$3,000. The employee’s travel time is notcharged to his or her leave time, althoughonce in the United States the employeemust then use sick leave or annual leave.

Usage SteadyThe Eldercare EVT benefit is likely to see

increased use, although use has so far been

A Foreign Service officer’s elderly mother-in-law falls at home in the United States,breaking her hip and requiring placementin a long-term-care facility. A fathersuddenly becomes ill and lies dying in ahospital, but his FSO son is overseas.

ELDERCARE BENEFITS EMPLOYEES WITH ELDERLY PARENTSBY ED WARNER

Helping Hands

Wayne Dorsey is a publicdiplomacy office managementspecialist in the Bureau ofSouth and Central Asian Affairs.

steady at about 300 employees annually,according to Mary Jean Dixon, who admin-isters the EVT program in the Bureau ofHuman Resource’s Office of Employee Rela-tions. Growth is expected because theincreased U.S. life expectancy means thatmany more employees’ parents will live intotheir 80s and 90s and encounter significanthealth problems as they age.

Employees who use either travel benefitmust provide a reasonable estimate of howlong they will be away and obtain theirsupervisor’s approval for the leave. Compli-cating this, Dixon said, is that sometimes anemployee is uncertain about when he or shecan return, because of the uncertainrecovery time associated with such medicalprocedures as open-heart surgery.

Dana R. Williams, a management officerat the U.S. Mission in Geneva, said herhusband used the Eldercare EVT programto assist his mother during her hospitaliza-tion for surgery in December. Williams saidshe was “extremely pleased to have theopportunity, especially on short notice, tohave my husband there for a short tripduring a difficult family time.”

Using EVTTo use the Eldercare EVT benefit, the

person needing to travel should contact thepost’s HR office and his or her supervisor.The post then contacts HR/ER. Dixon said

she responds to the request typically withintwo business days, and “many areauthorized the same day.”

For an employee’s travel to qualify for theMedical EVT program, the dying familymember’s healthcare provider must speakwith a designated healthcare provider inMED’s Foreign Programs unit. If theemployee is told that his or her mother orfather has had an emergency and “you hadbetter get home right now,” that would indi-cate the employee may need the MedicalEVT benefit, Dixon said. MED/FP’s e-mailaddress is medforeignprograms@ state.gov,and in an emergency an employee can callthe Department’s Operations Center at(202) 647-1512 to be referred to the MEDduty officer.

The eldercare and medical EVT benefitsare two of the four HR/ER services foremployees with parents who are seniors.Another is the eldercare drop-in supportgroup that meets on the first Friday of eachmonth in HR/ER’s conference room, H-236,in building SA-1. There, Dixon and a socialworker from the Office of Medical Servicesfacilitate an hour-long discussion thatDixon said aims to give employees informa-tion and a place to share their experiences.

At a recent meeting of the group, oneattendee, Isabelle Zsoldos, said the meetingwas a safe setting for her to discuss theneeds of her parents, who are both 89.

Zsoldos, a foreign affairs officer in theBureau of Democracy, Human Rights andLabor, said she learned that those caring forelderly parents “need to take care ofourselves in the process so we can take careof our parents.”

Like Zsoldos, Wayne Dorsey wasattending his first meeting of the group. Hesaid he learned to put his situation intoperspective, having heard others at themeeting speak of facing more difficult carechallenges. He also said he was heartened tolearn that others felt as he does.

“You’re not alone out there,” Dorsey said.

Information SessionsThe fourth eldercare benefit offered by

HR/ER consists of the several senior-relatedinformation sessions presented by LifeCareInc. as part of the IQ: Information QuestProgram. Recent presentations havefocused on hospice care, communicatingwith an older loved one and sharingresponsibility for the care of an elderlyfamily member. The sessions are beingvideotaped, and the video on hospice carecan be viewed on the Intranet’s BNet Website, http://bnet.state.gov.

IQ: Information Quest’s eldercare mate-rials are on the contractor’s Web site,www.worklife4you.com. Employees need tolog in by entering the screen name “statede-partment” in the site’s “registered users”

box, followed by the password“infoquest.” Employees mayalso order materials by e-mailing [email protected].

HR/ER also works withMED and other Departmentunits, such as the FamilyLiaison Office, to coordinateother aspects of eldercare. FLO,for example, can helpemployees who want an elderlyparent to come live with themat their overseas residence byhaving the elderly parentplaced on the employee’sorders. FLO’s Caring forElderly Parents is available athttp://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/ hrweb/flo/worklife/eldercare.cfm. FLO’s contacton eldercare, Naomi Ritchie,can be reached [email protected]. ■

The author is deputy editor ofState Magazine.

Trudie Thompson, left, and Isabelle Zsoldoschat at the end of a recent eldercare supportgroup meeting.


This month, State Magazine has a

safety focus with stories on safe

driving, how homes abroad are

made safer and what the Domestic

Environmental Safety Division

and the Safety Health and

Environmental Management

Division do to protect employee

safety and health. To show safety

in practice, a consular facility and

a warehouse each reveal their

secrets. Together, the stories show

how we are moving toward a...

26 | STATE MAGAZINE | JUNE 200826 | STATE MAGAZINE | JUNE 2008

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Did you know that there are peopleworking every day to ensure thatDepartment employees leave work in thesame condition as at the beginning of thework day? The Domestic EnvironmentalSafety Division and the Safety Health andEnvironmental Management Division workto protect the safety and health of domesticand overseas employees, respectively.

Domestic facilities and overseas posts arediverse, and all have safety, health and envi-ronmental challenges. Despite thegeographical and cultural differencesbetween domestic and overseas posts, theunderlying philosophy and goals of thesafety, health and environmental programs

are similar. DESD and SHEM work toprovide a safe and healthy working environ-ment for employees, and to protect theenvironment, by minimizing risk.

On April 29, the Department had 57,340employees: 11,467 Foreign Service, 8,784Civil Service and 37,089 Foreign Servicenationals. Of these, 78 percent (44,902) areoverseas and 22 percent (12,438) aredomestic.

So how do two small divisions protect allthese employees? The answer is in a linefrom an old Beatles song, “with a little helpfrom our friends.”

One of our friends is the designatedagency safety and health official that each

federal agency is required by law to have.The Department’s DASHO is Dr. LaurenceBrown, the medical director, who overseesthe DASHO’s Operations Office. This officeformulates Department policy and providesguidance on employee occupational healthand safety issues. It also plans andimplements procedures for nuclear, biolog-ical and chemical countermeasures and formail and building safety, and coordinatesinterdepartmental actions in this area.

The DASHO’s Operations Office isheaded by Dr. John Keyes. DESD andSHEM work with the DASHO on issues thatmay affect the entire Department. A goodexample is the action memorandum that is

SAFETY OFFICES GET A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR FRIENDS BY DAN HARMAN

Protective Partners

drafted as part of a mishap investigationreport. These memoranda containrecommendations that will change Depart-ment policy and operations, and theDASHO assists with their implementation.The Office of Medical Services also providesthe medical evaluations required for someaspects of safety, such as hearing and respi-ratory protection.

Many overseas employees spend sometime working in the United States, oftenwhen first hired. This provides advantagesfor meeting some safety needs. For example,during their orientation training, newlyhired Bureau of Diplomatic Securitycouriers and agents receive hearing-protection training from SHEM and DESD,and baseline audiometric testing from MEDwhile in the Washington, D.C., area. Theseprotections are required because of theemployees’ occupational exposure to exces-sive noise.

Another friend of SHEM and DESD isthe collateral-duty safety and health officerat each overseas and domestic post.Overseas, they are known as postoccupational safety and health officers.Domestically, this responsibility is carriedout by individuals such as general services

officers, facility managers and workplacesupervisors. DESD and SHEM rely oncollateral-duty employees to address routinesafety and health issues, and they contactDESD and SHEM for support when needed.

DESD and SHEM also have some inani-mate friends—all of those helpful programguidance documents. The documents definehow DESD and SHEM conduct operationsto ensure the safety and health ofemployees, family members, visitors andcontractors. DESD and SHEM alsofrequently use another inanimate friend tocommunicate safety and health informationworldwide—the Internet. Visit theirIntranet sites and you will find a wealth ofinformation. Information is also availablein DESD and SHEM brochures and trainingmaterials.

DESD and SHEM rely on you to alertthem to unrecognized safety, health andenvironmental concerns. If you believe thata safety, health or environmental concernexists, report it to your local safety andhealth officer or to DESD or SHEM.

The author is a certified industrial hygienistwith the Safety, Health and EnvironmentalManagement Division.

Below: Program analyst Felecia Scott, left, meets with David Needham.Opposite page: Dr. John Keyes heads the DASHO’s Operations Office

JUNE 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 27JUNE 2008 | STATE MAGAZINE | 27


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The State Annex-7B warehouse inSpringfield, Va., has been reorganized intoa more efficient and safer facility.

The warehouse processes items orderedfor overseas posts. In the past, pallets ofmaterials accumulated, making it difficultfor forklifts and pedestrians to movearound safely. Employees inspecting ship-ments had to climb over or around thestacks. The excess storage also blocked exitpaths and emergency eyewash stations.

Now, all the aisles are clear and pathsare marked for pedestrians and forklifts.

It was a team effort to streamlineinspection and shipping procedures,according to David Fisher, warehousemanager. The team, which includes Fisher,

Allen Naylor, Ervin Smith and DavidCook, envisioned an ideal process flow andthen addressed safety and efficiency issues.

The efforts also saved $36,000,according to Fisher. Moving the small-pouch operation to the warehouseeliminated the need to transfer shipmentsto other Secure Logistics WarehouseBranch warehouses for packing andreduced the average shipment processingtime by three to five workdays, accordingto Fisher. One month after startup of thispacking operation, the warehouse staffshipped 531 flow-through orders in amonth, a record.

Fisher attributes the safety improvementsin part to a DESD-sponsored safety training

program attended by warehouse staff.The safety videos were particularly effective,he said. Following the safety awarenesstraining, the staff had the floors paintedwith bright stripes to mark distinct aislesfor pedestrians and forklifts. DESD itselfadopted a policy requiring the wearing ofsafety shoes by employees in all warehouses,and the team set up a program to ensureroutine servicing of emergency eyewashstations. Furthermore, emergencyevacuation routes are now posted in allof the warehouses.

The author is a certified industrial hygienistin the Domestic Environmental and SafetyDivision.

WAREHOUSE REORGANIZED FOR GREATER SAFETY BY BRIAN PLATZ

Aisles in the warehouse are now clearlymarked for pedestrians and forklifts.

Clear Routes

After two years of working to developand implement a comprehensiveworkplace environmental health and safetymanagement system, the KentuckyConsular Center in Williamsburg hasreceived the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration’s Star award for itsaccomplishment. Of the approximately110,000 worksites in Kentucky, only 16have achieved Star status, and only 1,944worksites nationally, public or private,have it.

The KCC, the first Department of Statefacility to obtain this designation, beganworking toward Star status by adopting acomprehensive and rigorous safety andhealth management system tailored to its

needs. It also needed a cooperative, action-oriented approach where managers,employees and OSHA jointly combatworkplace hazards and reduce injuries andillnesses.

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programrecognizes workplaces’ safety and healthmanagement systems and promotes themas models. Acceptance into the VPP recog-nizes the employers and employees whohave achieved exemplary occupationalsafety and health management practices,and Star status is the highest VPP honor.

The author is a certified industrial hygienistin the Domestic Environmental and SafetyDivision

KENTUCKY CONSULAR CENTER EARNS SAFETY AWARDBY JULIE SOBELMAN


Officials at the Kentucky Consular Center unfurlthe banner proclaiming their success.

Star Player


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From Apia to Zagreb, the Department ofState provides safe homes worldwide forForeign Service officers and their families.Considering the variety in construction anddesign, and the differences in buildingcodes or lack thereof, providing residentialsafety is a significant challenge for the Divi-sion of Safety, Health and EnvironmentalManagement.

World housing styles are as varied as thecountries where they are located, but themore serious residential safety and healthrisks are common to most posts. Forinstance, improperly installed, operated orvented gas- and other combustion-based

appliances such as water heaters canproduce deadly carbon monoxide.Deficient railings or steep stairs increasethe risk of a serious injury from a fall, themost frequent type of residential mishap.Injuries and severe lacerations haveoccurred when occupants collided withplate glass windows and shower doors thatwere not made of safety glass or coveredwith protective film. A residentialswimming pool requires maintenance withchemical disinfectants and, when notenclosed with a barrier, poses a high risk ofdrowning for toddlers.

Mixing American lifestyles with local

housing can also produce safety hazards.Locations with 220-volt power requiretransformers for their occupants to usepersonal electronics. It’s not uncommon forthe electrical capacity to be too low tohandle the demands of such appliances asair conditioners, computers, microwaveovens or hairdryers.

Occupants of overseas housing can inad-vertently increase their risks by simpleactions, such as failing to clean the lint trapon the clothes dryer, locating a child’s bednext to a low window or allowing pests toenter and then demanding pesticide treat-ments. Occupants may also unwittingly

OVERSEAS HOUSING GETS CLOSE ATTENTION BY CLAIRE HUSON

Home Safe Home

endanger their post’s maintenance staff byrequiring workers to remove their shoeswhen working indoors or not allowing thepower to be shut off during electrical work.

Families move every few years and areintroduced to yet another home with newfeatures, layout and quirks. So it is notsurprising that, as in the United States,many accidents occur in the home, someserious. One woman died from pesticideapplied in the closet of her Cairoapartment to kill clothes moths. Until afew years ago, audiences at Security Over-seas Seminars almost always included atleast one person who had served at a postwhere a toddler drowned in a postswimming pool.

SHEM’s comparison of mishaps in over-seas residences to those in the United Stateswas eye-opening and showed that overseashousing had to be made safer. So, SHEMdeveloped special-emphasis programs.Partnering with post occupational safetyand health officers and several Bureau ofOverseas Buildings Operations divisions,SHEM used a number of strategies, whichinclude the following:

• Ensuring that swimming pools aresurrounded by a barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates to preventyoung children from gaining unsuper-vised access.

• Using integrated pest management to

eliminate the conditions that invitepests and, when appropriate, cautiouslyusing authorized pesticides.

• Installing carbon monoxide alarms inresidences that have fuel-burning appli-ances.

To prevent the rise of new serioushazards, POSHOs now certify prospectiveresidences before they can be acquired orleased. This is particularly importantbecause most housing is leased on a short-term basis, which limits the spending ofgovernment funds to correct hazards. Postsmust negotiate with landlords toimplement safety improvements, often adaunting challenge. SHEM also continuallyupdates its Residential Safety, Health, andFire Prevention Awareness Checklist, whichis used by POSHOs, housing committeesand facilities managers to identify hazardsin residences.

The improvements have been dramatic.Since the implementation of these changes,there have been no additional deaths fromcarbon monoxide, pesticide misapplica-tions or toddlers drowning, just near missesand close calls. The overseas housing poolis dynamic, and continuing vigilanceremains a SHEM priority.

The author is a certified industrial hygienistwith the Safety, Health and EnvironmentalManagement Division.

Above: A child demonstrates a guard installed over a risky railing at a Foreign Service officer’s resi-dence. Opposite page: Dennis Dubugras, a POSHO assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil,inspects propane tanks at a residence in Costa Rica as part of a training course.



Think of a significant safety or healthrisk that most people are exposed to everyday. Do motor vehicles come to mind?

The overseas motor vehicle fatality ratefor Department of State and tenant agencyvehicles on official business is more than 20times the U.S. rate. Eighty-two percent ofall reported accidental deaths overseasbetween 2000 and 2007 were motor-

vehicle-related. U.S. residents don’t escapethe risk. Although the risk here is lower, in2002 motor vehicle crashes were theleading cause of death for those ages 3through 33.

Who are the victims of overseas motorvehicle accidents? Between 2005 and 2007,pedestrians accounted for 53 percent of allfatalities involving official-use vehicles. The

driver involved in a fatal pedestrian mishapcan experience a range of distressingemotions long after the accident. Poorlighting, dark clothing, pedestrians’ lack ofroad hazard awareness and the lack ofdriver adjustments for pedestrians aresome of the factors in pedestrian deaths. Ofthe remaining fatalities, vehicle occupantsaccounted for 29 percent and cyclists for18 percent.

The DriversWho are the drivers in these fatal

mishaps? Forty-two percent of fatalmishaps involve chauffeurs, and 58 percentinvolve self-drivers, half of them American

OVERSEAS DRIVING POSES RISK BY DAN HARMAN


Buckle Up

Participants in a driver training coursein Manila gather for a photo.

Overseas driving conditions varyfrom conditions similar to thosein the United States to roads thatare almost nonexistent. P

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employees. Of the total, 57 percent workedfor the Department and 43 percent forother agencies.

Overseas driving conditions vary fromconditions similar to those in the UnitedStates to roads that are almost nonexistent.Inadequate road design and construction,weak or nonexistent traffic enforcementand aggressive host-country drivers allincrease the risk of driving. To reduce therisk, drivers can modify their behavior.Investigations show that excessive speed,poor decision-making, inattention tohazardous situations, failure to scan theroadway ahead and fatigue are somedriver-related accident causes.

Many overseas regions do not havehighly developed emergency responsesystems or advanced trauma centers. TheWorld Health Organization reports that, asdeveloping countries increase vehicle use,traffic injuries are expected to become thethird-leading cause of death and disabilityworldwide by 2020.

In response to the vehicle fatality ratesand WHO’s projection, the Division ofSafety, Health and EnvironmentalManagement initiated a Safe DrivingTrain-the-Trainer course in 2005. Thiseffort aims to improve driver behavior,reducing overseas fatality rates. It consistsof in-vehicle training and focuses on keybehaviors.

The safest vehicle in the world can stillbe in a severe mishap, one causing seriousinjury or death. Seat belts are the primarysafety device to prevent severe injury ordeath in a motor vehicle mishap, and theDepartment requires all occupants of offi-cial vehicles and occupants of personalvehicles on official business to wear seatbelts. But driving behavior is the bestprotection. Don’t take the chance—drivedefensively and always wear a seat belt. ■

The author is a certified industrial hygien-ist with the Safety, Health andEnvironmental Management Division.

A special concern in developing nationsis bicyclists in traffic.

Glittering Jewel of the Korean PeninsulaBY ANDREW AND ERIN WEBSTER-MAIN

Seoul


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Capital>>> Seoul

Total area>>> 98,480 square kilometers

Approximate size>>> Slightly larger thanIndiana

Government>>> Republic

Independence>>> August 15, 1945(from Japan)

Population>>> 49.2 million

Life expectancy at birth>>> 77.4 years

Languages>>> Korean and English

Currency>>> South Korean won (KRW)

Per capita income>>> $24,600

Unemployment rate>>> 3.2 percent

Import commodities>>> Machinery, electronicequipment and oil

Export commodities>>> Semiconductors,telecommunicationsequipment andmotor vehicles

Internet country code>>> .kr


AT A GLANCESouth Korea

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or the last 50 years, theRepublic of Korea has been hard atwork reinventing itself. The KoreanWar left the country shattered andimpoverished; half a century later,South Korea boasts the world’s 13th-largest economy.

South Korea plays a pivotal role inregional and global affairs. What wasonce called the land of the morningcalm is now a buzzing hub of techno-logical innovation.

Seoul, the glittering jewel of thepeninsula and a monument to theROK’s phenomenal transformation, sitsat the center of an urban area that ishome to nearly 23 million people—almost half of the population of SouthKorea—and to excellent universities,acres of gorgeous parkland, a world-class national museum, a thriving artscommunity and one of the cleanest andmost efficient public transportationsystems on the planet.

Cultures brush up against eachother every day in the capital. TheLotte department store sends apolished, all-female bagpipe band tolocal parades and events. In theItaewon district, epicureans can findexcellent Lebanese, Greek, Belgian,Bulgarian and French cuisine—on thesame block. The city’s ultramodernlandscape, punctuated with beautifulreminders of Korea’s past, reverberateswith activity day and night.

South Koreans are affluent andurbane, with average annual wages ofmore than $20,000. More then 90percent of all households in Seoul havebroadband Internet access. And whileliteracy rates were as low as 22 percentafter the end of Japanese occupation in1945, today 97 percent of South Koreanyouth complete high school, the highestpercentage in the world. Moreover,most of these students go on to college,many in the United States. This year,more than 100,000 Korean students—more than from any other nation—arestudying in the United States. Coupledwith Korea’s democratization in the

1980s and 1990s, these developmentshave enabled Korean youth to play anactive and informed role in civil societythat would have been impossible fortheir parents and grandparents.

Young people were a major votingforce in December’s presidentialelection when Koreans decisivelyelected Lee Myung-bak, a manaffectionately known as “the bulldozer,”to be the nation’s fifth democraticallyelected president. Korean newspapershave lauded Lee’s legendary energy; heapparently told business andgovernment leaders they could contacthim any time except from 1 to 4 a.m.,when he sleeps.

The U.S. MissionThe United States and the ROK

have had a formal relationship for 125years—since the ratification of theTreaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce andNavigation in 1883. But thepartnership that emerged from thatagreement, based exclusively on tradeand protection, bears littleresemblance to today’smultidimensional relationship.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul is hometo more than 560 employees workingfor 15 governmental departments,agencies and bureaus. Employeesriding home on the embassy shuttlemay one day find themselves chattingwith a Foreign Agricultural Serviceofficer working to open South Korea’smarket to American beef and the nextday discussing Korean membership inthe Secure Freight Initiative with aDepartment of Homeland Securityrepresentative.

Averaging nearly a half millionnonimmigrant visas per year, theembassy is the largest visa-issuing postin the world; the consular sectionalone boasts 115 employees. TheAmerican Presence Post in Busan,which opened in October as the firstsuch post established under the Trans-formational Diplomacy Initiative, is animportant mission component.


Clockwise from above: TheInsadong district of Seoul is repletewith art galleries and artisans’ shops;Secretary Condoleezza Rice greetsembassy staff members during hervisit to Seoul in February; The Buddhastatue at Beopju Temple is gold-plat-ed bronze and stands 33 meters tall;Changdeokgung Palace in centralSeoul contains beautiful examples oftraditional Korean architecture.


Clockwise from above:Noryangjin, Seoul’s largest fishmarket, is seen from above;The Han River flows throughSeoul; Lanterns adorn a templeat the foot of Bukhansan, ahiker’s paradise not far fromcentral Seoul; Embassy staffersenjoy a night of shopping atDongdaemun Market, which isoften called the largest whole-sale shopping district in theworld with more than 30,000stores and 50,000 manufactur-ing companies; The TripitakaKoreana, Buddhist sutras carvedinto 81,340 wooden tablets,remains remarkably well-pre-served in Haeinsa’s naturallyventilated setting.


The United States and the ROK havecooperated closely to ensure peace andsecurity on the Korean Peninsula since1953. Now the relationship promises toevolve further. Under an agreementreached in 2007, the ROK will assumewartime operational control of itstroops in 2012. Moreover, the U.S. mili-tary—currently about 28,500 strong onthe peninsula—is realigning its presencefrom numerous smaller basesthroughout South Korea to three centralhubs. As part of this process, U.S.Forces–Korea will vacate YongsanGarrison—where embassy staff residein a lovely enclave built as officers’housing—and return the property tothe city. Although some of this landmay eventually be dedicated to theconstruction of a new U.S. Embassycompound, plans are in the works toconvert most of it into what would bethe largest urban park in Asia.

The past decade saw the United Statesand ROK become increasingly closeregional and global partners. Koreanand U.S. troops serve together in Iraq,and the two countries are collaboratingin the Six-Party Talks to eliminate theNorth Korean nuclear threat. Theprocess has yielded significant gains:North Korea is disabling its nuclearreactor at Yongbyon, and in return theUnited States, China, Japan, SouthKorea and Russia have provided energyand humanitarian assistance.

South Korea’s economic relationshipwith the United States has becomeincreasingly close. The United States isSouth Korea’s second-largest tradingpartner and largest investment partner,while the ROK is the U.S.’s seventh-largest trading partner and exportmarket. A year ago, the United Statesand ROK signed the Korea-U.S. FreeTrade Agreement, which will open upbillions of dollars in new export andinvestment opportunities for U.S. busi-nesses and workers. The agreement willrequire ratification by Congress andKorea’s National Assembly, but bothgovernments believe the economic andstrategic arguments for the agreementwill win the support of a majority oflegislators in both countries.

ROK-U.S. ties will deepen if SouthKorea enters the Visa Waiver Program.President Bush’s signature on theHomeland Security Bill in August

opened the door for the ROK’s partici-pation in the program. Once the Koreangovernment implements certainsecurity enhancements and beginsissuing e-passports, and the UnitedStates meets certain requirements,Korean citizens may be able to travelvisa-free to the United States fortourism and business visits of up to90 days.

Embassy LifeDespite the mission’s heavy workload,

embassy staff reserve plenty of time forfun. In a country that celebrates theraucous art of noraebang (Koreankaraoke), it is little wonder the embassycommunity is remarkably musical.Ambassador Alexander Vershbow regu-larly entertains crowds with hisdrumming skills and even accompaniedthe Nunchuks—a ragtag band ofForeign Service officers known more fortheir comedic exuberance than theirmusical competence—on a JamesBrown tune. The Seoul Singers, a choirgroup until recently directed by thegeneral services officer, are renownedthroughout Seoul.

Getting out and about in SouthKorea is easy. Koreans are avid hikers,and a weekend ramble in the mountainssurrounding Seoul is an excellent way tomake friends and discover naturalwonders. The embassy’s intimaterelationship with U.S. Forces–Koreaprovides staff with countless activities,including trips to the DemilitarizedZone and skiing excursions. Theembassy’s excellent post languageprogram schedules trips to points ofinterest such as Haeinsa, a temple inSouth Gyeongsang province that housesBuddhist sutras carved in the 13thcentury into 81,340 wooden blocks thatare still remarkably well-preserved.

Koreans have a proverb about faithand perseverance in desperate times: “Ifthe sky falls, there will be a hole to getthrough.” Seoul is a testament to thewisdom of this adage. In a half-century’stime, South Koreans’ hard work andingenuity have brought the countryfrom tragedy to triumph. ■

Andrew Webster-Main was until recentlya staff aide to the ambassador, and ErinWebster-Main was a consular officer atthe U.S. Embassy in Seoul.

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and Israel. Today, all three nations still shoulder their share of the organization’s costs,believing the MFO vital to maintaining the treaty and regional security. In 2005 and2007, the MFO took on additional COU monitoring duties following Israeli withdrawalfrom the Gaza Strip. Clearly, the COU is central to the Multinational Force’s ability tocarry out its mission.

The civilian observers operate throughout the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and within athree-kilometer-wide strip along the border in Israel, performing aerial reconnaissanceand on-the-ground verification to monitor the military limitations in the treaty. Aerialreconnaissance is conducted in Blackhawk helicopters and military fixed-wing aircraft,with the observers directing pilots over recon objectives. On-ground verification missionslast two to four days and use off-road vehicles.

The frequent interaction of observers with liaison officers and senior military officersin both countries allows observers to develop leadership and diplomatic skills. Thesecontacts, together with the integration of the COU into a 1,700-member military force,also provide a unique opportunity for observers to develop a range of useful political-military skills.

Vantage Point“My year as chief of the COU, dealing with Israeli and Egyptian officials and watching

them deal with each other, was a great vantage point to see how the Camp David treaty

Established in 1982 to monitor the 1979peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the MFOis an independent international peacekeepingforce consisting of military troops from 11nations and the 15-member COU, which isstaffed entirely by Americans—roughly half ofwhom are from the Department.

The COU arose from the Sinai Field Missionof 1976, which was established following Israeland Egypt’s agreement to third-partymonitoring, including access to key strategicareas and reconnaissance flights in the Sinai.The Camp David Accords followed in 1978 andthe peace treaty in 1979.

Vital RoleTo ensure the treaty’s success, the U.S. led the

effort to create the MFO in 1982, agreeing toprovide military forces and civilian observersand to fund the organization equally with Egypt

OBSERVERS MONITOR TREATY IN THE SINAI BY BROOKE DE MONTLUZIN

Keeping the PeaceBlackhawk helicopters,military fixed-wingaircraft, all-terrain vehiclesand Global PositioningSystem receivers are thetools of the trade of acivilian observer serving inthe Sinai desert. Each year,Department of Stateofficers temporarily leavethe Foreign Service andjoin the Civilian ObserverUnit of the MultinationalForce and Observers toserve on the frontlines ofpeacekeeping anddiplomacy in one of theworld’s most volatile andfascinating regions.

State-seconded ObserverBrooke de Montluzin boardsa UH-60A Blackhawk


actually worked,” said U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Ronald Schlicher.“It was also my first experience in working in a multilateral context,which is useful background for any diplomat.

“Working with my military colleagues was also extremelyvaluable, and indeed cooperation with the Department of Defense isbecoming a central feature of the way the Department needs to dobusiness.”

Another former COU chief, Frank Ricciardone, now U.S. ambas-sador to Egypt, said he gained his first real professional managementand leadership experience while COU chief.

“It was especially moving and illuminating,” he said, “to see how

the Camp David agreement played out on the ground, with soldiersof former bitter enemy states cooperating daily in peace.”

The COU is based at the Multinational Force’s North Camp in thenorthern Sinai. Life there is much like living on a small universitycampus. The camp has a main dining area, library, laundry andathletic facilities, a shop and other entertainment and dining facilities.

Scenic BeautyThe Sinai offers exceptional scenic beauty, particularly its coral

reefs. In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling, there is swimming,sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, rock climbing, trekking, hiking,tennis and golf. The Sinai’s cultural sites include St. Catherine’sMonastery on Mount Sinai.

As an outdoor enthusiast and student of history, AmbassadorRicciardone said he found the Sinai incomparably seductive and adaily adventure.

U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Carol Van Voorst also endorsed theexperience.

“Twenty years ago I spent one of the best years of my life with theMFO in the Sinai,” she said. “It was exciting, great fun and extremelyrewarding professionally. I don’t think I’ve had better on-the-jobleadership training.”

The observers have a rare opportunity to engage hands-on infrontline diplomacy and peacekeeping, get front-row seats to one ofthe most important relationships in the Middle East and gaininsight into the elements needed for future peace in the region.

Foreign Service officers interested in working as a civilianobserver with the MFO should contact Lucia Verrier ([email protected]) or Jill Shaunfield ([email protected]). ■

The author is a civilian observer from the Department serving with theMultinational Force and Observers in the Sinai.

Left: State–seconded ObserversBrooke de Montluzin and IngaHeemink review maps with COUOperations Officer Pete Scheffer priorto a mission. Below: A Beduointribesman and his camels movethrough the Sinai.

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Medical

Have you returned from an unaccompanied tour or are youconsidering one? The Unaccompanied Tour Support Group,facilitated by Employee Consultation Services in the Office ofMedical Services, could be an important resource.

The Unaccompanied Tour Support Group is for any U.S.government employee who has served at an unaccompaniedpost. The group meets weekly in the Office of Medical Services inState Annex 1 at Columbia Plaza.

Unaccompanied tours are a fact of life for more and moreForeign Service employees. MED cares about their health—notonly while at post, but also when they return from these difficultand stressful tours.

Four U.S. missions currently have posts where tours are classi-fied as unaccompanied by any family members. Usually, thesetours are for only 12 months, which means an increasing numberof employees will experience one. At least 3,000 Departmentemployees have served on an unaccompanied tour.

The support group arose from MED’s involvement in a taskforce in 2007. MED saw the need to provide a protected time andplace for employees to review the intense experience andemotions related to serving in an unaccompanied tour.Employees identified a need to connect with other peopleadjusting to re-entry into the U.S.

ECS provided a venue and privacy to launch the group as apilot program last fall. The support group is now a vital, activegroup that meets regularly.

Employees face multiple readjustments when returning tomore traditional diplomatic postings. MED’s mission “tosafeguard and promote the health and well being of America’sdiplomatic community” means paying special attention to thehealth risks that unaccompanied tours pose. The risks rangefrom mental and physical stress to more frequent and moreintense family and relationship problems.

The support group provides a private, confidential setting foremployees to work through adjustment issues and find

emotional relief from the issues or problems they would like towork on. The level of each attendee’s participation depends onhis or her personal goals. Group members can share as much oras little as they like. Some talk and share, while others just listenand reflect.

Topics discussed in the group relate to personal, family orwork issues. Group members may share their unaccompaniedtour experiences and discuss issues arising from readjusting tolife in the United States.

All employees who have been on an unaccompanied tour arewelcome, as is anyone assigned to go on an unaccompanied tour.The meeting is facilitated by ECS’s licensed clinical socialworkers, Ellen Millner or Dr. Stan Piotroski. Each support groupmeeting lasts 60 to 90 minutes, depending on the needs and sizeof the group that day.

An employee’s membership in the support group andattendance at meetings is not shared with other offices in MED,the Bureau of Diplomatic Security or anyone else. Confidentialityis assured for all, no matter what is discussed or presented.

ECS can provide referrals to other support services inside andoutside the Department for group members who have issues theywould like to address in a more individualized way. Referrals canalso be provided if an employee has health problems that are toobroad or complex to be handled in the support group setting.One resource, for example, is the Family Liaison Office’s supportservices for family members of unaccompanied tour employees.

The Washington Unaccompanied Tour Support Group hasinspired formation of other support groups at posts where thereare employees who came from unaccompanied tour posts.

If you have questions about whether to join the supportgroup, or would like more details, contact ECS at 202-663-1815or at [email protected]. ■

The author is deputy director of MED’s Foreign Service HealthPractitioner Program.

MED HELPS EMPLOYEES READJUSTAFTER UNACCOMPANIED TOURSBY JENNIFER L. GRISE

THELONELIESTNUMBER


LearnStudent Records Available Online!

Need your class schedule or an unofficial transcript of trainingtaken through the Foreign Service Institute? Visit the FSI Registrar’sOffice Web page on the Department of State OpenNet athttp://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg.

Islam in Iraq: Religion, Society and PoliticsThe School of Professional and Area Studies has developed a new

course that is important for everyone who will work in or on Iraq.Following a brief explanation of aspects of Islam and Islamic historyin general, the course focuses on the relevant contemporaryreligious landscape of Iraq. This course will be directed by one ofthe world’s leading experts on modern Iraq with guest speakersincluding those who have worked with religious and other leaders inIraq. For further information on the content of this course, contactSPAS at http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/spas/default.asp?ID=1551.

PT250 Leading in a High-Stress PostLeading effectively in a high-stress situation requires self-

awareness coupled with specialized knowledge and skills. Thisone-day course will cover challenges of living and working in ahigh-stress situation; stress management techniques; self-management/regulation; and tools for handling challengingsituations. You will hear how to create a healthy work environmentfrom a panel of colleagues who have successfully served in high-stress posts. A course book with relevant information and resourceswill be provided. For additional information, contact the LeadershipTraining Division at [email protected]. or visit the FSI Iraq ResourcesWeb page at http://fsi.state.gov/languages/iraqis/default.asp.

Distance LearningLearn at your own pace, when and where you want! FasTrac

Distance Learning Program is available to all State Departmentemployees, FSNs and EFMs. With your FasTrac password, you mayaccess the entire catalog of more than 3,500 courses, from home oroffice. To view the complete catalog, visit the FasTrac Web site athttp://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

An extensive menu of FSI-developed distance learning courses isalso available to eligible participants on the FSI LearnCenter. Formore information, visit the FSI Web site at http://fsi.state.gov andclick on “Distance Learning.”

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 July August Length

MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar 14,28 11,25 2D

MQ912 Advanced SecurityOverseas Seminar 22 5 1D

MQ914 Youth SecurityOverseas Seminar 1,15,22,29 12 1D

Foreign Service Life Skills July August Length

MQ110 Deputy Chief of Mission Spouse 14 11 3D

MQ115 Explaining America 19 1D

MQ116 Protocol and the U.S.Representation Abroad 12 2 1D

MQ250 Young Diplomats Day 14,28 11 1D

MQ703 Post Options for Employmentand Training 19 1D

MQ802 Communicating Across Cultures 9 1D

MQ803 Realities of Foreign Service Life 16 1D

MQ950 High Stress AssignmentOutbriefing Program 11,18 8,29 2H

Career Transition Center July August Length

RV101 Retirement Planning Seminar 28 4D

RV102 Job Search Program 4 8W

RV103 Financial Management andEstate Planning 29 1D

RV104 Annuities, Benefits andSocial Security 30 1D

U.S. Ambassador to KuwaitDeborah K. Jones of New Mexico, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the State of Kuwait.Previously, she was principal officer inIstanbul. Her other overseas assignmentsinclude Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa,Baghdad, Buenos Aires and Damascus.She is a graduate of the National WarCollege. She is married to ForeignService officer Richard G. Olson and hastwo daughters.

U.S. Permanent Representativeto the Organization ofAmerican StatesHector E. Morales of Texas, abusinessman and lawyer, is the new U.S.Permanent Representative to the Organi-zation of American States. He is also amember of the board of directors of theInter-American Foundation, whichworks to promote grassrootsdevelopment in Latin America and theCaribbean. Previously, he was U.S. exec-utive director of the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank. He has nearly 20years of experience in U.S. commerce inthe Americas.

U.S. Ambassador to BangladeshJames F. Moriarty of Massachusetts, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to the People’sRepublic of Bangladesh. Previously, hewas ambassador to Nepal. Before that, hewas senior director at the National Secu-rity Council, responsible for East Asiaand the Pacific region. His other overseaspostings include Beijing, Taipei,Pakistan, Swaziland and Morocco. He ismarried to retired Foreign Service officerLauren Moriarty and has two children.

U.S. Ambassador to EgyptMargaret Scobey of Tennessee, a careermember of the Senior Foreign Service,class of Minister-Counselor, is the newU.S. Ambassador to the Arab Republic ofEgypt. Previously, she was ambassador toSyria and then political counselor inBaghdad. She served as deputy chief ofmission in Riyadh and Sanaa. Her otheroverseas postings include Jerusalem,Kuwait, Pakistan and Peru. She alsoserved as director of Arabian PeninsulaAffairs.

Aguero, Juan A.Aronson, Diane S.Daniels, Helen JuneEstep, Pearlie L.

Glasberg, Deborah M.Richardson, Muriel D.Stalnaker, Ronald L.

Barge, John M.Brennan, Thomas J.Perreault, Robert R.

retirements


Appointments

Foreign Service Civil Service

Maurice “Moe”Stephen Blais, 66, a retiredCivil Service senior inspector in the Officeof the Inspector General, died March 25 inPawley’s Island, S.C. He began his careerin the General Accounting Office in

Boston, moving to Honolulu and then Washington, D.C. Hejoined the Department in 1988 and retired in 1997.

Harriett HathawayFitch Fitzgerald, 92, widow ofForeign Service officer John FrancisFitzgerald, died March 21 in Washington,D.C. She accompanied her husband onpostings to Medellin, Tijuana, Bilbao,

Tunis, Valletta, Brussels, Cairo and Buenos Aires during his1942–71 tenure with the Department.

Leon Reuben Fortune,86, a retired career military officer andDepartment employee, died April 16 inBrandon, Miss. He served in the Army AirForce during World War II and retiredfrom the Air Force in 1962. He later

worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development inKabul and for USAID and the U.S. Embassy in Lagos. He retiredto Brandon in 1982.

Marjorie Godby Gist, 101, widow of ForeignService officer Justie Ervin Gist, died Feb. 23 in Des Moines, Iowa.She accompanied her husband on overseas postings to Warsaw,Cairo, Tel Aviv, Tangier, Paris, Abidjan and Sofia. After his retire-ment in 1965, they lived in New York City, Green Forest, Ark., andDes Moines.

Anne Jeanne Gurvin,75, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedMarch 4 in the Washington, D.C., area.She joined the U.S. Information Agency in1966 and served in Montevideo, BuenosAires, Stockholm, The Hague and Lima.

After retiring in 1996, she fostered linkages among institutions,leaders and donors. She participated in breast cancer actiongroups and enjoyed reading, opera, dramatic arts and travel.

Harold Eugene Horan, 80, a retired ForeignService officer, died March 12 following a stroke in Washington,D.C. He served in the Army during World War II and joined theDepartment in 1960. He served in Iran, Italy, Mali, Liberia andMalawi, where he was ambassador. After retiring in 1981, he was aconsultant to the Department on African affairs and deputydirector of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy atGeorgetown University. He worked with early Alzheimer’spatients.

Kathleen “Katie”Powers Hough, 34, wife ofForeign Service officer Shane Hough, diedFeb. 9 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where shewas the community liaison officer. Earlier,she had worked for the bureaus of

Consular Affairs, Non-Proliferation and European Affairs.

Kamal K. Kadirov, 58, aForeign Service National employee at theU.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, diedApril 7 in Baku. He joined the embassy asa chauffeur in 1993 and since 1997 hadbeen the ambassador’s chauffeur. He

enjoyed fishing and playing chess.


Wally Keiderling, 77, aretired Foreign Service officer, died April 9in Cochabamba, Bolivia, of complicationsfrom a stroke and arteriosclerosis. Hejoined the U.S. Information Agency in1962 and served overseas in Bolivia, the

Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador, Portugal, Brazil andColombia. After retiring in 1992, he traveled extensively andbetween trips played his balalaika, acquired cattle and tended hismountainside garden in Cochabamba.

Barbara A. LaBrie, 63, aretired Civil Service employee, died March15 of a heart attack. After working for theCentral Intelligence Agency in Europe, shespent 33 years with the Department—thelast 19 in the Office of Overseas Schools.

She also worked in several other bureaus and was a general servicesofficer in Georgetown, Guyana. She was an avid supporter of theNational Domestic Violence Hotline and several museums andcultural organizations.

Joseph E. O’Mahoney, 82,a retired Foreign Service officer, died Nov.26 in Bethesda, Md., after a long illness. Heserved in the Army during World War II.He joined the Department in 1952 and theForeign Service in 1956. He served in

Seoul, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Santiago and Port of Spain. Heretired in 1988.

David Newsom, 90, a retired Foreign Service officer,died March 30 in Charlottesville, Va. He joined the Department in1947 and was ambassador to Libya, Indonesia and the Philippines.He was assistant secretary for African affairs and retired as undersecretary for political affairs in 1981. He then served as director ofthe Institute of Diplomacy at Georgetown and professor of inter-national affairs at the University of Virginia.

Wendell A. Pike, 86, a retired Foreign Service officer,died Jan. 25 in Sequim, Wash. He served as a pilot in the Navyduring World War II. He joined the Department in 1950 andretired in 1973.

I. Lee Sanders, 75, a retiredForeign Service officer, died Feb. 20 inSeattle, Wash., of lung cancer. He served inthe Army before joining the Departmentin 1959. His overseas assignmentsincluded Romania, Uruguay and Spain.

After retiring, he became an avid equestrian.

Richard CharlesSchoonover, 70, a retired ForeignService officer, died of cancer March 12in Chapel Hill, N.C. He joined the U.S.Information Agency in 1964 and servedin Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Tunisia,

the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Belgium. After retiring, he accompanied his wife Brenda on her tour as U.S. ambassadorto Togo. He was co-chair of the Carolina Friends of theForeign Service and on the board of the online magazineAmerican Diplomacy. He was a chef and an avid golfer whoenjoyed playing challenging courses throughout the world.

Billie A. Wilds, 65, a retiredstaff assistant in the Office of MedicalServices, died Feb. 11 at her home in St.Petersburg, Fla., after a long illness. Shejoined the Department in 1966 and retiredin 1996. She and her husband Bill were

avid boating enthusiasts.


Obituaries


Throughout 2005 and much of 2006, U.S.media were ablaze with alarming reports onavian influenza, especially a particularly nastyvirus that potentially could jump species andattack humans. A worldwide pandemic couldkill millions, the reports claimed, and theDepartment prepared accordingly by formingthe Avian Influenza Action Group (“Comingto America”, State Magazine, June 2006).

While the pandemic never arrived, avianinfluenza still lurks in more than 60countries, and experts say it is only a matter

of time before a mutated form of the virusstrikes humans. With that soberingprediction in mind, the Department’s 18-member “flu crew” remains vigilant,coordinating and implementing internationalcontainment and preparation strategies inmore than 100 countries.

These diplomatic tools definitely falloutside the pale—Blackhawk helicopters,military fixed-wing aircraft and Global Posi-tioning System receivers. But they areinvaluable to the Foreign Service officers whoserve on the Civilian Observer Unit of theMultinational Force and Observers, an inde-pendent international peacekeeping forceestablished to monitor the 1979 peace treatybetween Egypt and Israel. The force consistsof military troops from 11 nations and the15-member COU, roughly half of whom arefrom the Department. Civilian observersoperate throughout the Sinai Peninsula inEgypt and within a three-kilometer-widestrip along the border in Israel.

Program veterans rave about the opportu-nity to develop their leadership anddiplomatic skills while providing invaluablepeacekeeping service in one of the world’smost volatile regions.

When the United States, China and theDemocratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea(North Korea) ended open hostilities with an

armistice in July 1953, the Korean peninsulawas devastated. Half a century later, theRepublic of Korea—South Korea—stands tallas the world’s 13th largest economy and as aleader in regional and global affairs. Whatwas once a shattered and impoverishedmoonscape is now a buzzing center of tech-nological innovation. Responsible formanaging U.S. relations with this urbane andaffluent country, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul ishome to more than 560 colleagues workingfor 15 government departments, agencies andbureaus. The consular section alone processesalmost a half million visas a year, making itthe largest visa-issuing post in the world.

Last but never least, a final salute to ourcolleagues en route to their final posting:Maurice “Moe” Stephen Blais; Harriett Hath-away Fitch Fitzgerald; Leon Reuben Fortune;Marjorie Godby Gist; Anne Jeanne Gurvin;Harold Eugene Horan; Kathleen “Katie”Powers Hough; Kamal K. Kadirov; WallyKeiderling; Barbara A. LaBrie; Joseph E.O’Mahoney; David Newsom; Wendell A. Pike;I. Lee Sanders; Richard Charles Schoonover;and Billie A. Wilds. ■

Coming in July/August• Attrition at State—Crunching the Numbers • Foreign Affairs Day 2008

• Arabic Discussion Group Speaks Up ... and much more!

A Matter of Time

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

THE LASTWORD

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