I’d love to get your insights on war zone diplomacy. Foreign Service Officers caught a lot of flack last year for not being ready enough to volunteer in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to fully staff both Embassies every year without resorting to any forced assignments. FSOs are highly compensated for serving in these countries, receiving 35% hardship differential, 35% danger pay and 20% compensation for having to work long hours in a national emergency situation. That totals up to receiving an extra 90% of salary. Furthermore, there are paid Rest and Relaxation (R&R;) trips, free housing, and all of the other perks that Foreign Service Officers frequently get.
That being said, most Foreign Service Officers who go say they’re doing it to serve their country. Surely some are just trying to look noble, but I believe that that truly is the motivation for the majority of officers who leave their families and risk their lives in service of the republic.
Question
Those of you who have, why did you go to Iraq or Afghanistan? Those haven’t, would you? Why or why not?
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I would but not enough positions are open to ELOs so they end up sending mid levels with families. They should open them up to 2nd tour ELOs and improve the training. It’s better than being stuck on the visa line in Mexico.
I’m an aspiring FSO who has the Oral Assessment in May. Guy in his mid 20s with a strong sense of service to this country, no wife, no kids, no girlfriend, experience in the great outdoors in various conditions, (experience with firearms, so not new or really afraid of that very possible element) and strongly considering the Army if I don’t pass the OA. I would not hesitate to go to Iraq, or Afghanistan. It’s better to go now when I’m still healthy and not tied down with loved ones yet. It’s where FSOs are needed and both are countries that have fascinated me for years.
I also am an aspiring FSO. I would LOVE to serve in Iraq or afganistan - partially out of genuine fascination with the region, partly to serve our country and partly to serve the people of their country. Two things would hold me back from volunteering: first, that I’ve heard that the restrictions placed on FSOs, especially in Iraq, makes it hard to actually do anything substantive or useful. But mostly because I have two young kids (they’re 3 and 1). It’s impossible, as a parent, to look at two little kids and think “Okay, which year of their lives am I going to miss? When they’re two and four? four and Six? What experiences can they most handle not having their mama there for? And if I (God forbid) didn’t come home, would they even remember who I was?” It’s not rational, which makes it hard to talk myself around from.
I’m a soon to be FSO - I’m starting training at FSI in May. I’ve heard they are doubling the diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan and I am more than willing to go. I have a friend who has lived in Kabul for the last year working with Save the Children without any kind of protection and has done just fine. I chat with soldier friends on Facebook who are in Baghdad. Although the words of Iraq and Afghanistan conjure up images of war - day to day life can be very different. Plus, since they are war zones, security is alert and more ready for disruption than in places they may be the next unknown hot spot.
It would surely be an interesting tour for any cone - but for someone in the political cone I think there are few better places to be right now.
Also an aspiring FSO… I would not choose to serve in either location, despite my interest in Afghanistan. The simple reason is that my first responsibility in life is to my wife (and eventual children). Volunteering to put myself in harm’s way or live apart from my wife for an extended period would be to sacrifice what I love the most for something else. Not that I don’t love my country, but family has to come first in my life.
So no, I would not volunteer for a post in a war zone. On the other hand, if State requested that I serve there and had valid reasons why MY service was needed, I would need to reconsider.
What about you, Hegie? (Can I call you “Hegie?”) Would you serve in Iraq or Afghanistan?
As the wife of an aspiring FSO, we’ve talked about this a lot. I hate the idea of my husband leaving us to serve in a place like this. However, I would support that decision because I love our country and I believe in the mission our FSOs are doing in places like that. It would scare me beyond belief, but it needs to be done and our best people need to be involved. Our three children would know that their daddy is a hero. (Then again, with the restrictions on ELOs it may not be an issue for awhile.)
Well, this looks like the first response from someone actually in Iraq. Like everyone, I have a complex set of motivations.
This is a challenging environment for a number of reasons:
Many FSOs have profound disagreements with the policies that got us here in the first place. (Another blogger has noted that there seem to be no shortage of volunteers for Afghanistan at this point in time.) Whatever one may think of the big picture, making sure that we do our job right is important.
The world is a dangerous place. On the other hand, extensive precautions are in place to protect us from that danger. I’m concerned more by how those precautions limit my professional effectiveness than by the danger.
With that said, the environment impinges more on some cones/specializations than others. For RSOs and Political officers, this may be the cutting edge. For some admin functions - the work may be similar to any Embassy. For my job responsibilities, this is a very challenging environment - in which quite honestly it’s difficult to get anything done.
Likewise many join the Foreign Service to experience different cultures - which is a challenge here.
Several of my colleagues do have school age children; separation is very hard. Personally, I didn’t take any Foreign Service position until my daughter was 18.
Some of my colleagues were pressured to come; some wanted to check the box before getting pressured; some may have been hoping for good onward assignments. My situation is a bit atypical in that I’m not a Foreign Service Officer. I’m a civil servant filling an FS slot - which does mean that if I want to work overseas I have to look at positions that no one else wants (Iraq was high on that list).
It still seems unfair that plenty of ELOs want to go but instead they are sent to do visa duty in some mill, in places that are decently family friendly.
I went and got roughly $600 extra to serve my county. But, I got to do all the cool stuff for free. I’m an intel guy for the AF and was embedded with a counter insurgency platoon team during the surge 2006 - 2007. I was trained and equipped as an infantryman to do tactical-spot on intel. My training continued until the day I left country. It was hard, stressful, sad, scary, thrilling, fun, soul shaking; the most ego and confidence building, get-to-know-yourself time of my life. Plus, I had a baby on the way, which I was fortunate enough to wrap up my tour to be there for his birth.
What I’m getting at is that I served in a extraordinary role for my career field. I even met a few of you guys while I was over there. My decision was made easier because others sacrifice daily. I knew soldiers who had never seen their newborn children. Or who were notified of a divorce, etc. We’re all fighting and we have a job to do.
So it bothers me just a bit to read some of the comments from members of a fund sucking bureaucratic country club. To those who are doing their part, nothing but respect and God speed. Return safely. The others really need to reevaluate exactly what you swore an oath for. Why you worked so hard to ascend to the level you are at today. You work for the government and are beholden to the American people and responsible for their safety. Earn your paycheck and that extra 90% pay.
Jason,
There’s plenty of people willing to go, but also lots of visa stamping jobs that have to be filled and they send people to even if they want to go to Iraq/Afghanistan.
Thank you for your service. I hope that I will have the opportunity to do the same once my tour as visa stamper is finished. Unfortunately, there are few positions open to entry level officers. It’s a shame that there is such a mismatch.
Someone’s willingness to serve specifically in Iraq or Afghanistan does not give a person a leg up in the exam, which looks at the total candidate. We do inform people that they must be willing to serve where needed, and candidates who pass the oral assessment have to agree to be worldwide available.
Entry-level officers (ELOs) are allowed to be stationed in Iraq — we have 10 entry-level officer positions in Iraq. Additionally a number of exceptionally qualified ELOs fill mid-level positions in Iraq as well. Because service in Iraq is a unique experience, Human Resources carefully vets ELOs who express interest in Iraq service. We prefer not to assign first-tour ELOs to Iraq. While Arabic language skills are an asset for consideration, it is not mandatory. We look at the whole candidate, including prior on-the-ground experience in conflict arenas, military experience, or sustained work in critical or high-threat environments.
I hope this answers your questions.
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the above copied in total from the Careers in Foreign Affairs Facebook group (written by a member of State, not me)
I plan on taking the FSOE in October, as does my wife. I’m encouraged to see you look at the whole person and experience for assignment to Iraq. I did two tours there advising the Iraqi Army and would love to go back. I don’t want to see everything we did go to waste.
Jason, stop it. You’re why diplomats roll their eyes at the military. We need to bring everything and everyone to the fight.
I’d want to serve in a conflict area. Having been an infantrymen in the Army and done it before nothing the Foreign Service has will ever bring me to the conflict I experienced during combat tours. That being said I served not only because I love my country but because I was (and still am) a thrill seeker. Those moments just prior to leaving the gate in Baghdad or prior to your Blackhawk touching down on a mountain top in the Hindu Kush will add a new prospective to life. You’ll appreciate life a lot more after that first time you’ve told yourself “I could be blown to pieces in 5 minutes”. Furthermore, I feel like I could make a big difference being a diplomat in a war zone. In a counter-insurgency diplomacy is more about helping the local populace from their own cultural lens than it is about extending any type of dominance, military or otherwise. Diplomacy is created by helping people empower themselves and I feel like I’d be good at facilitating that.