StateStateM A G A Z I N E

U . S . D E PA R T M E N T O F S TAT E

DECEMBER 2005

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly,except bimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Department ofState, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postagepaid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing locations.Send changes of address to State Magazine, HR/ER/SMG, SA-1,Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108. You may alsoe-mail address changes to statemagazine@state.gov.

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Deadlines: December 8 for February 2006 issue.January 8 for March 2006 issue.

StateStateRob Wiley

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bill PalmerWRITER/EDITOR

Jennifer LelandWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Teddy B. TaylorEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Larry Baer

Kelly Clements

Pam Holliday

Pat Patierno

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More than a million people a daycross the U.S.-Mexico border,including here at Matamoros.

Mexico Border ConsulatesIN OUR NEXT ISSUE:

2 From the Secretary

3 Letters to the Editor

4 In the News

9 Direct from the D.G.

34 Safety Scene

36 People Like You

38 Education and Training

39 Appointments

40 Obituaries

40 Retirements

ON THE COVERA painting of a dove above a circleof the world’s children calls forththe holiday season’s eternal theme:“Peace on Earth.” Painting by KatieS. Atkinson

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2005

NUMBER 496

A row of chalets marks the human presence amongthe wild animals in Botswana’s Central KalahariGame Reserve.

10 POST OF THE MONTH: GABORONEBotswana sets high and modern goals and faces modern problems, like HIV.

16 OFFICE OF THE MONTH: DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENTALAND SAFETY DIVISIONEmployees call this office for domestic workplace issues, big and small.

20 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: HELPING NEEDY SOUTH AFRICANSHearts and Hands stimulates local diplomatic community to give and to help.

22 SOCIAL SECURITY ABROADFederal Benefits Units at U.S. embassies help thousands of citizens living abroad.

24 STRENGTH THROUGH UNITYBureau of Arms Control conferences seek stronger international cooperation.

26 A GRAND OPENINGDepartment dedicates Colorado Passport Agency to meet emergency travel needs.

28 KATRINA’S LEGACYOffice of Foreign Missions adds international expertise to the State South team.

32 WINNING THE WAR FOR TALENTUpdating the 1999 report funded by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation.

10GOING TO GABORONE

2 STATE MAGAZINE

In this holiday season, I want to send my best wishes to every member ofour extended State Department family.

The holidays are a time to be thankful for what we have—most of all for ourfamilies and friends, who enrich our days and remind us why we have chosenthe noble calling of public service. All of us in Washington are especially grate-ful for our colleagues overseas, many of whom are serving far away from theirfamilies.

The holidays are also a time to be mindful of what, and whom, we have lost.We will never forget our friends and co-workers who died this year whileadvancing our nation’s diplomacy. We remember their names, we honor theirsacrifices, and we send our deepest condolences to their loved ones.

As this year draws to a close, we take stock of the many great goals we haveachieved. Our State Department is realizing President Bush’s vision of a worldwhere liberty and prosperity, democratic principles and human rights enrichthe lives of all people—a world of greater justice in foreign lands and greatersecurity in ours.

All of you have helped to shape unprecedented progress for democracy thisyear in places like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinianterritories. You are also strengthening America’s global efforts to feed thehungry, to cure and care for the sick, and to assist those less fortunate than usin building better lives for themselves and their families. Throughout theworld, you are helping others to transform their own lives.

We continue to approach all of our diplomatic missions, however, withabsolute humility. We remain humble in our support of democratic aspira-tions, because we recall how much time and sacrifice was needed for allAmericans finally to secure our democratic rights. We are humble, as well,because this year has reminded us that certain forces will always remainbeyond our control, capable of causing immense devastation, both overseasand here at home. At these times, as we have seen this year, your efforts to rallythe world’s support and generosity are essential to saving lives and easingsuffering.

No matter what the challenge, I believe in all of you and your ability tosucceed. I see the fruits of your success every day in the Department and in allof my travels. Now, if we remain true to our principles, I know that we canleave behind a world that is changed for the better.

I wish all of you, and your families, a safe and happy holiday, and I lookforward to continuing our good work in the new year. �

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY CONDOLEEZZA RICE

A Holiday Messagefrom the Secretary

Sports and DiplomacyThe photo of Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice on the cover of theSeptember issue of State Magazinewith the notation “BuildingBridges Through Baseball”gives courage to those of uswho valued sports as con-tributors to both nationaland international mutualunderstanding throughoutour Foreign Service careers.

During over four years inTogo, I encouraged Opera-tions Crossroads to puttogether a group of athletesnot only for training theTogolese, but to encouragecompetition with other countries. Intime, the concept of East-West African

Games resulted in Ghana, Togo,Dahomey and Nigeria sending teamsin soccer, boxing, track and field andtennis to Kampala, Uganda. The games

turned out suffi-ciently well thatthe Nigerian SportsCouncil was eager toplan a similar sportsfestival for spring ofthe following year.

Along with themerits of good healthand developmentof moral characterlearned in train-ing, there was thegradual understand-

ing that despite cultural differences,politics or economic conditions,

lasting friendships could be made. Theexchanges also offered good opportu-nities for open discussions about ourown country.

William B. HusseyRetired Foreign Service Officer

3DECEMBER 2005

FROM THE EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We have learned that the story “The Art of Diplomacy”published in the November issue contains some informa-tion requiring clarification. We thank Anne Johnson,director of the Department of State’s ART in EmbassiesProgram of the Overseas Buildings Operations, for thefollowing information:

Not all of the photographs in the November article areactual or accurate images of current or planned installa-tions.

The Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassiesis a nonprofit, nongovernmental private foundation thatsupplements the ART in Embassies Program with itsmission of visual diplomacy abroad, by generously donat-ing primarily site specific sculpture to selected newembassy buildings, and supporting preservation projectsin significant buildings. Additionally, FAPE has con-tributed major works of art for permanent installation inour Embassies abroad with both the Lee Kimche McGrathOriginal Print Collection and the millennium Gift to theNation, in which two hundred works of art by prominentAmerican artists were donated to our Embassies world-wide. The goal of both programs, according to Ms.Johnson, “is to share the best of American culture, createdby some of our most important citizens, our artists.”

The ART in Embassies Program was founded morethan 40 years ago by an act of Congress and has been incontinuous service to U.S. embassies since 1964. The proj-ects mentioned in the article, the Art in New Embassies

Program, do not constitute a new ART in EmbassiesProgram. They refer instead to the sculptures purchasedso far by FAPE for several New Embassy Complex build-ings, as well as other planned signature works to bedonated by the foundation for selected buildings current-ly under construction.

The Department’s in-house ART in Embassies Programis both a loan program for the residences of Americanambassadors, curating about 60 new exhibitions a year,and a purchase program, buying most of the art for theNEC buildings. Currently, 3,500 works of art by promi-nent American artists are on loan to ART for exhibitionsin residences of U.S. ambassadors. Additionally, ART hasin the last year purchased 60 works of art by American,Armenian-American and Armenian artists for the NEC inYerevan; 72 works of art for Tashkent by Native-American, American and Uzbeki artists; and 30 works ofart by African-American and Cameroonian artists forYaounde. Thirty-five newly initiated NEC projects arecurrently on the ART in Embassies list for the purchase ofnew permanent collections to be acquired both fromAmerican artists and artists living in host countries.

We regret any confusion this article might have caused.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters should not exceed 250words and should include thewriter’s name, address anddaytime phone number. Letterswill be edited for length andclarity. Only signed letters will beconsidered. Names may be with-held upon request. You can reachus at statemagazine@state.gov.

4 STATE MAGAZINE

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Lima Art Night Benefits Peruvian Woman and ChildrenWhat is the connection between USEA article art exhibi-

tions and pediatric burn victims? In Lima, Peru, it is clearand direct. The United States Embassy Association uses itsannual Noche de Arte as a fund raiser toprovide relief to burn-scarred children, as wellas support other charities that benefit poorand challenged women and children. The asso-ciation’s efforts over the past 36 years haveprovided more than $1.2 million to those inneed.

Noche de Arte is a highly renowned culturalevent where the best of Peruvian art can beappreciated and purchased. Participating is anhonor for Peruvian artists, whether celebratedor little known.

This year, Noche de Arte changed itsformula. “In order to expand the event andgenerate more money for the children, we hadto change venues,” said USEA President HaroldPrice. “We had to break with the tradition ofhosting the event at the Ambassador’s resi-dence and move to the larger and more easilyaccessible Museo de la Nacion.”

Ambassador Curtis Struble gave mediainterviews, which resulted in articles and broadcast cover-age that fueled the anticipation.

He and his wife Susan, along with Alvaro Roca Rey, pres-ident of the Museo de la Nacion, welcomed guests, who

appreciated the more than 500 oil paintings, sculptures,ceramics and batiks on display. Performance artistsmingled with the crowd, adding to the festival atmosphere.

Some 4,000 art aficionados attended over two nights, thehighest attendance ever for Noche de Arte, which hasalready decided to hold its 2006 event at the Museo de laNacion again.

Attendees enjoy the art and performing mimes.

CultureCauseWITH A

5DECEMBER 2005

I N T H E N E W S

DACOR FOUNDATION OFFERS GRANTSTO FS CHILDREN AT YALE, HOTCHKISS

Several scholarships and fellowships will be available inacademic year 2006–2007 for children and grandchildren ofForeign Service officers, active or retired, for study at theHotchkiss School and Yale University.

These Dreyfus Awards, sponsored by the Diplomatic andConsular Officers Retired Bacon House Foundation, aremade possible by a bequest from the late Ambassador LouisG. Dreyfus, Jr.

Hotchkiss will seek to select one enrolled student for a$5,000 scholarship. Applicants should contact the director offinancial aid, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT 06039-0800, providing evidence of a parent’s or grandparent’sForeign Service status.

Awards to Yale students, based on merit, will be made bythe foundation in consultation with Yale. At Yale, the awardsare coordinated by the Yale Center for International and AreaStudies, Henry R. Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven,CT 06520. Aspirants may apply for the award at the time of

their application to Yale. Awards to undergraduates may beup to $5,000. Awards to graduate and professional studentsmay be up to $10,000. There is no restriction as to field ofstudy, but if there are many applicants, preference will begiven to students pursuing a master’s degree in a field relatedto foreign affairs.

To apply, students should send a copy of the parent’s orgrandparent’s most recent Foreign Service appointment orpromotion document, a brief letter of interest with fullcontact information, resume, most recent transcript andone-page statement of academic goals, work experience,awards and non-academic achievements to DACOR BaconHouse Foundation, Attn: William C. Hamilton, 1801 F St.,N.W., Washington, DC 20006. Applicants for graduatefellowships should include a page outlining career goals.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2006. For moreinformation, contact Sherry Barndollar Rock at prog.coord@dacorbacon.org.

Secretary Rice PlaysBall to RegisterAmericans in Canada

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice andAmbassador to Canada David Wilkins joined withConsul General Keith Powell during the Secretary’srecent visit to Ottawa to encourage American citizensresiding in Canada to register with the embassy.

American citizen team members and managers ofthe Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Renegadesanswered the call to register and took the opportunityto make some new fans, including Secretary Rice, whoreceived a team jersey.

Secretary Rice receives a jerseyfrom Renegade team memberJohnny Scott.

Unlike American football, which allows only11 men to be on the field, Canadian footballrequires 12 men to be on the field and givesonly three chances to make a first down.

6 STATE MAGAZINE

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Muslim Chaplain Promotes U.S. Freedoms in Italy TourWith support from the U.S. Consulate General in Milan,

Georgetown University Muslim chaplain Imam Yahya Hendiput the crowning touches on a summer speaking tour in Italyby underscoring the freedom of religion, education andspeech in the United States and the welcoming nature of U.S.society.

He was speaking at a conference titled “Islam in Europe—European Islam,” which looked at Islam’s effect on cities, itsimpact on education systems, its cultur-al impact and its legal status. After ImamHendi spoke, panel moderator ProfessorPaolo Branca of Milan’s CatholicUniversity said, “No matter what onemay think of U.S. policy, no one canquestion the freedom and welcome thatthe United States gives immigrants—and especially those whose religionsplace them in the minority.”

Imam Hendi also spoke with studentsin a Milan Catholic University course onintercultural mediation and led Fridayprayers for 3,000 faithful at Milan’s VialePadova mosque. At each public speakingopportunity, he provided examples ofcooperative efforts carried on by U.S.Christian, Jewish and Muslim commu-nities in support of one another.

“Inter-religious dialogue is not a matter of choice, it is amust,” he said, adding, “We must make a win-win situationof the opportunity to overcome differences and work togeth-er by finding the similarities that all people of faith possess.”

More than 1 million Muslims live in Italy, the majority innorthern Italy. During his U.S. Speaker tour, Imam Hendialso spoke in Rome and was received by authorities on inter-faith dialogue at the Vatican.

The AntiVirus program cele-brated 10 years at theDepartment on Sept. 15. Theevent, held in the Exhibit Hall ofthe Harry S Truman Building, fea-tured AntiVirus ProgramManager Valerie Canty; theprogram’s first manager, TedPayne; Acting Chief Informa-tion Officer Jay Anania; UnderSecretary for ManagementHenrietta Fore; and the anti-virus vendors Symantec Corp.,Trend Micro and gTechSolutions.

Mr. Payne, who founded theVirus Incident Response Team,

gave a brief introduction, thenMr. Anania stressed that themost important part of computer

security is not the software butthe end-user. Under SecretaryFore said she was impressed bythe amount of spam and virusesthat was stopped at the gateway.She praised the work that the

VIRT does daily. Symantec AntiVirus 10.0 was

unveiled. In addition toantivirus protection, italso offers real-time scan-ning, detection anderadication for adware

and spyware threats. TheAntiVirus staff distributed

more than 2,200 home-useantivirus CDs.

NEW SOFTWARE UNVEILED AT ANTIVIRUS EVENT

7DECEMBER 2005

I N T H E N E W S

Dian McDonald took an eight-year-oldcamera that fit into her purse and made it apublic diplomacy tool.

While serving as the public affairs officer atthe U.S. Embassy in Belarus, Ms. McDonaldspotted a middle-aged woman with “a long,graceful neck and high cheekbones…with herhair pulled back from her face…her profile asstriking and unforgettable as Nefertiti’s [anancient Egyptian queen].”

The stranger’s profile, she recalls, inspired herto capture the emotions and culture of thisformer Soviet republic by photographing theprofiles of its people.

Her photos were so evocative, 97 were displayed at the Minsk Regional Library fromJune 21 to July 12 in an exhibition called simply “Profiles of Belarus.”

“I believe a profile can reflect a lot about a person—sometimes more than a photo-graph showing the front view of the face,” she says.

Profiles require more interaction with the subject but are usually rich withemotion—pride, joy, intellect, enthusiasm, patience, she explained. “My experimentbrought me in touch with people from many walks of life,” she says. “I was delightedby the cooperation I received. No one ever said ‘no.’ ”

“Dian’s indefatigable efforts to promote good will and mutual understandingbetween Americans and Belarusians will long outlast her stay in Belarus,” George Krol,the U.S. ambassador, remarked at the exhibit’s opening.

After 35 years with the State Department, Ms. McDonald retired in September.

The above photo of two women in nativecostume appeared in the Minsk exhibitfeaturing the work of Dian McDonald,shown at right.

FSI TEAMS WITH ARMYWAR COLLEGE ONDISTANCE EDUCATION

Four Department employees were among the firstgroup to graduate from the Distance EducationProgram at the U.S. Army War College on July 29.

The students were enrolled as part of a pilotprogram under the auspices of the Foreign ServiceInstitute. They completed a Master of StrategicStudies through online classes and two two-week in-residence programs while continuing in their regularassignments.

Seven Foreign Service officers are in the class of2006, and seven more joined the class of 2007 in May.

From left, Ambassador Margaret McMillion, deputy commandant forinternational affairs at the Army War College, and Susan Swart, deanof the School of Applied Information Technology at FSI, pose withgraduates David Luna, Oscar De Soto, Robert Hugins and ToddBrown. Third from right is Major General David Huntoon, comman-dant of the War College.

BELARUSIANSPROFILED

IN PHOTOS

8 STATE MAGAZINE

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AFSA HonorsSusan Moorse atFarewell Luncheon

During a farewell luncheon on Oct. 25,American Foreign Service AssociationPresident Tony Holmes and AFSA State VicePresident Steve Kashkett presented a plaqueto Susan Moorse, the Department’s outgo-ing labor-management negotiator, toacknowledge the productive and cordialrelationship that AFSA had with her duringher tenure. Ms. Moorse has been nameddirector of the U.S. Passport Office in SanFrancisco.

In late September, several employees at the U.S. Embassyin Manila and local mountaineers embarked on a 24-hour,nonstop, 100-kilometer walk. They weren’t out to beat theGuinness world record of 142.25 miles in 24 hours set in1976. Unlike the record walk, which was done under con-trolled conditions, this one was done over rugged terrainwhile fighting traffic during typhoon season.

The goal was to raise funds to support children and poorpeople suffering from various medical conditions. One, witha rare face cancer, needed reconstructive surgery; anotherneeded an operation to repair a hole in the heart; a thirdneeded a heart valve implant.

After the walk, which three people successfully completedin 24 hours, many embassy employees pledged donations. Todate, $1,000 has been collected.

Susan Moorse is flanked by AFSA President Tony Holmes and Vice President Steve Kashkett.

Tired but happy walkers pose by the 100-kilometer marker.

24-Hour Walk Nets Pledgesfor Medical Needs

Donated Computers HelpParents Learn and Grow

When Mark Wilson arrived in Skopje as the informa-tion management officer, he started a volunteer effortcalled “Computers to Classrooms,” intended to solicitnew or used information technology equipment forrefurbishment and donation.

Once the donated equipment is in good workingorder, he places it in mental health institutions andunderprivileged schools. He also helps to set it up andtrain recipients.

In Macedonia, people with serious mental illnessesare traditionally viewed as unable to participate in com-munity life. After mental health reforms in 2000,attitudes started to shift away from custodial care towardtreatment in the community. However, the governmenthas few if any financial resources, so training programsto help patients learn skills for possible deinstitutional-ization are nonexistent.

Mr. Wilson saw a chance to help. He spends a lot ofhis off-duty time and his own financial resources in solic-iting donations and refurbishing equipment.

His latest donation was to the critical-care mentalhealth facility in Demir Kapija. As a result of his effortsand generous donations from the embassy community,the facility now has new computers and Internet con-nectivity for use in educating residents with specialneeds. Technology can be especially useful in enablingthem to reach their full potential and perhaps be dein-stitutionalized, a goal of the facility.

The director of the facility, Ljube Tegova, said, “It isthe hope that the use of these computers will give thehospital’s residents and faculty new methods of teach-ing, learning, discovering and growing.”

9DECEMBER 2005

DIRECT FROM THE D.G.AMBASSADOR W. ROBERT PEARSON

If we are to fulfill the Secretary’s vision of transformational diplomacy andmeet the challenges of 21st century diplomacy, the Department must do allit can to build and retain its extraordinarily talented workforce. We mustensure that we continue to recruit, develop and retain the best of the best,which, in today’s world, also includes providing support for families—particularly while employees are abroad doing interesting, meaningful work.

The Una Chapman Cox Foundation, which is celebrating its 25th anniver-sary, continues to be a true partner in our effort to win the war for talent.Dedicated to helping create a strong, professional Foreign Service, theFoundation has generously funded special projects related to recruitment,operational readiness, family member employment and improvement ofservices to our colleagues. It has helped us to enhance morale, improve train-ing and increase public awareness of the work that we do. In thesechallenging times, its partnership with us is more important than ever.

In particular, I am grateful for the Foundation’s recent support in updat-ing the 1999 McKinsey & Company “War for Talent” report. The initialMcKinsey report identified five specific areas on which State needed tofocus: talent management, expectations, job satisfaction, performance andretention.

This year, I asked McKinsey & Company to evaluate the progress we havemade since 1999 in recruiting and hiring, professional development, com-pensation, benefits and family support, performance evaluation andleadership. I also asked them to determine what it would take for theDepartment to move to the next level of talent management.

From February through May, McKinsey & Company interviewed morethan 45 current and former employees, conducted focus groups with morethan 100 Civil Service and Foreign Service employees and met with topmembers of Secretary Rice’s leadership team. McKinsey briefed the Secretaryon the report in November.

The Secretary outlined her human resource management priorities as • improving the diversity of our workforce• having employees with broad skills and the flexibility to deploy them

as needed• ensuring that our employees receive the training and support they

need• securing the resources to take care of our people, to secure our facili-

ties and to modernize our system of communicationsThe results of the 2005 report are encouraging. They show that the

Department has made significant progress in improving talent management,particularly in the areas of recruiting and hiring and in the overall commit-ment to leadership. There is, as you might expect, still work to be done. Thisreport has given us a critical road map for making further improvements inthe Foreign Service and will help us to develop a comprehensive implemen-tation plan. For a more detailed description of the report’s findings, see thearticle on page 32. �

Winning the War for Talent

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The rising sun signals anew day in Botswana.

11DECEMBER 2005

P O S T O F T H E M O N T H

GABORONE

By Jacqueline Holland-Craig

S U C C E S S W I T H A C L O U DS U C C E S S W I T H A C L O U D

12 STATE MAGAZINE

The U.S. Embassy in Gaborone sits in a country madefamous as the home of Mma Ramotswe of Alexander McCallSmith’s “No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency” series. McCall Smithportrays Botswana as a sleepy and neighborly country ofanother era, and in many ways it is. You can still find theplaces mentioned in the book and the personalities typifiedexist widely: solid, honest and caring folk.

But visitors who go in search of that old-fashioned world are usually disappointed,because Botswana has moved out of the pastand into the 21st century. High-rise officebuildings have begun to predominate inGaborone, along with late-model cars and large,modern shopping complexes.

Botswana has modern goals—diversificationof the economy, attracting tourism, security—and modern problems, the foremost being thatapproximately 37 percent of pregnant womenof childbearing age and many other citizenscarry the HIV virus.

Another image conjured up at the mentionof Botswana is the vast, sandy desert andinquisitive bushmen of The Gods Must BeCrazy. That image, too, would be mostly incor-

rect. Botswana is indeed largely made up of the KalahariDesert, but it is a semi-desert covered in tall grasses andbushes. The bushmen, more properly called the San, for themost part do not lead the back-to-nature life portrayed inthe film, but are being integrated into the broader society,however painfully.

Above: Traditional dancers perform at the Ambassador’s residence. Below: The yellow-billed hornbill is a common site around Gaborone.

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A T A G L A N C E

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2005

Country name: Botswana

Capital: Gaborone

Government: Parliamentary republic

Independence: September 30, 1966 (from theUnited Kingdom)

Languages: Setswana, Kalanga, Sekgalagadi,English and others

Population: 1.7 million

Total area: 600,370 square kilometers

Approximate size: Slightly smaller than Texas

Currency: pula (BWP)

Per capita income: $9,200

Adult HIV/AIDS rate: 37.3 percent

Airports: 85 (10 with paved runways)

Television stations: 1

The San were the first inhabitants of Botswana. Bantu-speaking tribes then moved into the area before 1000 B.C.Botswana is one of the few African countries that werenever colonized. At the request of local leaders, the Britishadministered Botswana as a protectorate, Bechuanaland,from 1885 to 1966, when the country achieved full inde-pendence. The discovery of diamonds a year later broughtwealth and growth.

Botswana has maintained a full multiparty democracysince independence. Government officials have provedgood custodians of the country’s diamond income byinvesting in infrastructure, education, health and tourism.They have wisely opted for high-cost/low-impact eco-tourism to maintain the pristine Okavango Delta, a uniqueenvironment where the large Okavango River from Angolaempties into the Kalahari Desert, creating an inland“swamp” inhabited by the full range of African wildanimals. Hollywood stars and other wealthy travelers forkover $300–$500 per night to experience the beautifulwilderness. Embassy families usually brave the expenseonce in a tour, just to say they’ve done it.

Botswana and the United States have a warm relation-ship. The U.S. regularly cites Botswana as an example ofgood governance—an African success story. President Bushand, before him, President Clinton and Vice President Gorepaid visits. The post hosts eight U.S. government agencies.Botswana was chosen in 1995 as the U.S. Agency forInternational Development’s regional center for SouthernAfrica.

Due to the high incidence of HIV in this Texas-sizedcountry of only 1.7 million people, the mission focuses onassisting Botswana to confront its HIV/AIDS crisis.Botswana was the first country in the world to publiclyfund anti-retroviral drugs for infected citizens, even thoughthe expense threatens to eat up its entire budget. ThePresident’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief this year pro-vided $40 million to fund programs targeting prevention,treatment and care.

Though all sections of the mission—State, Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, USAID, Peace Corps andDefense—contribute, the CDC is the primary HIV/AIDSimplementing agency, with offices in Gaborone andFrancistown, Botswana’s second largest city. A staff of 150monitors the work of partners and conducts extensivemedical research into tuberculosis and HIV. In 2001, theU.S. established a network of voluntary counseling andtesting centers for HIV/AIDS so that all citizens would beable to know their status.

This vibrant and busy mission also concerns itself withmany other issues. The ambassador is Secretary Rice’s rep-resentative to the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity, whose secretariat is in Gaborone. State andUSAID work together to broker transborder wildlife con-servation agreements. The International BroadcastingBureau transmitting station in Selebi-Phikwe sends Voiceof America programs all over Africa. The International LawEnforcement Academy trains African police officers.

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USAID operates theSouthern Africa GlobalCompetitiveness Hub, which isimproving the competitivenessof products and services insouthern Africa and promotingregional trade and exports tothe U.S. under the AfricanGrowth and Opportunity Act.The ambassador and embassycommercial officer work withthe Hub, the government andprivate institutions to stimulateand diversify the economy. This

Above: Information management spe-cialist Michael Donovan and TheresaDavis of the Centers for Disease Controlpet a cheetah at a game reserve nearGaborone. Right: Embassy systemsemployees Eddie Amankwah, RonaldModisaemang and Emma Assey, consultwith temporary-duty visitor MohamedNdiaye.

15DECEMBER 2005

is an uphill struggle in a country with largely nonarable land,little rainfall and no direct access to the sea.

The main chancery, built in 1988, was one of the firstInman buildings, with a 100-foot setback, sturdy walls andblast-proof windows. USAID, the Peace Corps and CDC havetheir own facilities in town. ILEA is housed on a beautifulcampus that is part of the Police College, 80 kilometers southof Gaborone.

Life for mission staff is pleasant. Although summers arehot, low humidity makes them bearable and winter daytime

temperatures usually reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Grocerystores are large, clean and modern, providing almost everyimaginable food item. The shopping malls have departmentstores, boutiques, restaurants and movie theaters. Housing isspacious and domestic help is available and affordable. Theembassy recreation center has a gym, tennis court, barbequeequipment and large play area. Schools are good and gothrough grade 12, so there is no need to send children toboarding school.

Botswana’s motto has been “Africa’s Best Kept Secret.”Though the secret of the Okavango Delta is undisputedlyout, much of the magnificent country still remains undiscov-ered. A few mission members have explored it via a networkof paved and dirt roads. Those who venture out can see cavepaintings in the Tsodilo Hills, the majestic landscape of theTuli Block and the Makgadikgadi Pans, an ancient dried uplake. The Kalahari Central Game Reserve is only a few hours’drive from Gaborone and offers both a luxury lodge andcamping. Paved roads lead to favorite destinations in SouthAfrica—Sun City, Kruger Game Park, Johannesburg, Durbanand Cape Town.

The world of Mma Ramotswe and the San is irrevocablychanged. Botswana has recognized that its battle againstHIV/AIDS will determine its very existence and has commit-ted its resources to this struggle. The U.S. Mission willcontinue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Botswana in thiswar for the foreseeable future. �

The author is the management officer at the U.S. Embassy inGaborone.

Above: Leonard Thebe and Stichberry Monkatsu open the pouch. Left:Public Affairs Officer Judy Butterman is dwarfed by a giant piece ofmachinery at the Jwaneng diamond mine.

Left: From left, embassy employees Brian Carney, Doug Marvin, Sgt.Andrew Yetter, Marco Sims and Sgt. Matthew Bolduc celebrate July 4at the deputy chief of mission’s residence.

Heavy overnight rains flood a Department building inCharleston, and the building manager needs to know if it’ssafe for employees to enter the building. A Departmentemployee in Rosslyn has just been diagnosed with carpaltunnel syndrome and is looking for advice on how to adjusthis computer workstation. An e-mail message says that thedesign plans for the Shultz Center expansion need alife/safety review. And the Office of the FederalEnvironmental Executive is looking for data on theDepartment’s recycling and green procurement programs.

Who do you call? If you work at State, call the DomesticEnvironmental and Safety Division. Handling crises such asthese is all in a day’s work for the DESD staff.

As a division of the Bureau of Administration(Administration/Operations/Facility Management Services),DESD was created in 2002 to provide technical support andexpertise to all the Department’s domestic work locations.DESD parallels Safety, Health and Environmental inOverseas Building Operations, which provides comparablesupport services to all overseas posts. DESD collaborateswith SHEM, the Office of Medical Services and HumanResources, among others, to ensure a healthy work force anda safe working environment at State.

“We’re here to help others accomplish their mission safelyand in an environmentally friendly way,” said Dr. HarryMahar, DESD’s chief. DESD staff members include experts in

16 STATE MAGAZINE

O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

BY SUSAN MCDONALD AND CAROLYN PIERSON

Building Management Specialist Jim Frazier checks the fire alarm board.

Office Strives to KeepWorkers Safe and the

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a range of disciplines, including firesafety, worker health and safety,energy conservation, environmentalprotection and engineering andfacilities management. Many DESDstaff members are board-certified orprofessionally licensed in their tech-nical discipline, according to Dr.Mahar.

Here are some of DESD’s programhighlights:

Fire ProtectionDESD’s fire protection experts

work behind the scenes to ensurethat all the Department’s buildingsmeet fire codes and life/safety regu-lations. The Fire and Life Safetygroup evaluates design of all newfacilities and renovations and is in the process of upgradingsystems in State-owned facilities to provide state-of-the-artfire detection and emergency communication.

The division’s current technology is so sophisticated thatwhile Hurricane Wilma swept across Florida and local powerand telephone systems were out of service, DESD fire protec-tion engineers in the Harry S Truman Building were still ableto monitor the Florida Regional Center building’s status andcommunicate with staff.

Environmental ProtectionThe Environmental Protection function is responsible for

ensuring that the Department’s domestic facilities andoperations comply with environmental laws and ExecutiveOrders. DESD staff also champions programs such as recy-

cling, green building design, green procurement and theintegration of environmental responsibilities throughEnvironmental Management Systems. Staff members serveas the Department’s liaison on a variety of interagencycommittees for “greening” the federal government.

Employee Health and SafetyDESD’s industrial hygienists and safety specialists respond

to a host of employee concerns, including ergonomics,indoor air quality, mold, asbestos and noise. Staff membersreview accident data to determine whether new safety effortsare needed.

DESD has been extensively involved in redesigning themail-sorting operations at the Department’s DiplomaticPouch and Mail facility to make sure that the mail is safe

17DECEMBER 2005

Office name: Domestic Environmental and Safety Division

Symbol: A/OPR/FMS/DESD

Office Chief: Dr. Harry Mahar

Staff size: 14

Office location: Harry S Truman Building

Web site: www.aoprfms.a.state.gov

A T A G L A N C E

Left: DESD performs respirator fit testing. Above: Division employees conduct safety training.

from biological, chemical or radiation hazards. That effort—a collaboration among DESD, Real Property Management,the Office of Medical Services and Diplomatic Pouch andMail—has resulted in a state-of-the-art mail processing facil-ity now being emulated by other federal agencies.

Emergency ResponseDESD staff help clean up chemical spills. They are also

prepared to assist with response to “white powder” incidentsthat have arisen in the wake of the 2001 anthrax attacks, pro-viding Diplomatic Security “first responders” with technicaland analytical support to identify and characterize suspectedcontaminants. DESD works closely with the “A” Bureau’sOffice of Emergency Management and other Departmentoffices to implement emergency response plans for the manybuildings within the Department’s domestic operations.

Training and InformationDESD publishes two newsletters, E-Safety News and Waste

and Wealth, designed to provide Department employees withnews they can use to protect themselves and the environ-ment. Both publications are distributed electronically viaDepartment notice.

Staff members are available to provide training on avariety of topics, such as office ergonomics and safety. In col-laboration with other bureaus, DESD helps promoteenvironmentally sustainable practices and programs duringEarth Day and at other similar events.

Employees can reach DESD via e-mail at DESD@State.gov. DESD also can be reached by calling the ServiceDesk at (202) 647-6001. Employees can also access the divi-sion’s web site on the State Department Intranet home pageby clicking Workplace Issues: Safety/Health; Domestic. �

Ms. McDonald is a board-certified industrial hygienist inDESD and Ms. Pierson is a management analyst in the Officeof Facilities Management Services.

18 STATE MAGAZINE

O F F I C E O F T H E M O N T H

Left: DESD promotes recycling programs in the Department. Above:Matthew Woodburn checks a manhole. Underground tanks and passage-ways can pose hazards.

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Each year more than 350,000 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the heart mis-fires in a rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. This rhythm can be fatal within a few minutes if left untreated. Untilrecently, cardiac pulmonary resuscitationwas the only treatment. Now a new tech-nology is available: an automated externaldefibrillator. This device is easy to operate,simple to maintain and very effective in thetreatment of SCA.

State and federal legislation has beenpassed to promote the use of AEDs in theworkplace and to protect users from civil lia-bility. The Domestic Environmental andSafety Division is in the process of outfittingdomestic buildings with AEDs, just as theOffice of Medical Services is doing forembassies. The goal is to increase thechances of surviving a cardiac incident.

The AED program is a collaborative effortof Medical Services, Diplomatic Securityand Facilities Management Services. Athree-year, phased-in installation will deploythe devices in domestic buildings housing 50 or more Department employees. The goal is to attain an AEDresponse time of five minutes or less. Phase One, installing AEDs in larger facilities in the Washington, D.C.,metropolitan area, was just completed. Phase Two will expand the program to the four large regional centers;Phase Three will include smaller facilities. The installation schedule is detailed below.

The effectiveness of this program relies heavily upon people trained to recognize sudden cardiac arrest anduse the devices. No medical experience is necessary. DESD is seeking volunteers to participate in a four-hourCPR/AED course offered by the American Heart Association and become part of the Department’s first respon-der network.

For additional information or to sign up for the program, contact Selena Gallagher at DESD@state.gov or(202) 736-4069, or visit the DESD web site.

Automated External Defibrillators Are Here to Save

PHASE THREE

SA-7

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Florida Regional Center

Portsmouth Consular Center

Kentucky Consular Center

PHASE ONE

Harry S Truman Building

Blair House

SA-33 InternationalChancery Center

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SA-26 Beltsville InformationManagement Center

SA-42 (Shultz Center–NFATC)

SA-44

20 STATE MAGAZINE

In addition to raising funds, thegroup was awarded $2,300 in grantsfrom the Simon Kirby TrustFoundation. This money providedplayground equipment for an orphan-age and sewing machines for a localtrust that supplies school uniformsto disadvantaged Soweto Townshipstudents.

As word of its existence has spread,Hearts and Hands has received and ful-filled a variety of other requests from

EMBASSY VOLUNTEERS ORGANIZE TO HELP NEEDY SOUTH AFRICANSBY OLIVIA LINDENBERG

Hearts and HandsKids enjoy a Thanksgiving luncheon organized by Hearts and Hands.

Hearts and Hands, a charitable organization affiliated withthe U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, stimulates the local diplomaticcommunity to raise funds for the neediest South Africancharities. It has raised more than $21,000 in one year.

Founded in December 2003 by embassy family membersDebby Harrison and Tara Visani, Hearts and Hands uses theskills and talents of many embassy volunteers, familymembers and South African citizens. PH

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charitable and nonprofit institutions.These ranged from blankets and bicy-cles to cash, clothing, soup, shoes,kiddie gyms and kitchen facilities.

Routinely, Hearts and Hands com-mittee members receive calls fromschools, orphanages and infant safetyhomes. Members visit each facility andassess its needs. The committee thendecides on an appropriate assistanceplan. In one instance, it raised $5,200for the Tshwane Place of Safety inPretoria to secure a three-year lease,which was a factor in the adoption ofsix more babies.

Some donations made by Hearts andHands are annual or one-time gifts andothers are ongoing. Examples of theformer are a Thanksgiving food drive,

participation in the Marines’ Toys forTots drive and the purchase of house-hold appliances. The latter includeproviding soup and bread each week toa local church’s soup kitchen; makingmonthly visits to Sinzinani Orphanageto distribute donated clothing, foodand toys to the children; and payingmonthly tuition fees for several Sowetoand Mamelodi preschool students. Thecommittee leadership keeps in touchwith each group on an almost-weeklybasis.

The committee was the organizingforce behind the Thanksgiving lunch-eon for the 200 residents of the GoodHope Foundation, where the kids—forthe first time ever—enjoyed a turkeydinner with all the trimmings. Another

first-time event was arranging for a newpair of shoes for each child at Sinzinani.

None of this could have been accom-plished without the tireless work ofHearts and Hands committee membersand volunteers. Besides Ms. Harrisonand Ms. Visani, they include LindaLockwood, Michelle Karolak, VanessaSeafield, Laverne Jordaan, Olivia Lin-denberg, Kelly Jamison-White, HeidiInder, Victor Williams, Lucy Neher,Barbara Price and Melissa Nuwaysir.

Hearts and Hands not only enhancesthe image of the American Embassy inPretoria, but also exemplifies the best ofAmerican values. �

The author is an office management spe-cialist at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria.

Left: The Good Hope Foundation receives a washer anddryer. Hearts and Hands cofounder and president DebbyHarrison, kneeling, helps the recipients celebrate.Below: Hearts and Hands donated money to buy schooluniforms for the Sithabile Child and Youth Care Center.

The committee wasthe organizing force

behind theThanksgiving luncheonfor the 200 residents

of the Good HopeFoundation, where

the kids—for the firsttime ever—enjoyed aturkey dinner with all

the trimmings.

22 STATE MAGAZINE

Quick—take this test. What do youthink of when you say “consular servic-es”? Visas and visa lines? Replacing yourpassport? Maybe visiting American pris-oners in jail? All that’s true—but don’tforget to mention “Social Security.”

Federal Benefits Units are often theforgotten folks in consular sectionsabroad—except to the almost half amillion people living outside the UnitedStates who receive Social Security bene-fits. Social Security pays approximately$189 million every month to overseasclaimants. In 2004, Social Securityprocessed 40,474 new entitlement claimsfor people living overseas.

Warsaw Federal Benefits claimsrepresentative Joanna Majznerhelps a client complete a SocialSecurity application.

BY JOHN M. GRONDELSKI

SOCIALSECURITYABROADFederal Benefits Unitsat U.S. Embassies PlayVital Roles In Servinga Half Million CitizensLiving Abroad

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Nor are FBUs merely Social Security agencies abroad.While the lion’s share of work involves Social Security, FBUsalso cover other agencies’ benefits programs: VeteransAdministration, Office of Personnel Management, RailroadRetirement Board and the Department of Labor.

Approximately 170 Foreign Service National employeesand seven Regional Federal Benefits Officers keep those oper-ations going. Six of the seven RFBOs are career Social SecurityAdministration managers, seconded to State as consular offi-cers with temporary commissions. One remains a SocialSecurity employee working for the Veterans Administrationin Manila. FSNs go through an initial nine-week trainingprogram at Social Security in Baltimore.

Heading up seven districts, the RFBOs are based in Rome,Frankfurt, London, Manila, Athens, Mexico City and San José.Each of those offices administers several of the other 21claims-taking posts operating overseas.

HUB POSTS Warsaw is a “hub” post, along with places like Oslo,

Frankfurt and Zagreb. The hub model is the current trend infederal benefits work, maximizing customer service and effi-ciency by concentrating workload in a few well-staffed centers.In devolving work to the field, Social Security recognizes thatthose handling the cases better understand them becausethey’re nearer to claimants. It also enables posts to partnerwith neighboring non-claims-taking posts to expedite aregion’s federal benefits work.

Warsaw, for example, serves such a function for five neigh-boring countries. Beneficiaries in the Czech Republic, Slovakiaand the three Baltic states now no longer need to mail theircases to Baltimore and wait . . . and wait . . . and wait. . . .Instead, they can bring that paperwork to a local embassy,which will work with Warsaw to get the problem resolved,quickly and competently.

Thanks to modern technology, FBUs increasingly providethe full range of services available at a typical neighborhoodSocial Security office in the States. One example is directdeposit. Today, more than 80 percent of Social Security recip-ients living abroad get their benefits through Electronic FundsTransfer. EFT offers several advantages over paper checks. Thechecks don’t get lost or stolen in sometimes unreliable foreignmail systems. Benefits always arrive on time, every month.And EFT saves the Treasury money.

But while overseas FBUs provide many of the servicesoffered at domestic Social Security offices, beneficiaries livingabroad do have different problems that FBUs are better gearedto help solve. Retirees getting benefits abroad can face inter-national tax implications that differ from country to country.Some countries withhold local taxes or medical insurancecontributions from benefits (since, except in extremelylimited cases, Medicare cannot be used abroad). And thenthere’s totalization.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITYThe United States has signed International Social Security,

or “totalization” agreements, with 21 other countries.

Agreements are in force with all the original EU-15 members(except Denmark), Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Japan,South Korea, Chile, and Australia. Negotiations are plannedwith several others, including Denmark, the Czech Republicand Poland.

“Totalization” agreements do three things. They allowworkers who divide their professional lives between theUnited States and another country to “total” their time

worked in both countries to ensure they qualify for at leastone social security system. That prevents Americans whowork abroad from falling through the social safety net.Totalization agreements also remove the significant econom-ic burden of dual social security taxation, which rendersAmerican workers less attractive in overseas assignments.

Finally, totalization usually lifts legal prohibitions barringcertain beneficiaries from receiving benefits. Under U.S. law,for example, widows or orphans of otherwise qualifieddeceased workers can receive no survivor’s benefits towardwhich their spouse/parent contributed, unless they areAmerican citizens or have been legal permanent residents forat least five years. Those most in need of a relative’s pension,therefore, are often the most vulnerable. In countries withwhich the U.S. has bilateral Social Security agreements, FBUshelp steer claimants through the totalization process.

What does the future hold? Social Security already allowsFSN claims representatives to assign new Social Securitynumbers in about half of its 28 claims-taking posts, andexpects the other half to follow soon. When that possibilitybecomes real, overseas parents will not just get a ConsularReport of Birth Abroad and a new passport for their child;they’ll get a Social Security number, too. Longer-range plansinclude enabling qualified FSN claims reps to approve newbenefits claims. �

John M. Grondelski served as American Citizen Services chiefin Warsaw from 2002 to 2005, and now works on EUR’sRussia desk in Washington. Rome RFBO Richard Groccia con-tributed to this article.

BENEFICIARIES IN THE CZECHREPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA AND THETHREE BALTIC STATES NOW NOLONGER NEED TO MAIL THEIRCASES TO BALTIMORE AND WAIT . . .AND WAIT . . . AND WAIT. INSTEAD,THEY CAN BRING THAT PAPER-WORK TO A LOCAL EMBASSY,WHICH WILL WORK WITH WARSAWTO GET THE PROBLEM RESOLVED,QUICKLY AND COMPETENTLY.

24 STATE MAGAZINE

After a successful 2004 missiledefense conference in Europe spon-sored by the Bureau of Arms Control,two more were held this year with offi-cials and opinion leaders from Europeand Asia. The conferences, in Englandand Thailand, were to exchange viewson missile defense and its role in secu-rity and countering proliferation in the21st century and to address issues ofconcern to the participants.

In May, more than 60 people, includ-ing officials from 9 U.S. embassies and11 European countries, gathered at a16th-century English manor calledWiston House in West Sussex, UnitedKingdom. The conference was cospon-sored by AC (which has since beenreorganized into the bureaus ofInternational Security and Nonprolif-

eration and Verification, Complianceand Implementation) and the Bureauof European and Eurasian Affairs andwas titled “Strengthening TransatlanticCooperation on Missile Defense.”Three days of presentations featuredmissile defense experts from theDepartment, the Office of the Secretaryof Defense, the Missile Defense Agencyand major U.S. and European defensecorporations.

AC Principal Deputy AssistantSecretary Frank Record and AnitaFriedt of EUR delivered openingremarks. NATO and the UnitedKingdom’s Missile Defense Centre werealso represented. In the concludingsession, representatives from the UnitedKingdom, Germany, France, Polandand Russia spoke.

The focus was on providing an in-depth exposure to U.S. missile defensepolicies, programs and procedures.Topics covered included U.S. missiledefense deployment efforts, missiledefense cooperation and trade controlissues, industry perspectives on jointinternational missile defense opportu-nities and national perspectives onmissile defense, proliferation and armscontrol issues.

Among the highlights was thegraphic simulation of various missiledefense scenarios, presented by theMissile Defense Agency’s Joint NationalIntegration Center. The scenariosinvolved a possible ballistic missilethreat to Europe and allowed workshop

Wiston House, site of the Maymissile defense conference.

A PLAN FOR PEACEMISSILE DEFENSE CONFERENCES STRENGTHEN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

BY KERRY KARTCHNER

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participants to see how an actualmissile defense engagement wouldunfold under a variety of conditions.Some of the scenarios were run in realtime to demonstrate the short responsetime.

Wiston House provided a tranquilsetting to focus on one of thePresident’s main national security pri-orities and to explore ways tostrengthen transatlantic cooperation onmissile defense as an approach to com-bating the proliferation of weapons ofmass destruction and their ballisticmissile means of delivery.

AC also cosponsored a missiledefense conference in the form of anAssociation of Southeast Asian NationsRegional Forum Confidence BuildingSeminar during October in Bangkok,Thailand. ISN Acting AssistantSecretary Stephen Rademaker led the

interagency U.S. delegation. The RoyalThai Government cohosted the event,attended by representatives and min-isters from 21 countries. U.S.participants, including representativesfrom the Department, the Office of theSecretary of Defense and the MissileDefense Agency, gave presentationsaddressing U.S. missile defense policy,the status of the U.S. missile defenseprogram and myths and misunder-standings about missile defense.

This was the first time missile defensehad been discussed in such a frank andopen manner in a multinational Asiancontext. The conference reflected theU.S. commitment to transparency andhighlighted the threat of missile prolif-eration and the contribution missiledefense can make to counter thatthreat. It also underscored the U.S.commitment to strengthening the

ASEAN Regional Forum as a regionalsecurity institution. �

The author is senior adviser for missiledefense policy, Bureau of Verification,Compliance and Implementation.

Above: Participants in the May conference met in a 16th-century English manor called Wiston House. Below: During breaks, May conference partici-pants visited Arundel Castle, portions of which date to the 12th century and the Norman conquest of England.

ARMS CONTROL ALSO COSPONSORED A MISSILE DEFENSECONFERENCE DURING OCTOBER IN BANGKOK, THAILAND.

26 STATE MAGAZINE

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Supply and demand concepts apply to more than econom-ics. In the State Department’s market of filling requests forpassports, demand recently caught up to and threatened toexceed supply.

Part of the solution to that dilemma opened its doors onSept. 29 in the Cherry Creek Place III Corporate Center inAurora, Colo. The Department officially dedicated its newestpassport agency about a month later. The Colorado PassportAgency is designed to meet the emergency travel needs ofAmerican citizens throughout the Rocky Mountain region.Located near Denver International Airport, the facility isdesigned to improve the Department’s ability to meet thosetravel needs.

“The Colorado Passport Agency demonstrates our dedica-tion to providing passport services to citizens in the RockyMountain region,” said keynote speaker Under Secretary forManagement Henrietta Fore. “You are growing, and we are

growing with you. With this new agency, we now have 17domestic passport agencies, 14 with public counters such asthis to provide expedited processing for citizens with urgenttravel plans.”

The current staff includes 19 employees directly involved inprocessing passport requests. Initial staffing included threeemployees from the New Orleans office, temporarily closedbecause of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Two of those—Shawn Diggs and Emanuel Haynes—decided to stay inDenver.

“We charmed them with our space and our view,” saysSherman Portell, assistant regional director of the DenverPassport Agency.

The new agency accepts on-site appointments and issuespassports to eligible American citizen applicants. Regionalcitizens traveling within 14 days who have not been able toapply for a passport earlier may call the Passport Agency’s

Assisting in the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary for passport services; Teresa Bobotek,regional director, Seattle and Colorado Passport Agencies; Henrietta Fore, under secretary for management; and Sherman Portell, assistant director,Colorado Passport Agency.

COLORADO PASSPORT AGENCY OFFERS 14-DAY SERVICE BY ROB WILEY

A Grand Opening

27DECEMBER 2005

Automated Appointment System (1-877-487-2778) for expe-dited service. The appointment system is available 24 hours aday, and the Colorado Passport Agency is open from 8:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays. Customersplanning trips more than 14 days away should apply at one ofthe nearly 100 passport acceptance facilities across Colorado.

Ms. Fore noted that in fiscal year 2005, which ended Sept.30, a record 10 million Americans applied for passports,more than a million above the previous record, set in fiscalyear 2004. Department analysts are forecasting demand totop 12 million in fiscal year 2006.

“Demand so far this year is up 40 percent,” Ms. Fore said.“And as many of you know, beginning in 2007, Americanstraveling to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada or Mexico willhave to present more formal travel documentation to returnto the United States.”

The huge jump in demand coincided with the Katrina dis-aster, which devastated New Orleans and forced thetemporary closing of the passport agency there. Absorbingthe work of one of the largest domestic passport service facil-ities stressed an already burdened system, but the systemresponded beautifully. For example, in less than three weeksthe Charleston office processed more than 115,000 passportapplications from the New Orleans office.

“Everyone pitched in and rose to the challenge,” UnderSecretary Fore said. “They willingly accepted additionalwork, worked evenings and weekends to ensure that thosecustomers with applications that were pending in NewOrleans did not miss their trips.”

The Colorado agency is full of brand-new equipment tohandle the anticipated increased demand. Mr. Portell went tothe Denver job straight from the Systems Liaison Group inWashington, where he and others analyzed system needs andworked to keep equipment and software consistent throughall the Department’s passport agencies and centers.

“We tried to make sure everything was standardized,” Mr.Portell says. “We wanted to maintain continuity between our

office and the other agencies across the country. A problemhere should be the same problem in Charleston. The rest ishard work and teamwork.”

Mr. Portell’s goal is to process 150,000 passport applica-tions in fiscal year 2006, an average of about 3,000 a week.Since his team processed more than 4,000 in its third weekof operation, that goal seems reasonable. With the tempo-rary loss of the New Orleans agency due to HurricaneKatrina, the Department has been sending work from otherparts of the country, from Seattle to Miami, and the teamhas responded.

“If they keep sending us the work, we’ll meet our goal,”Mr. Portell says. “So far our average processing time for pass-port applications has been less than 10 days.”

The dedication of the new facility included a ceremonialribbon-cutting event following additional remarks by FrankMoss, deputy assistant secretary for passport services andTeresa Bobotek, regional director of the Seattle andColorado passport agencies. Special guests included repre-sentatives from regional congressional delegations,including representatives from the offices of ColoradoSenators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard; Wyoming SenatorsCraig Thomas and Michael Enzi; Colorado representativesTom Tancredo and Joel Hefley; and Wyoming representativeBarbara Cubin.

Mariana Diaz and Deputy Consul General Juan RobertoGonzalez Ramirez from the Consulate General of Mexicooffice in Denver added international flavor to the ceremony.

The under secretary also cited other Department bureaus,particularly Administration and Diplomatic Security, thathelped throughout the planning and preparation of theColorado facility. A number of contractors were also singledout for their part in making the facility operational, includ-ing Stanley Associates, Citigroup, Star Realty, R&BConstruction and Trans Digital Technologies. �

The author is the editor of State Magazine.

Left: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Frank Moss (right) spends quality time with special guests Mariana Diaz and Deputy ConsulGeneral Juan Roberto Gonzalez Ramirez from the Consulate General of Mexico Denver office. Right: Some of the Denver staff (from left): DeborahHetrick, administrative assistant; Cynthia Grell, cashier; Tom Pollack, IT; Danielle Harnik, passport specialist; A.J. Calderone, Trans DigitalTechnologies; Shawn Diggs, passport processing clerk; John DiRienzo, processing supervisor; and Ronnie Davis, passport processing. Mr. Diggscame from the temporarily closed New Orleans passport office.

28 STATE MAGAZINE

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Editor’s Note: The State Department played a broad role in responding to the Hurricane Katrinadisaster. The Hurricane Katrina Task Force that worked from the Operations Center ran on a 24-hour basis for 16 days, with more than 450 Department employees serving at least one shift. Stateofficers also participated in the Interagency Incident Management Group set up by theDepartment of Homeland Security to address relief efforts. In addition, State contributed expertsto the Response Management Team operated by U.S. Agency for International Development’sOffice of Foreign Disaster Assistance, which coordinated the flow of international assistance withFederal Emergency Management Agency and the State Task Force. Another 70 State personnelstaffed the Department’s forward office in Baton Rouge, as described in last month’s StateMagazine. One of the many offices contributing key roles to the Katrina response was the Houstonbranch of the Office of Foreign Missions, which was uniquely positioned to provide front-linesupport to the foreign diplomatic community, which was impacted by Katrina in myriad ways. OFMHouston’s story follows.

Katrina’sLEGACYKatrina’sLEGACY

29DECEMBER 2005

Office of Foreign Missions wascalled early and respondedquickly.

Hurricane Katrina’s landfallcatapulted the Houston branch ofthe Office of Foreign Missionsinto a key role—assisting in inter-national aspects of disaster relief.The local foreign ConsularCommunity was initially over-whelmed by the huge scope of theHurricane Katrina disaster andleaned heavily on OFM Houstonfor moral support, disaster condi-tion updates, regional sheltercontact information and generalinformation on Federal Emer-gency Management Agency(FEMA) and Red Cross disasterassistance programs.

The small but energizedHouston OFM staff met the chal-

After gathering strength in theCaribbean, Hurricane Katrina sweptover southern Florida with 75-mile-per-hour winds and emerged intactinto the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 26.Katrina quickly intensified into amonster Category 5 storm, with 175MPH winds and one of the lowestbarometric pressures ever recorded.

Katrina rapidly evolved into one ofthe most devastating natural disastersin U.S. history and spurred the forcedrelocation of hundreds of thousandsof homeless storm survivors fromNew Orleans and elsewhere along theGulf Coast, perhaps the largest suchinternal migration since the Civil War.Katrina set the stage for the StateDepartment’s historic first-timedirect participation in domestic disas-ter relief operations. Because of itslocation, the Houston branch of the

Ambassador Joe Sullivan holds a press conference in New Orleans to thank German and Dutchcivilian engineers who spent more than a month pumping out the ninth ward, which sufferedthe worst flooding in the city.

Korean diapers, stacked in a Red Cross warehouse, were among the donations sent by foreigncountries.

lenges head-on and professionally coordinated importantdisaster-related issues and operations for the diplomaticcommunity with a myriad of local, state and nongovern-mental organizations and diplomatic and federal agencies.Though trying at times, the staff ’s 15-hour days during thecrisis period produced tangible results and grateful “clients.”

OFM Houston kept consular officers abreast of changesby e-mailing detailed situation updates, providing dailyearly morning briefings in the Reliant Center (Astrodomecomplex) and through innumerable phone calls and meet-ings that lasted well into the evening hours. Once initialsecurity issues were resolved in New Orleans, the OFM staff

conveyed approval for entryinto the Katrina-ravaged areasfor dozens of foreign consularofficers, including several con-sular assessment teams fromthe United Kingdom, Spain,Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Australia,Honduras and elsewhere.

Diplomatic Security physi-cal security surveys werescheduled for the nine careerconsulates in New Orleans,and although minor damageoccurred, all the offices werestill basically intact. In theinitial days, OFM Houstonalso facilitated communicationbetween the Spanish Embassy,the Louisiana National Guardand Diplomatic Security in thesuccessful rescue of a Spanishparliamentarian and her

family from the New OrleansConvention Center.

The Department’s KatrinaTask Force, initially guided byAmbassador Eileen Malloyand subsequently by DeborahMcCarthy, acted as a centralclearinghouse for the interna-tional community. OFMWashington fully participated

in the Task Force as Paulette Sides and other OFM employ-ees helped ensure diplomats from all foreign embassies andconsulates within the U.S. were professionally assisted withtheir Katrina-related issues.

STATE SOUTHThe Department opened the “State South” Command

Center in Baton Rouge on Sept. 6, under the leadership ofAmbassador Joe Sullivan, himself a displaced Diplomat inResidence from Tulane University. Since Louisiana is withinOFM Houston’s region, (author) Deputy Regional DirectorBob Hopkins was quickly incorporated into the State South

30 STATE MAGAZINE

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A worker at a FEMA staging warehouse in New Iberia, La., poses with hundreds of boxes of supplies thatwent out to victims in the damaged coastal areas.

staff and remained in Baton Rouge until he closed the officeOct. 7. OFM’s daily routine in Baton Rouge included han-dling all direct interactions with foreign diplomaticpersonnel and consular officers in the region; coordinatingmultiple foreign excursions into New Orleans andMississippi; interacting with displaced consular officers toassist them in reorganizing temporary Consulate office sitesin Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Hammond and elsewhere; com-municating with DHS, USAID, FEMA and Louisianaofficials; fielding dozens of calls from foreign storm victims;and conducting multiple daily meetings with foreign delega-tions.

But the most demanding activity by far was interactingwith foreign consular officers, coroner officials, ICE repre-

sentatives, the Red Cross, Task Force 1 and StateSouth’s two Consular Affairs Officers to locateand catalog displaced or missing foreign citizens.In foreign mortality cases, detailed personal andgeographic information from the next of kin wasused by field coroners at the Katrina morguefacility near Baton Rouge. Because of the flood-waters, many of the deceased could not berecovered until New Orleans was dewatered.Even after recovery, the identification processwas complex, and at press time OFM was moni-toring four active foreign death cases.

For the author, the opportunity to workclosely with Consular Affairs officers ChrisLamora and Steve Sena at State South was anextremely valuable learning experience. Theyquickly reduced the number of missing foreign-ers from several thousand to several hundred andthe number of presumed foreign dead fromseveral hundred to fewer than 30. Even then,most of the confirmed foreign deaths were dualnationals with U.S. citizenship.

OFM organized an escorted trip to New Orleans for rep-resentatives from eight of the nine career consulates soonafter downtown areas were dewatered. Special agents fromthe Diplomatic Security Miami Field Office and NewOrleans Resident Office accompanied the 11-car caravan,and the foreign consular officers retrieved consular seals andsensitive documents from their consulates.

Even though Katrina was devastating, the disaster gaveOFM Houston a unique opportunity to forge invaluableprofessional and lasting personal relationships with theforeign consular corps and our colleagues in the DiplomaticSecurity Service. �

The author is OFM deputy regional director in Houston.

31DECEMBER 2005

Flooding devastated the low-lying ninth ward in New Orleans.

BECAUSE OF THE FLOODWATERS, MANY OF THE DECEASED COULD NOT

BE RECOVERED UNTIL NEW ORLEANS WAS DEWATERED. EVEN AFTER

RECOVERY, THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS WAS COMPLEX, AND AT PRESS

TIME OFM WAS MONITORING FOUR ACTIVE FOREIGN DEATH CASES.

BECAUSE OF THE FLOODWATERS, MANY OF THE DECEASED COULD NOT

BE RECOVERED UNTIL NEW ORLEANS WAS DEWATERED. EVEN AFTER

RECOVERY, THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS WAS COMPLEX, AND AT PRESS

TIME OFM WAS MONITORING FOUR ACTIVE FOREIGN DEATH CASES.

32 STATE MAGAZINE

WINNINGthe Next Phase

of the Warfor Talent

In January 2005, the State Department asked McKinsey & Co.to update the “War for Talent” study that the Una Chapman CoxFoundation had generously funded. The company evaluatedState’s efforts since 1999 in five key areas linked to the 1999findings: recruiting and hiring, professional development,spousal employment, performance evaluation and overallcommitment to leadership of the work force.

The Department also asked McKinsey to recommendfuture steps. McKinsey’s findings on progress to date as wellas the areas for future emphasis are summarized here.

1999 WAR FOR TALENTIn 1999, the Department asked McKinsey & Co. to eval-

uate its efforts to ensure that State would have the executivetalent it needed to fulfill its mission. That study, called“The War for Talent,” provided a road map for State at atime when the Department needed to refortify its ranksand renew its strength.

McKinsey compared broad survey results from State in1999 with 80 high-performing private sector companies.The company found at that time that while State’s talentpool was strong in the aggregate, there were identifiable

gaps, particularly in the perceptions of “people” leadership.McKinsey concluded that a dramatic across-the-board talent effortshould be undertaken to focus on managing Department talent.

The report identified five specific areas on which State needed tofocus:

• Talent Management: Senior managers did not rank talent manage-ment as a top priority.

• Expectations: Realities and expectations were not being communi-cated adequately during the recruitment/assimilation processes fornew employees.

BY SARAH CRAIG ANDMARIANNE MYLES

• Job Satisfaction: New employees viewed job autonomy,responsibility, mentoring/coaching, advancement speed andfeedback as unsatisfactory.

• Performance: Inadequate emphasis on this issue had ledto insufficient distinctions between high and lowperformers.

• Retention: Better compensation or opportunities else-where and spouse career conflicts were looming as likelyretention issues.

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESSAfter the 2005 review, McKinsey reported that “Despite

variations in the amount of progress across the five areas[since 1999], the cumulative effect of the changes has beendramatic. The vast majority of the employees we interviewedbelieve the changes have increased the Department’s ability tofulfill its mission and have improved employee morale.”

In 2005, McKinsey found that of the five areas reviewed, themost notable progress was found in two: recruitment andhiring and increasing the commitment to people leadership.They noted several highlights, including

• Successes in increasing the number and caliber of recruitsand increasing the overall number of employees by morethan 2,000 in three years. Since much of the success wasrooted in securing resources, McKinsey noted, “The fore-most reason why the Department obtained the additionalfunding was because the senior team repeatedlyimpressed upon Congress the imperative of having astrong diplomatic corps, particularly given the war onterror.” In addition, the report cited improved marketing

and the cultivation of successful applicants as a key to therecruitment successes.

• Considerable improvement in the Department’s commit-ment to coaching, developing and motivating employees,noting “The top team in particular has rewarded strongpeople leadership, participated in important Depart-mental rituals, fought for resources and expandedleadership training.” The report emphasizes that theDepartment success was largely due to support and par-ticipation of top leadership.

• Progress in professional development and spousalemployment. However, the report concluded that bothareas are just beginning to address the concerns of the1999 report.

THE ROAD AHEADLooking to the future, McKinsey advises that “Getting to

the next level of performance will require the Departmentboth to build upon these recent successes and to addressissues that it did not emphasize in the 1999–2004 period.”

McKinsey recommended that the Department focus onfour themes in the next phase of the war for talent:

• Make the 1999–2005 advances “stick.”• Increase middle managers’ commitment to people leader-

ship, in word and action.• Address a growing call for more consistently challenging

work.• Build the talent for transformational diplomacy.

MCKINSEY’S CONCLUSION“The State Department has made significant improve-

ments in talent management over the past five years. TheDepartment has the opportunity to increase the morale, pro-ductivity and efficacy of its workforce by both building uponand expanding beyond these past successes. To win the nextphase of the war for talent, the Department should focus oncompleting and institutionalizing its recent talent manage-ment advances, building middle managers’ commitment topeople leadership, answering the growing call for more chal-lenging work and building the skills for transformationaldiplomacy. By acting on these four themes, the Departmentwill improve its ability to manage the most importantresource in facing a transformed diplomatic environment—its people.” �

Sara Craig is a policy officer in the Office of PolicyCoordination; Marianne Myles is director of the Office ofRecruitment, Examination and Employment.

Editor’s Note: Inspired by the kindness of a Foreign Serviceofficer in 1948 Bombay, Una Chapman Cox chartered theUna Chapman Cox Foundation as the first nonprofit foun-dation to promote the effectiveness and professionalism ofthe Foreign Service. The Foundation recently celebrated its25th anniversary by honoring retired Foreign Service officerRoyal D. Bisbee, recently identified as the vice consul whowent above and beyond the call of duty.

33DECEMBER 2005

The Departmenthas the opportunityto increase the morale,productivity andefficacy of its work-force by both buildingupon and expandingbeyond these pastsuccesses.

““

34 STATE MAGAZINE

We live in a noisy world that seems toget louder every day: blaring car horns,airplanes thundering overhead, musicpumped through the headset of aniPod, deafening industrial and con-struction noise. Life shouts along. Noiseaffects us in many ways and in manycases so subtly that we often don’trealize it until it is too late.

Noise is defined as unwanted sound.It is measured in units called decibels.Normal conversation is about 60 dB.

Routine exposure to noise levels above85 dB-A (on the A-weighted scale,which most closely approximateshuman hearing) over an eight-hourworkday will damage hearing. Becausethe scale is logarithmic, an increase of 3dB-A doubles the acoustic energy, so 88dB-A is considered twice as loud as 85.The louder the noise, the quickerhearing loss can occur. The maximumsafe exposure time at 100 dB-A is 15minutes.

TO PROTECT

YOUR EARS,

TURN DOWN

THE VOLUME

BY KATE BRADFORD

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Noise affects health in many ways.The largest impact is hearing loss,which has been well documented innoisy workplaces. A World HealthOrganization report on noise finds thatit can also cause hypertension andheart disease and have psychologicaleffects such as disturbed sleep andstress. It can reduce performance inreading comprehension, attentiveness,problem solving and memory. Itincreases the likelihood of accidentsand leads to changes in social behavior.Noise above 80 dB-A may triggeraggressive behavior.

Loud WorldWhile many workplaces find ways to

decrease job-related noise, community-related noise is increasing andbecoming an important public healthproblem. Recreational items generatemore and more noise: iPods, Jet Skis,lawn mowers, leaf blowers—even thetoys we buy for our children. Peopleseek out noisy places for entertainment,including bars, rock concerts, movietheaters and sporting events. Hobbieslike yard work, carpentry, motorcycleriding and power boating often gener-ate noise.

Hearing loss is not a natural result ofaging; studies have shown that peoplenot exposed to noise can retain nearlyperfect hearing into old age.

Noise-induced hearing loss generallyoccurs unnoticed, since it is gradualand painless. It is also happening earlierin life. The baby boom generation—thefirst to listen to rock and roll, useWalkmans and enjoy noisy recreationalactivities—is suffering from wide-spread NIHL.

Yet, according to Dr. Ronna Fisher,audiologist at the Hearing HealthCenter in Chicago, NIHL is even moreprevalent among today’s youth, owingin part to the use of personal audioequipment. A recent study by theNational Center for EnvironmentalHealth found that 14.9 percent of chil-dren between the ages of 6 and 19 yearshave hearing loss in one or both ears asa result of exposure to noise. European

standards set maximum output of per-sonal audio equipment at 100 dB-A.The United States has no such stan-dards and levels above 120 dB-A are notuncommon.

NIHL usually begins when the haircells in the inner ear, called cilia, areflattened. After a period of quiet, thecilia straighten up again, but repeatedexposure to noise will cause permanent

damage—like killing grass by tram-pling on it too much. Unlike grass,however, cilia do not grow back oncethe damage has occurred. Dr. Fishersays that “hearing is rarely checkeduntil symptoms appear, and then it’stoo late to undo the damage. Hearingloss is cumulative, permanent and irre-versible. And people generally wait 7 to10 years after first noticing symptomsbefore seeking medical help.”

Destroying the cilia results in the lossof the ability to hear certain soundfrequencies, beginning around the4,000-Hertz range. These frequenciesare critically important for communi-cation, since consonants known as thespeech discriminators—the s, f, sh, th, pand d sounds—are in this range. Thefirst sign of damage is usually difficultyunderstanding others when there isbackground noise. Another sign isringing or buzzing in the ears, called

tinnitus. A Swiss study of youths aged16 to 25 found that 71 percent reportedexperiencing tinnitus following atten-dance at a music event.

Limit the Damage—NowNIHL is preventable by limiting

exposure to noise, either by turningdown the volume or wearing hearingprotection such as earplugs. If you mustraise your voice to be heard by someonean arm’s length away or find yourselfstraining to hear someone over back-ground noise, the noise level is likelyharming your hearing. Dr. Fisher esti-mates that every rock concert peopleattend ages their ears by 2.5 years. If yougo to a rock concert, take earplugs.

Get a hearing examination if youthink you may have hearing loss or ifyou have symptoms similar to thosedescribed here. This will serve two pur-poses: to get you help if needed and toestablish a baseline against which tomonitor future changes in yourhearing.

Invest in noise-canceling headphonesfor personal music devices. These dra-matically reduce background noise andimprove the quality of the sound, so thevolume can be set lower.

Consider noise levels when buyingrecreational equipment, toys, house-hold appliances and power tools.Choose quieter models whenever possi-ble, especially for frequently used itemslike vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers.Pay attention to noise from your chil-dren’s toys and teach them to lower thevolume on iPods. If you can hear theirmusic from headphones at an arm’slength away, it’s too loud.

For most of us, hearing well is a crit-ical factor in our quality of life. We relyon it to communicate. And it allows usto hear beauty in music, serves as awarning against danger and providesconfirmation that we ourselves havebeen heard. Protect your ability to hearbefore it is too late. �

The author is a certified industrialhygienist in the Safety, Health andEnvironmental Management Division.

The baby boom

generation—the first

to listen to rock and

roll, use Walkmans

and enjoy noisy

recreational activities

—is suffering from

widespread NIHL.

36 STATE MAGAZINE

P E O P L E L I K E Y O U

HISTORY BUFF WRITESACCLAIMED BOOKS—

IN HIS SPARE TIMEBY BILL PALMER

WORDPASSION

During the week, Peter Cozzens works in thebustling city of Monterrey, Mexico. On weekends,he travels to a different world altogether: theverdant Shenandoah Valley in the rural heart ofVirginia.

It’s not as exhausting as it sounds. His mindmakes the trip, not his body. He pores over pho-tocopies of diaries, letters, official reports andother primary-source documents in reconstruct-ing the valley campaign of Confederate generalStonewall Jackson and forming it into a narrativethat will eventually be his 15th book on the CivilWar and American Indian wars.

Peter, a Foreign Service officer serving asdeputy consul general in Monterrey—one of the largest U.S.consulates in the world—is also a critically acclaimed authorand editor. Except for his first book, written before he joinedthe Department, and his second, written during a year’s leaveof absence, all his historical research, writing and lecturingtakes place during his off-hours and leave days from his full-time diplomatic career.

He has been interested in military history from the time helearned to read. He participated in Civil War roundtables allthrough high school in suburban Chicago. After college, hejoined the Army and got the itch to write. What better subjectthan the Civil War? He looked for a campaign “that hadn’tbeen written into the ground” and produced a manuscriptthat made its way to the director of the University of IllinoisPress, where it sat on a shelf for six months. After two

eminent historians praised it, it was finally published as NoBetter Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River. It became aBook-of-the-Month Club selection and History Book Clubbestseller.

His next two books, This Terrible Sound: The Battle ofChickamauga and The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battlesfor Chattanooga, were History Book Club main selectionsand were chosen by Civil War Magazine as 2 of the 100 great-est books (out of more than 60,000) written on the Civil War.But still he kept his day job.

How does he manage two simultaneous careers? First, healways looks for assignments in the Western Hemisphere—Mexico, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica—so he is a reasonableflying distance to battlefields and speaking engagements.(His experience of battlefields is not just academic: In Peru, a PH

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37DECEMBER 2005

P E O P L E L I K E Y O U

guerrilla group detonated a bomb that shattered the slidingdoors of his apartment and blew glass shards onto the bed hehad been sleeping in minutes before.)

He dedicates one day each weekend to writing. He can’t domuch research via the Internet because he mostly usesprimary sources, many unpublished, that sit in libraries andhistorical societies. His reputation is such that he has littletrouble getting archivists to send him photocopies.“My bookroyalties get recycled back into research expenses,” he notes.

He always visits the battlefields he writes about, most ofwhich are national military parks. “It is critical to walk theground,” he says, to uncover lies in official reports andunderstand the problems of maneuvering troops over acertain terrain. During his research on Chickamauga, forexample, he spent four weeks on the battlefield and in thepark library.

His Army years gave him an understanding of the basicprinciples of war, which he says haven’t changed much. Toget a sense of how war might have felt to the ordinary soldier,he has taken part in Civil War reenactments, where he mightspend several days sleeping on the ground in an itchy woolenuniform, not bathing, eating hardtack and pork belly andexperiencing the noise and confusion of battle (minus thelive ammunition). “I try to relate the human side, thesoldier’s perspective in my books,” he says.

Moving from the Civil War to the Indian wars was a logicalprogression. Peter discovered the memoirs of Union generalJohn Pope, who fell into disgrace after losing the secondbattle of Bull Run and was sent out West to fight Indians.Peter collected and published the memoirs and later wrote abiography of Pope. Interestingly, he found that Pope andsome other generals became advocates for Indian rights, astand that put them in opposition to many politicians, set-tlers and land grabbers.

Peter’s five-volume work on the Indian wars has beencalled by experts the most comprehensive and importantwork on those wars.

He has returned to the Civil War for his latest book on thelegendary Jackson, who he is finding to be “not as great as hispopular image.” Next, he is planning a book on thePetersburg campaign, which lasted 10 months but has neverbeen subjected to single-volume treatment. “That shouldtake care of the next six or seven years,” he says.

When he retires, he hopes to continue writing—includingperhaps historical fiction—as well as teach history andlecture. He wouldn’t mind more gigs like a Civil War cruisedown the Mississippi he took on the American Queen, thelargest inland cruise ship in the world. He and his wifeenjoyed free accommodations for giving battlefield tours toother passengers, who were paying $1,000 a day.

But it’s not the perks that keep him going. “It’s a passion,”he says. “I feel compelled to do it.” �

The author is a writer/editor at State Magazine.

Peter Cozzens’ published books

No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River.Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990. (A selection ofthe Book-of-the-Month Club and a History Book Clubbestseller).

This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga.Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992. (A MainSelection of the History Book Club).

The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles forChattanooga. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994.(A Main Selection of the History Book Club).

The Darkest Days of the War: The Battles of Iuka andCorinth. Chapel Hill: University Press of North Carolina,1997. (A selection of the History Book Club).

The Military Memoirs of General John Pope. ChapelHill: University Press of North Carolina, 1999. (A selec-tion of the History Book Club).

General John Pope: A Life for the Nation. Urbana:University of Illinois Press, 2000. (A selection of theHistory Book Club).

Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars, Volume 1: TheStruggle for Apacheria. Mechanicsburg: StackpoleBooks, 2001. (A selection of the History Book Club).

Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars, Volume 2: The Warsfor the Pacific Northwest. Mechanicsburg: StackpoleBooks, 2002. (A selection of the History Book Club).

Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars, Volume 3: Conqueringthe Southern Plains. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books,2003. (A selection of the History Book Club).

Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars, Volume 4: The LongWar for the Northern Plains. Mechanicsburg: StackpoleBooks, 2004. (A selection of the History Book Club andthe Military Book Club).

Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars, Volume 5: The Armyand the Indian. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2004.(A selection of the History Book Club).

The New Annals of the Civil War. Mechanicsburg:Stackpole Books, 2004. (A selection of the History BookClub and the Military Book Club).

Shenandoah: The Valley Campaign of 1862. (work inprogress; forthcoming from the University Press ofNorth Carolina).

38 STATE MAGAZINE

Student Records OnlineNeed your class schedule or an unofficial transcript of training takenthrough FSI? Visit the FSI Registrar’s Office web page on theDepartment of State OpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg.

Mandatory Leadership Training Leadership training is mandatory for Foreign Service and Civil Serviceemployees at the FS-03/GS-13 levels and above to ensure that theyhave the necessary preparation for increasing levels of responsibility.FSI’s Leadership and Management School offers the required coursesto meet these mandatory training requirements, and other leadershipcourses for all FS and GS employees.

Mandatory CoursesFS-3/GS-13 PK245 Basic Leadership Skills

FS-2/GS-14 PT207 Intermediate Leadership Skills

FS-1/GS-15 PT210 Advanced Leadership Skills

Managers and SupervisorsPT107 EEO Diversity Awareness for Managers

and Supervisors

Newly promoted FS-OC/SESPT133 Senior Executive Threshold Seminar

Senior Policy SeminarsFSI’s Leadership and Management School offers professional develop-ment and policy seminars for senior-level executives of theDepartment and the foreign affairs/national security community.

For more information contact FSI’s Leadership and ManagementSchool at (703) 302-6743, FSILMS@state.gov orhttp://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov/fsi/lms/.

FasTrac Distance Learning Program, Learn atYour Own Pace, When and Where You Want! All State Department employees, FSNs and EFMs are eligible. Withyour FasTrac password, you may access the entire FasTrac catalog ofmore than 3,000 courses, from home or office (Intranet or Internet).Courses cover numerous topics, such as project management, com-puter skills and grammar and writing skills, as well as soft skills such asleadership training. To view the complete FasTrac catalog, visit theFasTrac web site at http://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

FSI Distance Learning ProgramAn extensive menu of FSI-developed distance learning courses is alsoavailable to eligible participants on the FSI learning management sys-tem. See (U) State 009772 dated January 14, 2005, or the FSI webpage (Distance Learning) for information.

Dates for FSI Transition Center Courses are shown below. For informa-tion on all the courses available at FSI, visit the FSI Schedule ofCourses on the Department of State’s OpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov.See Department Notices for announcements of new courses and newcourse dates and periodic announcements of external training oppor-tunities sponsored by FSI.

education training

GEORGE P. SHULTZ NATIONAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS TRAINING CENTER

Security JAN FEB Length

MQ911 SOS: Security Overseas Seminar 9, 23 6,13 2D

MQ912 ASOS: Advanced SecurityOverseas Seminar 3 21 1D

Foreign Service Life Skills JAN FEB Length

MQ104 Regulations and Finances 13 3D

MQ111 Making Presentations: Designto Delivery 8 3D

MQ115 Explaining America 27 1D

MQ116 Protocol and U.S. RepresentationAbroad 28 25 1D

MQ117 Tax Seminar 22 1D

MQ203 Singles in Foreign Service 11 .5D

MQ802 Communicating Across Cultures 4 1D

MQ853 Managing Rental Property Overseas 25 1D

MQ915 Emergency Medical Care andTrauma Workshop 25 1D

Career Transition Center JAN FEB Length

RV101 Retirement Planning Seminar 28 4D

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

For additional information, please contact the Office of the Registrarat (703) 302-7144/7137.

39DECEMBER 2005

A P P O I N T M E N T S

U.S. Representative to the UnitedNations. John Robert Bolton ofMaryland, an attorney and longtimepublic servant, is the new U.S.Representative to the United Nations.Until recently, he was Under Secretaryfor Arms Control and InternationalSecurity. Prior to that, he was seniorvice president of the AmericanEnterprise Institute. His other positions

include assistant secretary for International OrganizationAffairs at State, assistant attorney general at Justice and assis-tant administrator for Policy and Program Coordination atthe U.S. Agency for International Development.

U.S. Ambassador to Belize. RobertJohann Dieter of Colorado, an attor-ney and law professor, is the new U.S.Ambassador to Belize. Previously, hewas clinical professor of law at theUniversity of Colorado. Before that,he was a deputy district attorney andin private practice. In 2003, PresidentBush appointed him to the board ofthe Legal Services Corporation, which

funds legal aid programs. He is married and has threechildren.

U.S. Representative to the Organ-ization for Security and Cooperationin Europe. Julie Finley of the District ofColumbia, a political and communityactivist, is the new U.S. Representativeto the Organization for Security andCooperation in Europe. Until recently,she was a trustee of the NationalEndowment for Democracy. She was afounder of the U.S. Committee on

NATO. She served as D.C. Republican National committee-woman, 2000–2004, and was national finance co-chairmanfor Bush-Cheney ’04 for D.C. She is widowed and has twosons.

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.Karen Hughes of Texas, a former WhiteHouse and campaign official, is the newUnder Secretary for Public Diplomacyand Public Affairs. She was counselor toPresident Bush during his first term andhis communications director for the2000 presidential campaign. She wasalso his communications directorduring his six years as governor of

Texas. Before that, she was a television news reporter.

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.Sean Ian McCormack of the District ofColumbia, a career member of theForeign Service, Class Two, is the newAssistant Secretary for Public Affairs.Previously, he was spokesman for theNational Security Council and deputyWhite House press secretary for foreignpolicy. His overseas assignments includeAnkara and Algiers. Prior to joining the

Foreign Service, he was an arms control and nonproliferationanalyst at Meridian Corporation.

U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. FrancisJoseph Ricciardone Jr. of NewHampshire, a career member of theSenior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is the new U.S. Ambassadorto the Arab Republic of Egypt. Untilrecently, he was ambassador to thePhilippines and Palau. Prior to that, hewas director of the Department’s TaskForce on the Coalition Against

Terrorism and senior adviser to the Director General of theForeign Service. His other overseas assignments includeAnkara, Cairo, Amman, London and Egypt’s Sinai Desert.

Under Secretary for Economic,Business and Agricultural Affairs.Josette Sheeran Shiner of Virginia, agovernment official, businesswomanand journalist, is the new UnderSecretary for Economic, Business andAgricultural Affairs. Until recently, shewas deputy United States TradeRepresentative. Before that, she wasmanaging director of Starpoint

Solutions, a technology firm. She was managing editor of theWashington Times and wrote a nationally syndicated columnfor Scripps Howard News Service.

Assistant Secretary for InternationalOrganization Affairs. Kristen Silver-berg of Texas, an attorney and WhiteHouse official, is the new AssistantSecretary for International Organi-zation Affairs. She previously served asdeputy assistant to the President andadviser to the White House chief ofstaff. She also served as deputy assistantto the President for domestic policy.

Prior to that, she served as senior adviser to Ambassador PaulBremer in Iraq. Earlier, she served as law clerk to SupremeCourt Justice Clarence Thomas.

40 STATE MAGAZINE

O B I T U A R I E S

Wilfred P. Allard, 92, a retired ForeignService officer, died Oct. 5 after a shortillness in Arlington, Va. He served withMilitary Intelligence before joining theDepartment in 1944. His overseas post-ings included Panama, Lima, Paris,Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon andVientiane. After retirement, he served asan escort-interpreter for French- andSpanish-speaking official visitors.

Angeliki Kresse, 78, wife of retiredForeign Service officer Thomas R.Kresse, died Aug. 3 of lung cancer inAthens, Greece. She accompanied herhusband on overseas postings toHelsinki, Montevideo, Damascus,Valletta, Bangkok, Manila, Brussels andAthens.

Katheryne Seep Loughran, 79, wife ofretired Foreign Service officer JohnLoughran, died of cancer in ChevyChase, Md. She accompanied herhusband on overseas postings toEngland, France, Germany, Liberia, TheGambia, Senegal and Somalia, where hewas ambassador. She and her husbandcreated the Foundation for CrossCultural Understanding and developed

exhibits and programs on African culture. She was a painterknown for her portraits, still lifes and landscapes.

Lauralee Peters, 62, a retired ForeignService officer, died Aug. 23 in Virginia.Her overseas assignments includedParaguay, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistanand Sierra Leone, where she served asambassador. A security and personnelconsultant, she lectured frequently atU.S. military schools and installations.Her interests included the AmericanHorticultural Society, Meals on Wheels

and the Boy Scouts.

Clayton Frederick “Rick” Ruebensaal Jr.,53, a retired Foreign Service officer, diedOct. 19 of heart failure in Bethesda, Md.His overseas assignments includedUdorn and Bangkok, Thailand; Geneva,Switzerland; Hamilton, Bermuda; andTel Aviv. Most recently, he played a leadrole in negotiating an economic supportprogram for Micronesia.

Lynn Eugene Stevens, 61, a retired Foreign Service officer,died Oct. 11 in Tucson, Ariz. Before joining the Department,he served in the Navy. His overseas postings includedMadrid, Melbourne, Vienna, Brussels, Maseru, La Paz,Johannesburg, Mexico City, Guinea-Bissau, Tokyo andBridgetown. He retired in 1998.

R E T I R E M E N T S

Amis, Donald J.Ballif IV, John LymanBattle, Vincent M.Blaney, John WilliamBoggs Jr., Robert K.Boorstein, Michael A.Brito, Sandra HamiltonBrooks, William E.Browning, Robert L.Bushnell, PrudenceCairo, Frank D.Caples, Cynthia B.Corley, Tommy G.Donelson, Joe M.Feely, Billy D.Finn, Robert Patrick JohnFitzpatrick, Mark T.

Fort, Jane Anderson BentonFrench, Michael D.Gallant, Craig J.Graham, Nancy L.Greene, James F.Hillman, Stuart R.Holland, Ann H.Hyams, Robert StevenInterlandi, Anthony JohnJohnson, Carolyn R.Johnson, Daniel A.Johnson, Sura R.Johnson, Thomas N.Keeton, Edward DavidKrueger, Karen E.Kunstadter Jr., John W.Lauer, Roger

Lyon, David L.McGevna, Helena NienstedtMurphy, Thomas M.Ohta, John T.Palmer Jr., William M.Peavy, M. AngierPendergrass, Dewey R.Perez, Abelardo InfanteSalazar, Patricia E.Spikes, Daniel AlanSprow, Gregory BrianSwain Jr., Levia F.Sykes, Jill AhearnSykes, Kenneth EdwardTerpstra, Donald E.Tynes, Robert E.

Adams, William LeeBarcas, Catherine H.Copas, Aulikki K.Cunningham, JohnDearing, John A.Dudley, Charlotte E.Jones, Andrea G.Kagen, Betsy HelenKrantz Jr., Robert L.

Lee, Sue LiMcDonald, Dian J.Miller, Bowman H.Miller, John A.Reid, Ann MadisonReitz, Hazel M.Richter, Jay ElliotTyler, Jean L.Walton, Annette G.

CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENTS FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENTS

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