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

October 2003

StateStateM a g a z i n e

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

miamiMIGHT

State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165) is published monthly,except bimonthly in July and August, by the U.S. Departmentof State, 2201 C St., N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals postagepaid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing locations.POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to State Magazine,HR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-0108.State Magazine is published to facilitate communication betweenmanagement and employees at home and abroad and toacquaint employees with developments that may affect opera-tions or personnel. The magazine is also available to personsinterested in working for the Department of State and to thegeneral public.

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StateStateMagazine

Carl GoodmanEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Paul KoscakWRITER/EDITOR

Dave KreckeWRITER/EDITOR

David L. JohnstonART DIRECTOR

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Florence FultzCHAIR

Jo Ellen PowellEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Sylvia BazalaCynthia Bunton

Bill HaughBill Hudson

Jim LawrenceJim Trommatter

FSI Retools Consular TrainingIn our next issue: Students of the Advanced

Consular Course visitGround Zero.

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12 Post of the Month: KuwaitA steadfast ally and a study in contrasts.

16 Office of the Month: Diplomatic ReceptionService comes with diplomacy and security.

19 Seeing Opportunity Instead of BarriersLimited vision has inspired her to aim higher.

22 Following the MoneyOffice finds and freezes terrorist funds.

24 Miami MightOffices pool their resources in the Sunshine State.

30 California by Bike or BustRetiree sticks to “blue highways” on westward trek.

32 Toolkit Offers Tips for Entry-Level OfficersJunior officers study seniors’ notes.

34 Brain and BrawnPutting money and muscle into public diplomacy training.

StateContents

D e p a r t m e n t o f S t a t e • U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m e r i c a

StateMagazine

October 2003No. 472

C O L U M N S

D E P A R T M E N T S

On the CoverThe sun rises over the city

of Miami.

Photo courtesy Photodisc

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Lauren Nieland, DiplomaticSecurity agent, visits the newtraining center at the FloridaRegional Center. Looking on isDoyle Lee, information manage-ment director.

A punishing sandstormreduces visibility at theU.S. Embassy compound inKuwait City to mere feet.

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2 From the Secretary

11 From the Acting D.G.

3 Letters to the Editor

4 In the News

37 Medical Report

38 People Like You

39 Obituaries

39 Personnel Actions

2 State Magazine

In the managementof U.S. foreign policy,there is no substitutefor sound strategy.The President musthave a concept thattranslates an under-standing of major

global trends into policies that advance American inter-ests and principles.

By strategy, I do not mean “grand strategy” in theclassical European imperial sense, because we do notseek a territorial empire. We seek a world in which lib-erty, prosperity and peace can become the heritage of allpeoples. By strategy I do mean implementing thePresident’s vision of a better world through the estab-lishment of policy priorities.

There are many dangers facing the United States, itsallies and its friends. There are also many opportunitiesbefore us. We would like to forestall every danger andtake advantage of every opportunity. But we cannot doeverything we wish all at once.

As powerful as the United States is, it is not omnipo-tent. As we have seen in Afghanistan and in Iraq, too,military victory is not the same as political success. Theformer may be a necessary condition for the latter, but itis rarely if ever a sufficient one. As wealthy as the UnitedStates is, it is not without economic limits. As wise asAmerican leaders may be, they are not omniscient. Andthe world these days is not easy to understand.

So we must make judgments as best we can, and wemust choose our policy focus. It is in making these judg-ments and choices that strategy comes into being.

President Bush has made choices, and he does have astrategy—presented in full form in September 2002 asthe National Security Strategy of the United States.These choices make up a strategy that every member ofour State Department team should take to heart.

Unfortunately, the National Security Strategy hasoften been read selectively. Some have focused to excesson what the document says about preemptive action. Asa result, many others who have not read the documentsuppose that American strategy is mainly or only aboutpreemption. Of course, it is not. The National SecurityStrategy features eight substantive chapters, none ofthem devoted to preemption. Only two sentences in one

section deal with preemption, and then only in the con-text of the war on terrorism.

The National Security Strategy does discuss, at fargreater length, alliances and partnerships. It describes atlength free trade and new American initiatives in eco-nomic development assistance. It illuminates thePresident’s determination to promote freedom and dig-nity in the world, and our efforts to control the prolifer-ation of weapons of mass destruction. It delves into themounting problem of managing global public healthchallenges and advances American proposals to solvethat problem. It devotes a chapter, too, to managing rela-tions with great powers.

It is natural that recent discussion of U.S. foreign pol-icy be centered on the global war against terrorism.Terrorism hit home on September 11, 2001, and theAmerican people understandably want to know whatgovernment is doing about it. But the President’s strate-gy is broad and deep, as it must be to deal both with ter-rorism and with other national security concerns.

Just as we are succeeding in the war on terrorism, soU.S. foreign policy is making progress in other areas.Relations with Russia, China and India all haveimproved simultaneously. Despite some bumps in theroad, NATO is adjusting creatively to a new era as itretools and expands. Relations with Japan, Australiaand other allies have achieved unprecedented levels ofcooperation.

In conjunction with our allies, too, U.S. efforts aremaking progress in moving conflicts in the Middle East,Africa, the Balkans and Northern Ireland toward stablepeaceful settlements. American diplomacy has alsoendeavored to move South Asia away from the brink ofconfrontation and toward reconciliation.

Not least, through the Millennium ChallengeAccount, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and thePresident’s initiative on HIV/AIDS in Africa, we areconfronting head on the challenges of poverty and glob-al public health on a worldwide basis.

The State Department’s leadership role in advancingPresident Bush’s foreign policy is central. But it is notenough that our Public Affairs specialists advocateAmerican strategy, at home and abroad. Each of us,every day, in all the professional tasks we perform, mustbe an ambassador for American strategy. ThisDepartment as a whole must be the State of strategy. ■

FROM THE SECRETARYSECRETARY COLIN L. POWELL

The State of Strategy

You could say the Department pulls some weightin Miami. But it does so because it has pooled itsresources and is cooperating closely with otheragencies that have common interests in protectingthe country’s borders, fighting crime and advancingdiplomacy. Reporter Paul Koscak visited the sun-drenched city recently. His report starts on page 24.

Majorie Stern isn’t your typical consular officer.She has a condition that limits her vision, but thelimitation has only inspired her to set her sightshigher. In doing so, she has earned the admiration

of her colleagues for her determination and humor.Intern Lauren Frese interviewed Ms. Stern at heroffice in Hermosillo, Mexico. Her story appears onpage 19.

If you’re planning a party, you may look withenvy on the Diplomatic Reception folks who areprofessional party people. But unless you’ve gotcontacts in high places, you may want to book anearby restaurant. You can, however, check themenu on page 16.

October 2003 3

MisinterpretationIn your June article by Leslie

Hayden on the oral history sessionof a number of former under secre-taries of State for Political Affairs, apoint I made was misinterpreted.

To clarify, I said that if there werefewer assistant secretaries withlarger and more significant areas ofresponsibility, that would enhancetheir role and authority both in theDepartment and the interagencyprocess.

Thomas R. PickeringRetired FSOAlexandria, Va.

Editor: The mistake was in editing, not the author’s.

A Good Friend of the United States

I enjoyed the July/August Post ofthe Month story on Sofia. I thoughtit odd, however, that you did notmention the name of Prime MinisterSimeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (theonce and possibly future king). Heis one of the best friends the UnitedStates has in Eastern Europe, yetyou only passingly refer to him in a

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From the Editor

Saving the ChimpsI was delighted to read in the

July/August issue BrennanGilmore’s article on Sierra Leone’s

chimpanzees. Whilestationed at the U.S.Embassy in Freetownfrom 1995 to 1996,several of us (theBreed family in par-ticular) regularly vis-ited the TacugamaC h i m p a n z e eSanctuary.

I often wondered ifthe chimps had sur-vived the war. Iraised about $10,000for the sanctuary andsecured a number of“adoption” pledges to

provide food and medicines for theadopted chimps. But I had fearedthe worst due to the lengthy warand evacuations from the area.

I am glad to see that the chimpsnot only survived those turbulentyears but that more people are tak-ing an interest in their plight.

Lizzie SlaterInformation Program OfficerPort Louis

side note as “the democraticallyelected prime minister.”

I believe his disposition to workwith us is at least partially due to hishaving spent a yearat a military schoolin the United Stateswhen he was 18 or19. At the time (1957to 1958), I headed thevisa unit in Madrid,where he was livingas a monarch inexile.

His secretary cameto the embassy withhis passport andrequested a visa. Itold him I wouldhave to interview hismajesty, but wouldbe happy to go to his home to do so,out of respect for his status as a king.I did so and had a long and pleasantconversation with him. He told mehe was confident that communismwould one day collapse and that hewould return to his country.

He was very far-sighted for such ayoung man.

J. Edgar WilliamsRetired FSOChapel Hill, N.C.

Lizzie Slater

HOPE

4 State Magazine

I N T H E N E W S

New Report ChartsProgress in Democracy

The United States is one of the world’s leading defenders ofhuman rights and democratic freedoms. During the past 50 years,U.S. initiatives have helped to spread democracy from LatinAmerica to Eastern Europe and they continue today in nationsfrom Africa to Asia.

To highlight these successes, the Bureau of Democracy,Human Rights and Labor has released a new, congressionally-mandated report, Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: TheU.S. Record 2002/2003. The report supplements the bureau’swidely known Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.While the annual country reports cover human rights abusesin 196 countries, the new report details U.S. governmentefforts to fight human rights abuses and promote democra-cy in 92 of those countries.

Holding a copy of the first report at a ceremony cele-brating its publication, Deputy Secretary RichardArmitage said, “In these pages you will find countriessuch as Burma and Burundi, where brutal regimes andrelentless conflict have exacted a terrible daily toll ofhuman misery.” The United States and others have pres-

sured both countries to release prisoners, respect humanrights, reform their governments and reach for peace,

Mr. Armitage said. U.S. actions range from opening diplomatic channels to funding a vari-

ety of human rights and democracy promotion programs, to sponsoringacademic exchanges, human rights training, election monitoring, Internetaccess and military training. The programs encourage religious freedomand freedom of the press and strengthen political and social institutions.

The report describes numerous U.S. efforts to advance democracy. InAzerbaijan, there’s been dialogue with government authorities and fundingto train election monitors and build political parties. In Morocco, millionsof dollars have been invested in grants to reform the penal code, trainwomen political candidates, strengthen political parties and raise aware-ness of the issues surrounding trafficking of persons and religious freedom.

light of

OnlineSupporting HumanRights and Democracycan be found online atwww.state.gov/g/drl.

October 2003 5

Three employees from the Department of State are among the 28 finalists forthe 2003 Service to America Medals, which recognize pioneering federalemployees who have exceeded the expectation of their duties.

Kimber Davidson has been nominated for the National Security andInternational Affairs Medal, Alyson McFarland for the Call to Service Medal andAndre Surena for the Career Achievement Medal.

The Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit recruiting organization for thefederal Civil Service, and the Atlantic Media Co. teamed up in 2002 to create themedals.

“I am pleased the Partnership for Public Service recognized the fine work ofthese three individuals,” Secretary Powell said. “It is not only a tribute to them,but also to the other 47,000 men and women here in the United States andaround the world who work tirelessly to create a more secure, democratic andprosperous world for the benefit of the American people.”

More than 100 participantsfrom the U.S. Embassy in Romezipped through a five-kilometercourse in this year’s Race for theCure, an annual benefit for breastcancer research. Running orwalking over a historic route, theemployees passed the Coliseum,the Roman Forum and CircusMaximus.

The Komen Foundation wasestablished in Dallas more than20 years ago by U.S. Ambassadorto Hungary Nancy GoodmanBrinker to honor her sister Susan

by funding research to find a curefor the disease that took her life.The Race for the Cure is now thenation’s largest fund raiser forbreast cancer research, contribut-ing $600 million for research, edu-cation, screening and treatment.

The Komen Race for theCure has grown from alocal race with 800 par-ticipants to a world-wide race with anexpected 1.5 millionparticipants this year.

U.S. Missionin ItalyRaces forthe Cure

Resting and socializing in the shade at the Terme di Caracalla, participants relax aftersuccessfully completing the race.

Three Are Finalists forService to America Medals

211,700 Projected number of deaths from breast cancerin 2003 (women and men combined).

6 State Magazine

Delegates and ministers from 35 countries attendedthe Earth Observation Summit held at the StateDepartment.

Organized by the Bureau of Oceans, Environment andScience, the July summit offered a forum for nations tocall for a fully integrated Earth observation system tohelp predict and protect the earth from climate change.

The State Department set ambitious goals to promote small busi-ness in fiscal year 2002 and has exceeded its own expectations.

Each year the Office of Small and Disadvantaged BusinessUtilization works with the Small Business Administration to offermore contracts to small businesses. While the federal minimum goalwas a 23 percent increase in contract dollars to small businesses in2002, State achieved a 47.1 percent hike.

The Department ranks first among federal agencies in the percent-age of dollars awarded to small businesses owned by socially or eco-nomically disadvantaged citizens participating in SBA’s SmallBusiness Development program. The Department ranks second interms of the percentage of total dollars awarded to small businesses.It also ranks second in the percentage of dollars awarded to busi-nesses in historically underutilized business zones and third in con-tracts with service-disabled veterans.

The Department continues to champion the interests of small busi-ness. Applications for nominating small business firms are availableat the Bureau of Administration’s web site, http://asdbu.a.state.gov.

Small Business Boon

“To completely see, hear, taste and smell the blue orbwe have been given, Earth, a space observation systemis necessary,” Secretary Powell said in his openingremarks.

Secretaries of Energy and Commerce, SpencerAbraham and Don Evans, respectively, joined SecretaryPowell in anticipating what the gathering could accom-plish.

“Nothing is more important than measuring theheartbeat of mother Earth,” said Mr. Evans, who viewsthe summit as a “historic opportunity” in environmen-talism.

With a panel of speakers, a roundtable discussionwith representatives from each nation and several bilat-eral and multilateral working groups, the summitoffered opportunities to devise plans for an inter-national, integrated observation system.

Each nation confirmed its commitment to the system.Most delegates thanked the United States for hosting thesummit, listed their domestic and multilateral commit-ment to sustainable development projects and empha-sized the importance of a transparent and fully inte-grated system to observe climate change. Many echoed

the enthusiastic statements ofthe ambassador of NewZealand, John Wood, whostressed that continuedresearch was vital but mustnot overshadow the need for

quick action to solve the variety of problems arisingfrom climate change, such as floods, diseases anddroughts.

Each nation will determine its own contributions tothe system before reconvening in Tokyo next spring. Thesystem should be capable of predicting climate changein 10 years, an objective set by the group last June.

View From AboveState Hosts Earth Summit

The year 2003 marks the ninth anniversary ofthe Rwandan Genocide. Remembering the vic-tims of genocide not only serves to honor andmourn them, but also to deter future genocide.

Even though the overall social, economic andpolitical situation in Rwanda has improved sig-nificantly since 1994, the marks of the genocide’slegacy remain. It claimed approximately one mil-lion lives, destroyed property and left in its wakewidows, orphans, violated women and physical-ly disabled citizens. The psychological traumacontinues to disturb survivors.

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali held a memorialservice last June and invited members of the vic-tims’ families.

The service recognized the loss of 28 missionemployees to the genocide. In an ecumenicalservice, interfaith representatives from theMuslim Council, Seventh Day Adventist,Protestant and Catholic churches memorializedfallen colleagues in English and Kinyarwanda.

“Remember that their beloved’s blood purifiesour land and nation from every evil act,” MuftiSwaleh Habimana said.

The name of each of the 28 victims and briefdetails about their families were read aloud andtestimonies from survivors followed.Courageously, 15-year-old Fiona and 13-year-oldDiana, whose parents, Mr. and Mrs. EmmanuelKayitare, were murdered in their daughters’ pres-ence, recounted the event.

“The memorial service should always serve asa reminder of the responsibility all Rwandansshare in seeing that genocide never occurs again,”said Pierre Munyura, president of the ForeignService National Committee, which helped planthe event.

“Unfortunately we cannot change the past, butwe can and must draw on lessons learned fromthe past and influence the future,” said FrançoisNgarambe, president of IBUKA, the Survivors’Association. He appealed to the internationalcommunity and the U.S. Mission in particular tocontinue as Rwanda’s close partner in this effort.

October 2003 7

U.S. Mission inKigali Remembers

Ambassador Margaret McMillion unveiled a plaque honor-ing the 28 mission employees. The plaque reads:

United States MissionKigali, Rwanda

IN MEMORIAAndré Karani

Jean Nepomuscène NicyoliberaAloys HakizimanaModeste Kayitesi

Donath MutuyeyezuTheophile Kazungu

Eugène NyirumulingaMédard Mwumvaneza

Marc BizimunguCome Rusimbi

Edmond BizumuremyiFrancois Mugenzi

Telesphore NdayambajeAndrew GasanaDamien Mivumbi

Godelieve KagoyinyongaFélix Mupenzi

Pierre Claver MulindahabiClement Sebera

Thaddée RuzirabwobaEmmanuel J. Kayitare

Pierre GateraJoseph Murangwa

Eugénie MujawamariyaViateur Rwamasirabo

François NtaganiraAugustin Munyambonera

Celestin Nangwahafi

U. S. Mission Employees killed duringthe genocide and war in 1994.May your souls rest in peace.

WE SHALL NEVER FORGET YOU

I N T H E N E W S

8 State Magazine

The U.S. Embassy inCopenhagen held amemorial ceremonyrecently for two formercolleagues who died 44years ago while servingtheir country.

Deputy Chief ofMission LivingstonLord “Tony” Satter-thwaite and U.S. AirAttaché Col. James F.Hogan were killedAugust 26, 1959, alongwith five others whentheir helicopter crasheden route to the U.S. AirForce Base in Thule,Greenland. The heli-copter disappeared 10miles from the base ontheir flight from aQaanaaq village. They were transporting home a resi-dent who had received medical treatment at the base.

Current Deputy Chief of Mission Sally Light hosted alunch to welcome Mr. Satterthwaite’s widow, Mrs.Beatrice Kathleen “Kay” Satterthwaite, 83,who accompanied her husband toCopenhagen.

Nine other members of the Satterthwaitefamily also attended, including Mr.Satterthwaite’s three children, George,Henry and Janet. Embassy staff wereunable to locate Col. Hogan’s family.

Danish and Greenland Home Rule repre-sentatives also attended the ceremony. TenForeign Service Nationals who worked atthe embassy during that period also joined in remem-bering their co-workers.

Ambassador Stuart A. Bernstein, who presided at thememorial, said Mr. Satterthwaite’s family should takecomfort in knowing their loved one helped advance the

cause of freedom during the Cold War. The family saidthe ceremony helped bring them a sense of closure.

On Foreign Affairs Day in May 2002, Mr.Satterthwaite was added to the list of 209 names on the

Memorial Plaque in the State Departmentlobby, honoring Foreign Service officerswho have made the ultimate sacrificewhile serving their country overseas.The memorial unveiled at the U.S.Embassy in Copenhagen, inscribed withthe names of Col. Hogan and Mr.Satterthwaite, is dedicated to “those wholost their lives near Thule in service to theUnited States, Denmark, andGreenland.” A small plaque adjacent to

the memorial describes the tragic accident and lists thenames of all those who perished. ■

The author was an intern in the public affairs section of theU.S. Embassy in Copenhagen.

Deputy Chief of Mission Sally Light, right, chats with Kay Satterthwaite.

Story by Joe Whitmore

Never Too Lateto Remember

A final honorfor two former

colleagueswho died

44 years ago.

I N T H E N E W S

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Diplomats-in-Residence are rekindling their collegememories as they head back to colleges and universi-ties to attract young talent and fresh minds to facetoday’s foreign policy challenges.

They will be distributing information about careerswith State and other foreign affairs groups, identifyingcandidates for student internships and guidingstudents through the Foreign Service exam. Somediplomats will provide public lectures, participate inacademic discussions or even teach a class.

The Diplomats-in-Residence for the 2003/2004academic year are:

Clyde Bishop, City College of New York

Pamela Corey-Archer, University of North Carolinaat Chapel Hill

Harriet Elam-Thomas, University of Central Florida

O.P. Garza, University of Texas at Austin

Ronald Godard, University of Illinois-Chicago

James Ledesma, Morehouse College

Alice LeMaistre, Jackson Sate University

Roger Meece, Florida International University

Janet Sanderson, University of California Berkeley

Francis “Paco” Scanlan, Tulane University

Vladimir Sambaiew, University of Oklahoma

Ellen Shippy, University of New Mexico

Sylvia Stanfield, Florida A&M University

Donald Terpstra, University of California Los Angeles

Sharon Wilkinson, Arizona State University

Nicholas Williams, Howard University

October 2003 9

I N T H E N E W S

The Moscow International Quilt Guild exhibited itsmembers’ work in the chancery last May.

Susie Krage, a former member of the U.S. Embassycommunity, founded the guild in 1996, and it continuesto meet monthly. Members come from a variety of coun-tries, united by a love of color, pattern and fabric. Aninformal group, the guild has no roster, officers or dues.Anyone interested in quilting, regardless of experience,is welcome.

Liz Dickson, KollaBunch, Karla Solomonand Sharon O’Neal dis-played work they creat-ed since the last exhibitin November 2002.Some members alsodisplayed cloth dolls.

Ms. O’Neal begandesigning cloth dollsduring her posting toWarsaw from 1991 to1994. In Moscow,she filled shoeboxeswith materials,trims and patternsand taught a clothdoll class this past

summer to a group ofenthusiastic Russians.

Back to Schoolfor ForeignService Officers

Quilt Guild DisplaysIts Talent

Karla Solomon, Liz Dickson and Sharon O’Neal of the MoscowInternational Quilt Guild exhibit its members’ work.

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10 State Magazine

The American Foreign Service Association has recent-ly recognized the ceaseless dedication of formerSecretary of State George P. Shultz in confronting theshifting challenges of foreign affairs throughout hiscareer.

Secretary Powell presented Mr. Shultz with theAmerican Foreign Service Association’s LifetimeContributions to American Diplomacy Award in June.

“AFSA could not have honored a more respectedpublic servant or a more compelling proponent ofAmerican internationalism than George,” SecretaryPowell said. “No one is more committed than he is tostrengthening this Department to meet the challenges ofthe future, and you cannot find a more passionate advo-cate for the people of this Department than George P.Shultz.”

Looking back on morning briefings at the “ungodlyhour” of 7 a.m. that he and former Secretary Schultzattended during the Reagan Administration, Secretary

Powell commended Mr. Shultz for always consideringthe future effects of present policy. His commitment tobilateral relationships, to “tending to the garden,” as Mr.Shultz called it, paid off dearly in the aftermath of 9/11.

Secretary Powell praised Mr. Shultz for transformingthe State Department through his nurturing leadershipand for establishing the National Foreign AffairsTraining Center that now bears Mr. Shultz’s name.

In accepting the award, Mr. Shultz applaudedSecretary Powell on his contributions, especially intraining and recruitment. As a former secretary, Mr.Shultz felt “rewarded by finding people of extraordi-nary ability.”

“Strength and diplomacy have to go hand in hand,”he stated. Mr. Shultz constructively suggested theDepartment might improve the image and success ofthe Foreign Service by hiring young people directly outof college, training officers continuously and encourag-ing officers to stay longer in senior leadership positions.

Former Secretary ShultzReceives Achievement Award

Two panda bears, Le-Le and Ya-Ya,left China last April via a specialFederal Express flight, The PandaExpress, for their new home at theMemphis Zoo. Ambassador Clark T.Randt Jr. and two children from theU.S. Embassy in Beijing attended thefarewell ceremony at Beijing CapitalAirport. Le-Le and Ya-Ya were born incaptivity and are now leased from theChinese Association for ZoologicalGardens. The associationuses the money to protectpandas in the wild.

ThePandaExpress

1,100 Estimated number of giant pandasremaining in the wild in central China.

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October 2003 11

FROM THE ACTING D.G.

The men and women of the Department of State,like many others who devote their lives to pub-lic service, do so mostly out of the limelight.Whenever our work receives public recogni-

tion, it is an honor not only for the individuals involvedbut also for the Department as a whole.

In July, the Partnership for Public Service named 28national finalists for its prestigious Service to AmericaMedals, a new national awards program honoring theachievements of federal employees. Three areDepartment of State colleagues: Kimber Davidson forthe National Security and International Affairs Medal,Alyson McFarland for the Call to Service Medal andAndre Surena for the Career Achievement Medal. Thewinners will be profiled in GovernmentExecutive magazine, honored at a cere-mony at the National Building Museumand given $3,000 to $10,000, depending onthe award.

The National Security and InternationalAffairs Medal recognizes contributions innational security and international affairs,including intelligence, defense and diplo-macy. Mr. Davidson is a Foreign Servicesecurity officer now serving as supervi-sory special agent at the U.S. Embassy inKabul. He and his team of special agents have beencited for their around-the-clock job safeguardingAfghanistan President Hamid Karzai. The KarzaiProtective Detail, as they are known, also train localagents who eventually will assume control of the detail.Until then, Mr. Davidson and his team will continue tosafeguard President Karzai and a new democracy incentral Asia.

The Call to Service Medal recognizes the significantcontribution to the nation of a recent entrant to the fed-eral work force. Ms. McFarland has been identified forher work at the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang on aPresidential Management Intern rotation. During thesummer of 2002, three North Korean refugees seekingasylum jumped over the wall of the U.S. Consulate,touching off negotiations among the U.S., Chinese andSouth Korean governments. Ms. McFarland, a Korean-language speaker and expert in Chinese/North Koreanaffairs, helped defuse the situation. She was among thefirst to interview the refugees and later supported the

negotiations that allowed them to fly to freedom inSouth Korea. This achievement is especially remarkablebecause Ms. McFarland, who entered the federal gov-ernment as a PMI, has been with the State Departmentonly three years. She is currently a Civil Service pro-gram officer in International Information Programs.

The Career Achievement Medal recognizes lifetimeachievement in public service. Mr. Surena, a careermember of the Senior Executive Service, recently retiredas the Department’s assistant legal adviser. He was rec-ognized for 30 years of service as the chief negotiator inhigh-stakes Cold War spy swaps, the lead lawyer forMiddle East peacekeepers and the architect of U.S.strategy for extraditing and prosecuting international

drug traffickers and terrorists. As the partnership saidin a recent press release, his career reads like a best-selling novel. In 1985, for example, he negotiated thelargest-ever spy trade between East and West in Berlin,ensuring the safe return of 28 U.S. agents. Not only didhe negotiate the trade, he also scripted the exchange,down to the location, time and street.

Although each of these individuals has been recog-nized for markedly different activities, they share acommitment to work for the good of our nation.

Public service is not just a slogan for us. It is a way oflife, demonstrated each day through the remarkablework performed by more than 46,000 employees world-wide. The nominations of three of our colleagues put aface on the work of the Department of State. For this, weare grateful. For their achievements, we are proud. Andwe don’t have to wait until Oct. 15, 2003, when the win-ners of the Service to America Medals are to beannounced, to know that we already have three winnersin our midst. Our heartfelt congratulations to them all. ■

Three Colleagues Are Finalistsfor Prestigious Service Award

RUTH A. WHITESIDE

Sunset at the Kuwait Towersin Kuwait City.

October 2003 13

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

KUWAITBy Colleen A. Quinn

Arguably our strongest ally in a region markedby ambivalence and animosity toward the UnitedStates, Kuwait is a study in contrasts. Five timesper day, residents are treated to the haunting tonesof the muezzin calling Kuwaitis to prayer, butoften those calls are lost in the more mundanerings of the ubiquitous cell phone no Kuwaiti canlive without.

The rabbit warrens of the old souks often end inthe parking lots of newly opened shopping mallspacked with Western retailers. The oft-photographed Kuwaiti Towers, undoubtedly themost recognizable symbol of the country, can bestbe viewed from the outdoor patio of T.G.I. Fridays,one of the many Western restaurants located onprime waterfront property overlooking the Gulf.Poised between East and West, between ancienttraditions and modern mores, between conserva-tive ideals and liberal reforms, Kuwait is involvedin a constant balancing act.

The primary task of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwaitis to deepen an already close relationship with this

strategic partner. The buildup to Operation IraqiFreedom, the military campaign itself and theongoing reconstruction efforts all required intenseefforts by embassy staff, while the embassy’s day-to-day business also had to be maintained.

Despite anthrax shots, smallpox vaccinationsand missile alerts at all hours of the day and night,embassy officers found time to lobby for strictercontrols on intellectual property rights and traf-ficking in persons. The mission is engaged in acontinuing open dialogue with the Kuwaiti gov-ernment on these and other issues such aswomen’s rights, the Middle East PartnershipInitiative and the Road Map for settlement of theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict.

Located on extensive property bordering theAmir’s Bayan Palace, the U.S. Embassy and hous-ing compound reflect some of the same contrastsas Kuwait itself. The new building combines fea-tures saved from the old embassy—such as theoriginal carved wood conference room door—withcutting-edge security technology—such as the bio-metric entry system for the chancery—to create aunique and appealing working environment.

A STEADFAST ALLY AND A STUDY IN CONTRASTS

14 State Magazine

Abundant green plants, natural light, fountains anda variety of yellow and blue mosaics add to the coolambiance.

The lushness of theembassy grounds andhousing compound is awelcome change fromthe often drab Kuwaitidesert and a tribute tothe hard work and ded-ication of the facilitiesmaintenance staff. Theon-site facilities—cafe-teria, tennis courts,playground, basketballcourt, pool, fitness roomand clinic—make thecompound “the place tobe.” New arrivalseagerly seek on-com-pound housing. Themammoth commonlawn at the housingcompound’s center isone of Kuwait’s largestexpanses of green andlast year played host tothe First Annual U.S.Embassy Kuwait SoccerTournament. The tour-nament featured eightteams of ForeignService Nationalemployees, local guardsand a few braveAmericans in hotly con-tested games over aperiod of two weeks. Ateam of local guardseventually won the soc-cer tournament, whichunited diverse sectionsof the embassy commu-nity and provided somewelcome relief from thestresses of everyday life.

Although restrictions against alcohol and mixedgatherings limit nightlife in Kuwait, you can stillspend time and money in and around town. Eatingout is a favorite pastime in Kuwait’s ethnic and

popular American-style restaurants. Shoppingis another popular pastime. Community liaisonofficer-sponsored trips to the various gold and car-

pet souks offer a welcomechange of pace. Reputablestores selling gold, Persiancarpets, Indian furnitureand Syrian tablecloths arethe top attractions, but someintrepid shoppers favor theFriday market where youcan buy industrial-size box-es of detergent, old tele-phones, broken computers,mismatched shoes and acomplete set of furniture allin one afternoon.

During the war, theincreased threat level andvast numbers of people ontemporary duty inspired theAmerican EmployeesWelfare Association to bringthe souk to the embassy.Jewelers, carpet dealers andothers set up shop in theOasis Lounge and helpedemployees deal with theirstress by relieving them ofsome of that danger pay.AEWA also boosted moraleand created the most popu-lar embassy souvenir ever

when it ordered thou-sands of packs of theIraqi Most Wantedplaying cards with theembassy’s logo onthe back.

Although mostKuwaitis are Western

educated and friendlytoward Americans, differentcultural norms and religiousconstraints can make break-ing into the family-oriented

society difficult for newcomers. Male officers at theembassy are more easily able to cross this barrierthrough their participation in diwaniyas (informalweekly social gatherings) hosted by most families

Top: Kuwait City and the Arabian Gulf as seen from theKuwait Towers. Middle: The downtown gold souk hashundreds of stores and is a favorite destination for eveningshopping. Bottom: Embassy first responders take a shortbreak for MREs after the first missile attack against Kuwaitduring Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Phot

os b

y Co

lleen

Qui

nn

October 2003 15

in Kuwait. Although the majority of diwaniyas arefor men only, the embassy has hosted its own highlysuccessful co-ed “American diwaniyas,” and there iseven a women-only diwaniya hosted weekly by aprominent women’s rights activist and her family.

From temperatures that soar above 130 degrees Fin the summer to blinding dust storms that reducevisibility to mere feet, desert weather can be thebiggest threat most Americans face during a tour inKuwait. But even here, Kuwait works for balance.Although those who arrive in summer can neverquite bring themselves to believe it, by winter theevenings are cool enough to require a jacket. Inspring, the harsh desert landscape is softened by acarpet of green grass and wildflowers. ManyKuwaitis maintain properties out in the desert wherethey go camping in the spring before the heat of thesummer begins.

Every year, longtime contacts extend invitations tothe embassy community to spend a day out in one ofthese desert farms to get a taste of this hidden side ofKuwaiti life. Many first-timers are surprised to dis-cover that these outings include full household staff,satellite TV, lavish meals and portable generators tooperate the air-conditioning. But by the end of thelong hot day in the desert, most have warmed tocamping Kuwaiti style.

Kuwait is a land of contrasts. You can drive intothe desert to see strings of camels make their statelyway across the sand, silhouetted against the clearblue sky, or drive down to Gulf Road to see teenagerscruise up and down the main strip exchanging cellphone numbers and shy smiles, backlit by the lightsof amusement parks and restaurants. You can watchmeteor showers on a sandy plain with no markedroad, no lights and no people for miles or watch cel-ebratory fireworks on your roof in the middle of thecity surrounded by the entire population of the coun-try. You can see people who suffered under Iraqioccupation 13 years ago work to alleviate the suffer-ing of the Iraqi people today. You can see a countrywith much to admire and much that could bechanged for the better. Sometimes you can even seea place not that much different from home. Kuwaitis a land of contrasts, but hopefully some things—like its citizens’ openness and hospitality—willnever change. ■

The author is a political officer at the U.S. Embassy inKuwait City.

A T A G L A N C E

Country name: Kuwait

Government type: Nominal consti-tutional monarchy

Capital: Kuwait City

Independence: June 19, 1961 (fromthe United Kingdom)

Constitution: November 11, 1962

Population: 2.1 million

Religions: Muslim, Christian, Hinduand others

Land mass: Approximately 6,800square miles

Approximate size: Slightly smallerthan New Jersey

Languages: Arabic is the officiallanguage; English is widely spoken

Currency: Kuwaiti dinar (KD)

Per capita income: $15,100

Internet users: 200,000

Natural resources: Petroleum, fish,shrimp and natural gas

SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2002

16 State Magazine

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

D I P L O M A T I C R E C E P T I O N

Making Lunch andDinner Look Easy

party pros

Story and Photos by Paul Koscak

October 2003 17

Feeding UpDiplomacy—Literally

Candida Fernandez left Spain for America,loved what she found and never looked back. Thesame thing might be said about what happenedwhen she joined the State Department in 1964.

Ms. Fernandez is the Secretary’s chef and she’scooked for every Secretary since Dean Rusk. “I love it,” she responded when asked abouther longevity.

It shows.A naturalized citizen who learned her craft

through years of cooking for herself and others,Ms. Fernandez takes every detail personally. Shemeticulously maintains the pantry of exclusiveState Department china, silverware and whitelinens. She personally polishes the gleaming forks,knives and spoons as well as washes and irons thetablecloths and napkins. She knows how to keepflowers fresh for a week. Ms. Fernandez even hasa sure-fire way of choosing what to cook:

“I just decide and serve it,” she explains. “I’venever had any complaints.”

Ms. Fernandez specializes in “working” meals,usually breakfast or lunch, where the Secretarymeets with one or two guests in one of the small,early American, eighth-floor reception rooms.After preparing a meal without recipes or cook-books, she becomes the server and waitress andthen restores the room and kitchen to its pristinecondition after the Secretary leaves. When theSecretary hosts larger gatherings at State lunch-

It’s just one party after another. Last year, there were270. That’s how many groups used the eighth-floorreception room.

Whether it’s preparing meals for a visiting head of state,Kennedy Center honorees or the Secretary meeting a for-eign envoy for lunch, the four full-time staff take diningseriously. The kitchen of the diplomatic reception rooms iswhere food is spiced with security and diplomacy.

Reception room dining is for weekday officialgovernment-sponsored functions. Only the Secretary,President and Vice President can hold weekendfunctions.

The eighth-floor kitchen is a fully equipped,commercial-sized food preparation area supporting 13caterers who handle events for as many as 375 people.Caterers must meet strict guidelines to work at theDepartment.

“There are tastings, interviews, references and securi-ty requirements,” said Lee Martinez, an administrativeofficer for General Services Management, the office thatbooks the reception rooms. “Caterers must be able to dothree functions per day.”

Although caterers constantly solicit the Department,there’s very little turnover, she added.

Reception room staff supervise all eighth-floor events,including those hosted by the Secretary or DeputySecretary. They include Wileva Johnston, manager;Kimberly Barrett, assistant manager; Tyrone Powers,special events coordinator; and Candida Fernandez,executive chef.

“Our job is to makesure what needs toget done, gets done,”Ms. Barrett said. “It’slike running a hotel.”

Event planning moves ahead when a client tours thefacilities, usually two weeks before the function. Thisis where questions are answered, details negotiatedand special requirements hammered out. Customersthen select caterers from the Department’s security-approved list.

Breakfasts are limited to one-and-a-half hours;lunches, two-and-a-half hours; dinners, three hoursand receptions two-and-a-half hours. Guest lists mustbe submitted two days before the event for securitychecks and no guest is allowed into the building morethan a half-hour before the festivities. Last year, 38,492guests were screened by security. In keeping with thedecorum of the ornate and historic reception rooms,loud amplified music and dancing aren’t permitted.

“Guards are assigned as need-ed,” Ms. Barrett added.

Fall and spring arehigh-demand sea-sons, according toMs. Martinez,while the summerseason is slow, atime to clean theopulent chande-liers foundthroughout thereception rooms andparticularly in theBenjamin Franklin StateDining Room. Cleaning thosesparklers costs $17,000, she said. No taxpayer money,however, is spent maintaining the rooms. Dollars forcleaning and other upkeep comes from the profit gen-erated by renting the rooms to outside organizations.

The rent isn’t cheap:$5,000 for lunch, $8,000for dinner—up front—not including the caterer.And General Services Management must approve allrequests. State Department employees, on the otherhand, are given a break and just pay for services atcost.

But it’s not all protocol. There’s time for fun, too.At one working lunch, with Vice President Richard

Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld andNational Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, SecretaryPowell requested silver dome food covers, recallsManager Wileva Johnston.

“When the waiter lifted each dome, there was a sin-gle brown bag underneath,” Ms. Johnston recalls. “TheSecretary just looked over to us and gave the thumbs-up sign.” ■

18 State Magazine

eons, Ms. Fernandez reverts to managing thecaterers to ensure they convey her personal touch.

Preparing lunch begins the previous day, evenfor just one guest. She delicately sets a small tablewith American-made gold-rimmed china, whitelinens, silverware and two glasses. A large napkincrisply folded into a pointed circle and placed oneach plate completes the tabletop geometry.

To guarantee top selection and freshness, Ms.Fernandez, who lives in Washington, D.C., shopsfor the food at local markets.

Each event makes for a long day. She regularlyarrives at 6:30 a.m. and goes home only wheneverything is cleaned and stored, even if hundredsof guests were served.

A Civil Service employee for 36 years, she has agallery of framed autographed photos of her for-mer bosses, many with her included, in her smallbut cozy office near the eighth-floor kitchen.

A 16-year old who couldn’t speak English, shearrived in America in 1951 with the SpanishEmbassy and then worked two years for thePakistani Embassy. Later, she worked for aWashington, D.C., socialite learning protocol andrefining the culinary skills that would later defineher State Department career. For a short time shewas part owner of a Washington-based caterer.

October 2003 19

Marjorie Stern spends her workdays interviewing visa applicants shecan’t see. Ms. Stern, a new consular officer in Hermosillo, Mexico,has been a gatekeeper for waves of applicants anxious to enter the

United States. And sometimes they’ll try almost anything to enter.But what her eyes don’t see, Ms. Stern’s keen instincts detect, and she’s

rejected many applicants just by the sound and inflection of their voices.Diagnosed with a hereditary disease that left her visually impaired, she

sizes up applicants through skillful questioning. She is assisted by her reader,Monica Douglas, a large-screen monitor, a closed-circuit television, a magni-fying glass, specialized software and various writing aids. Monica Martinez,a Foreign Service National employee, also helps. Thus accommodated, Ms.Stern examines documents for fraud, missing stamps or perforations,columns aligned too neatly or photocopied lines.

She Sees Few Barriers,Only Opportunity

Story and Photos by Lauren Frese

20 State Magazine

Ms. Stern’s limited sight has inspired her to aim high-er. A graduate of New York University and FairleighDickinson, where she earned a master’s degree in coun-seling, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer inHonduras. After completing her two-year tour with thePeace Corps, she remained in the country to work fortwo U.S. Agency for International Developmentcontractors, the International Medical Corps and theNational Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

“I am a jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” she mod-estly suggested.

Ms. Stern’s vision problems began while she was sta-tioned in Central America. She sought medical attentionin 1996 in Palos Verde, Calif., where her sister and moth-er live. The doctors diagnosed her with Leber’sHereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare hereditary disorderunknown in her family.

First described by German ophthalmologist Dr.Theodore Leber in the 19th century, the disease causesthe loss of central vision in both eyes over a few months.After some weeks, the eyesight stops getting worse. Thedisease usually affects people in their late 20s and early30s, but symptoms can appear at any age. The genechanges associated with this diagnosis decrease theenergy available to the cells of the optic nerve and reti-na, causing these cells to die, according to the LHONweb site, http://jim.leeder.users.btopenworld.com/LHON/lhonhome.htm.

About 29,000 Americans carry one of the main LHONgenes and 9,700 citizens—.01 percent of the population—suffer from Leber’s, according to the U.S. CensusBureau. Among the people diagnosed with Leber’s, 39.5percent do not have family members who suffer fromthe disease. For every nine men suffering from Leber’s,there’s one woman.

While Ms. Stern maintains her peripheral vision, thedisease has caused major lifestyle changes. She cannotdrive or see details. “I have an eight-year-old makeupcritic, my daughter Eden,” she laughed.

Her newly discovered disability prevented her fromreturning to Honduras where resources for coping withher vision impairment were limited. Determined oneday to be a Foreign Service officer, Ms. Stern moved toLomita, Calif., and attended the Braille Institute. “I’vealways had this dream and I could not give it up,” shesaid.

After passing the Foreign Service Oral Exam andproving her proficiency in Spanish, Ms. Stern movedwith her daughter to Washington, D.C., in the fall of2002 for six months of training.

Once she finished her training, she was assigned tothe U.S. Consulate in Hermosillo. As she packed thenight before the flight, excited to fulfill her dream, sheworried about Eden, who would have to move oncemore and make new friends in another country.Employee Relations Specialist Patricia Pittarelli, whoroutinely visits posts to conduct disability awarenesstraining, traveled to Hermosillo in advance of Ms.Stern’s arrival. Ms. Pittarelli answered a variety ofemployee relations questions for the staff and alsoworked with administrative officer Eric Anderson tofind a suitable school for Eden and a home for the fami-ly. They even lined the steps with white tape so Ms.Stern could see them more clearly.

Ms. Stern’s disability isn’t noticeable and doesn’taffect her work. In fact, like her colleagues, she exceedsthe expected norm for Hermosillo consular officers, whoshould conduct about 100 interviews a day, according toConsul General Marvin Brown. Her sharp memoryhelps the staff remember details about specific appli-

ABOVE: Eloisa Castillo, left, a temporary duty officer from Nogales,assists Ms. Stern with data entry on questionable visa candidates.RIGHT: Consular Officer Bob King helps her make critical decisions onspecific cases.

October 2003 21

U.S. Disabled Employees:A disability is a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one

or more of the major life activities of an individual,” according to theAmericans with Disabilities Act. Some examples of major life activities are see-ing, hearing, walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying.

According to the 2000 Census, 49.7 million people have a long-lasting con-dition or disability. That’s about one in every five citizens.

Of the 19.3 percent of the population of age 5 and above, 9.3 million, or 3.6percent, had a sight or hearing disability.

Among the 30,554,000 individuals with disabilities between 21–64 years ofage—considered as the working-age group—56.6 percent are employed.Among the 128,578,000 working-age persons without disabilities, 77.2 percentare employed.

By comparison, among the working-age population with disabilities in 1997,78.2 percent were employed.

Among people with difficulty seeing words, 41.5 percent were employed.Of the blind and visually impaired, 74 percent are unemployed or underem-

ployed, according to the National Federation of the Blind.Of those unemployed, 42 percent attribute attitudinal barriers, according to

a 1998 poll by the National Organization on Disability/Harris Poll.

Federal Employment of Disabled People:The federal government employed about 21,000 people with disabilities in

2001, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.Under a Presidential initiative to integrate disabled people into the national

work force, OPM established a web site for federal jobs at www.opm.gov/dis-ability.

Department of State Employees:Five hundred eighty-seven individuals, or 2.52 percent of the employee pop-

ulation, have identified themselves as having a disability. Employees with vision impairments number 60.Seven employees are blind in both eyes and 28 are blind in one eye.Sixteen employees said they can read ordinary-size print with glasses but

lack peripheral vision. Nine cannot read ordinary print with or without glasses.Among the accommodations for disabled employees are large-screen moni-

tors, readers, interpreters, adjustable work schedules and adaptive equipment,according to the Office of Employee Relations which funds these accommoda-tions.

America Works Best When All America Works

cants. Recently, she detected a man who spent $2,000 onfake documents trying to get a visa. “He must have real-ly gotten overcharged if the papers couldn’t even get bya half-blind consular officer,” she said.

She also visits imprisoned Americans throughout theconsulate’s large district and takes her turn as the con-sulate duty officer. During her time off, the Sterns enjoythe community pool or the beach.

She looks forward to assuming duties as chief of thenon-immigrant visa section in Hermosillo and hopes toserve as a public diplomacy officer at a future post.

Ms. Stern has earned the admiration of her colleaguesfor her sense of humor, determination and iron will.With the relaxed and friendly style of someone confi-dent in her abilities, Ms. Stern will likely remain a jackof all trades.

“She has an amazingly strong character,” observedEloisa Castillo, a temporary duty officer from Nogales. ■

The author was an intern with State Magazine during thesummer and is a graduate student at the George WashingtonUniversity in Washington, D.C.

56.6% of the Working-AgeIndividuals with Disabilitiesin the U.S. Are Employed

56.6%Employed

State DepartmentEmploys 587 Persons

with Disabilities

2.5%of Staff

1 in 5 U.S. Citizens Has aLong-Lasting Disability

Travel, lodging, food and bombs might be all the ingredi-ents for a terrorist cell, but even those basics don’t comecheap. Cut off the money and you’ve done a lot to stifleterrorism.

That’s what the Office of the Coordinator forCounterterrorism tries to do.

It’s a daunting task.With just a handful of money sleuths, the office is ded-

icated to finding, freezing and seizing funds that couldend up in the pockets of the world’s most notoriouskillers. During the past 18 months, the StateDepartment, along with the Treasury and JusticeDepartments, froze more than $134 million, according toCelina Realuyo, one of three financial policy advisersassigned to the office.

“Thanks to the Patriot Act, the State Department andTreasury have more power to impact foreign accounts,”she said.

Much of the money is laundered through banks, pho-ny companies and charities here and abroad. Even someconvenience marts, Ms. Realuyo said, are fronts for ter-rorist organizations.

With the Justice Department, the office recently brokeup a Hezbollah ring moving money from Paraguay toBrazil to Texas to New York and finally to Lebanon. Thebizarre, circuitous route was intended to foil detection.(Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Islamic militant group, islinked to the 1983 Beirut bombings of the U.S. Embassythat killed 63 and the U.S. Marine barracks that took thelives of 241 Marines.)

“They made it look like a business,” Ms. Realuyo said.The investigation revealed such a complex cluster of

connections that the office printed a wall-sized flowchart to track all the bogus businesses and shady deals.

En route to Lebanon, the funds filtered through aninternational cellular telephone company in Miami, a

22 State Magazine

Office Finds and FreezesTerrorists’ Money By Paul Koscak

sushi bar and a string of nightclubs.Conspirators posing as customerschanneled transactions through theWells Fargo Bank in Los Angeles andChase Bank of Manhattan on LongIsland. Tristar Electronics and MeccaElectronic posed as commercial cus-tomers at other banks in New York andNew Jersey to keep the money moving.

In another cooperative sting, the FBIarrested the ringleader of a U.S.-basedHezbollah syndicate who purchasedthousands of cheap cigarettes in NorthCarolina and trucked them to Arab-owned convenience stores in Detroit.North Carolina taxes cigarettes at 5cents a pack. Michigan charges 75cents. Each trip would net profits up to$10,000 that the smugglers would sendto terrorists in Lebanon, according tothe Justice Department.

In Paraguay, the office coordinated aTreasury-Justice team that led to thearrest of Hezbollah supporter SobhiFayad. Because Paraguay lacks lawsbarring money laundering, the State-led team used other charges againstMr. Fayad.

“It’s usually not just an individualbehind the money,” Ms. Realuyoadded.

Much of the work takes place outside the UnitedStates, particularly in the “front-line” states, as the officerefers to certain countries in the Middle East, LatinAmerica and Southeast Asia. Front-line states, whosenames are classified, are considered vulnerable to ter-rorist financing.

“Our mission is capacity building—to reinforce thelegal, law enforcement and financial systems in thosecountries to help officials there detect and disrupt ter-rorist financing networks,” Ms. Realuyo explained.

That means training foreign bank officers to detect theschemes international money launderers use. Ms.Realuyo recently took a one-week sweep through Asia,meeting with high-level finance officials in Seoul, Tokyoand Hanoi and offering State Department strategies fornabbing terrorist money launderers “We don’t call ittraining—that’s patronizing,” she said.

The training, or capacity building, focuses on detect-ing anomalies. Someone makes weekly deposits of$2,000, and then the amount jumps to $5,000. Or some-one sends $5,000 deposits to a nation known to supportterrorists.

“There’s software that can detect this, but it’s impor-tant that bank officers spot these patterns and reportthem to their law-enforcement authorities,” she said.

Mike Gayle, a colleague, said the office is committedto making it tougher for terrorist groups to function.

October 2003 23

Behind a Desk andHot on the Money

Tracking down terror money has some 007 appeal but little of theglamour. Once frequent travel to exotic locations becomes old, the restof the job becomes a grind of meetings, reports, assessments and inter-agency red tape.

Celina Realuyo knows.“You have all these agencies competing for the mandate and the mon-

ey,” she said about the government-wide effort to combat terrorism.“The policy is run out of the White House. It’s like a bunch of peoplevying for Dad’s attention.”

Ms. Realuyo, a former Foreign Service officer, recently returned to theState Department, leaving a high-paying job as an international bankerwith Goldman Sachs in London. Her finance experience and fluency inseveral languages is the kind of talent the Office of the Coordinator forCounterterrorism covets.

After some coaxing from her former boss, Ms. Realuyo decided thatfollowing the money mattered more than making it. Being in a “positionto do something about terrorism” won her over.

She spends about half of her time overseas and the other half writingreports about her last trip, coordinating the next trip and managing rou-tine classified tasks.

“I probably spend half the day running up and down the stairs to tryto coordinate things—coordinating trips, finding money for trainingprograms, finding trainers,” she said.

While freezing funds may not derail a sinister plan, itmakes it easier to detect, he said.

“It increases the chances of being caught,” Mr. Gaylesaid. “We’re trying to narrow the options and makeeverything harder. We’ve made a dent in disrupting theterrorist financing network.”

How large a dent? Mr. Gayle said that informationcould compromise the office’s operations.

Intelligence reports show that half the financial sup-port terrorists received for the 9/11 attacks came fromSaudi Arabia. But after that nation was attacked May 12,2003 by suicide bombers sympathetic to al Qaeda, Saudiofficials began cooperating more closely with the UnitedStates. “The Riyadh bombings made a difference,” saidGary Novis, another counterterrorist finance adviser.“There’s now an actual threat to the Kingdom.”

The office has also helped the Philippine governmentthis year strengthen its money laundering laws andavoid international sanctions. “There were lots of loop-holes,” Mr. Novis said.

Sadly, it doesn’t take a lot of money to perform a ter-rorist act. The Bali bombing in Indonesia last year, whichkilled some 200 nightclub patrons, is estimated to havecost less than $60,000, Ms. Realuyo said.

Despite many challenges, the office has madeprogress since its formation last October. For example,it’s now assisting 12 of the 14 front-line states. ■

The pace of south Florida keeps the Miami FieldOffice busy and State Department offices as well. A ter-minus of cultures and a global crossroads, particularlyfor those arriving from Latin America, the region has aninternational flavor that draws heavily on theDepartment.

In fact, beyond Washington, D.C., the Department hasmore influence in south Florida, with some 200 employ-ees, than most anywhere else.

Office of FourAt Miami International Airport,

Diplomatic Security operates asatellite office. Located in a less-traveled American Airlines termi-nal, its agents have boostedarrests by forging close workingrelationships with the airport’sother law enforcement agenciesand sharing resources. Among theagencies that look to DiplomaticSecurity to help nab illegalentrants are the U.S. Immigrationand Naturalization Service, U.S.Customs Service, TransportationSecurity Administration—all nowpart of Homeland Security—the

U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Secret Service and theMiami-Dade police.

The office routinely receives dozens of calls dailyregarding detained arrivals with questionable paper-work, said Agent Richard Rowan, one of four agentsassigned to the satellite office.

Many times a sharp-eyed Diplomatic Security agentspots the phony passport of a fugitive wanted for other

crimes. Arresting a passportforger often takes a drug traf-ficker or worse off the street.

That very scenario occurredabout 18 months ago when air-port agents arrested aMaryland man on passportfraud who was wanted forattempted murder.

“Suspects are not alwayswho they say they are,” Mr.Rowan said.

To find out ahead of time,agents use a federal intelligencecenter to investigate inboundpassengers. “We can pull the

24 State Magazine

miamiMIGHT

Offices Pool Resourcesin the Sunshine State

Story and Photos by Paul Koscak

Manager Bill Reyes inspects parcels inthe courier vault before they’re shipped.

October 2003 25

manifest to see if anyone has an outstanding warrant,”he said.

Even for traditional protection services, the satelliteoffice involves its contacts. “When the president of theGerman parliament arrived we worked with otheragencies to ensure a smooth transition,” Mr. Rowansaid.

Other duties include helping armed foreign securityagents process through the airport and simply prowlingfor suspicious activity along the airport’s wide corridorsand escalators.

“It’s getting to know the people,” Mr. Rowanobserved. “That’s big around here.”

Vault in a WarehouseA short walk off the tarmac, beneath the American

Airlines concourse, is the Department’s new couriervault. Just a year old, it’s a marked improvement fromthe older storage area. Nearly four times the size of theold vault, the new facility is really a secure 4,200-square-foot warehouse complete with forklift. Inside, rows ofmetal shelves hold big orange plastic sacks filled withclassified documents.

A team of contract handlers pack and stack the docu-ments. Shipments are tagged and assigned to one of 12couriers who accompany the shipment to somewhere inthe Western Hemisphere, according to Bill Reyes, thevault’s director.

The new space is sure to come in handy. Tighter secu-rity standards now require more escorts than everbefore, even for bulky items such as computers andoffice equipment. “Anything that goes into a controlledenvironment must now be escorted,” said PatrickConnelly, who supervises courier operations from theFlorida Regional Center in Fort Lauderdale.

The vault serves 29 posts in Latin America throughcontracts with American Airlines and United ParcelService. Havana deliveries, however, are done separate-ly through a Miami charter service.

Regional Center,Fort Lauderdale

The Florida Regional Center is another south Floridahub. It provides human resource support and medicalevacuation to 50 posts throughout Latin America, theCaribbean and Canada through the Bureau of WesternHemisphere Affairs. The center specializes in providingadministrative, technical support and training to smalland medium-sized posts without adequate full-timestaff.

Located in a renovated BellSouth telephone building,the center also maintains the combination locks foundon most Department doors and procures office equip-ment and construction supplies. The Marines and theNavy Seabees also have detachments there.

Passport Specialist Pierre Laguerre works the window at the customer service counter.

“People at the posts are too bogged down withadministrative tasks that we can do here,” said FredCook, the center’s new director. He plans to promote thecenter’s services. Previously the deputy chief of missionin Caracas, he envisions the facility as a multi-functionsupport center, especially for conferences and training.It recently opened a training room equipped withdozens of laptop computers and videoconferencingequipment.

“Web-based training can be a niche service,” saidDoyle Lee, the center’s information management direc-tor who expects the center to handle a lot of the trainingnow done by the Foreign Service Institute. “FSI is satu-rated. WHA [Western Hemisphere Affairs] owns thistraining center and it can be an alternate training loca-tion that’s closer to the posts we serve.”

Diplomatic MovesEmployees assigned to Latin American posts will like-

ly find their goods moving first through Miami.The Miami Despatch Agency manages household

goods, vehicles, office supplies and even specialty ship-ments for the Department of Agriculture and otheragencies.

Five staff and two contractors ensure that employeesare moved to their destinations as smoothly as possible.They plan the packaging and pickups, load shippingcontainers and choose the best time to authorize trans-portation—all without lifting a single box. The actualmove is contracted with a local warehouse and freightcompany.

That’s where savvy management comes in. Becausenations have different transportation regulations, it’s upto the Miami Despatch staff to arrange each move sohousehold goods arrive on time and at the best price,said Betsy Pratt, director of the Miami Despatch Office.

“We must comply with a nation’s shipping and cus-toms requirements,” she said. “Sometimes we can mixhousehold goods with vehicles and supplies. Sometimeswe can’t. We have to econo-mize for the governmentwhile meeting our cus-tomers’ needs.”

It takes from two to sixweeks to clear shipmentsthrough customs in LatinAmerica. That’s in contrastto about two days for goodsarriving back into theUnited States, she added. Ifneeded, the agency ships“immediate householdgoods,” such as clothes andutensils, by air to get anemployee quickly settleduntil the rest of the house-hold goods arrive.

Formerly located next to the airport, the agencyrecently moved to a suburban office park about fourmiles away for better security.

Animal tissue, biological cultures and insect eggs areamong the specialty shipments the office handles for theDepartment of Agriculture. “Bugs for research,” Ms.Pratt explained.

Passports GaloreDownstairs from the Miami Field Office is the Miami

Passport Agency. “Passport and DS are convenientlycollocated to allow for easy interviews or—if needed—an arrest,” said Stephanie Deaner, who managesthe passport office.

The agency, whichhas East Coast coun-terparts in Boston;Norwalk, Conn.;Philadelphia; andWashington, D.C.,performs “expeditework,” she said.Applicants willingto pay a higher feereceive passports inthree days. “Forty-one percent of ourwork is expedited,”Ms. Deaner stated.

Call it what you want, it’s still a production house.Passport lines sometimes stretch from the agency’s

customer service windows to outside the office anddown the hall. Post offices, courts and certain city officesthroughout Florida, South Carolina and the VirginIslands also submit passport applications.

The heavy volume keeps 21 contractors busy scan-ning the applications and entering data and 42 employ-ees evaluating the applications. Passport fees go direct-ly to Pittsburgh’s Mellon Bank, which records the

transaction and deposits themoney directly into theUnited States Treasury. Lastyear the agency processed270,535 passports.

The passport office keeps ahigh community profile bypromoting itself and the StateDepartment at shoppingmalls, schools, universities,libraries and business events.With its colorful kiosk,brochures and other hand-outs, the agency is educatingsouth Florida residents aboutthe passport system.

26 State Magazine

“When I first arrivedand noticed all theState Departmentoffices here I justthought it wouldmake sense foreveryone to get toknow each other.”

Agent Daniel Kenney inspects evidencesecured in a special lockup.

October 2003 27

Serving Foreign DiplomatsWith 38 foreign consulates scattered throughout

greater Miami and south Florida, the new Office ofForeign Missions in Coral Gables couldn’t be betterplaced. Located in a renovated Spanish provincial-styleoffice building, the office serves a region stretching fromthe Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and north toKentucky and West Virginia—nine states and PuertoRico.

The office oversees the motor vehicles, taxes, realestate and travel of foreign diplomats and their familiesliving in the United States. It also defends Americansfrom foreign diplomats who abuse their privileges andimmunities and it seeks better treatment of Americanofficials abroad.

“There are about 3,000 foreign consuls and 175 hon-orary consuls in the region,” according to Terry Daru,the director. “Nationwide, the Office of ForeignMissions accounts for about 114,000 foreign governmentpersonnel and their families.”

Mr. Daru said the office also works with foreign con-suls to help them understand and comply with U.S. law

and policies, and it helps foreign officials carry out theirduties. For example, the office may work with local andstate officials to help a foreign consul obtain documentsor navigate the bureaucratic hurdles in a real estate pur-chase or work with police to locate a missing person.

A lot of effort, however, is placed on building goodrelations with foreign officials. Mr. Daru and his deputy,Carolyn Parker, travel frequently throughout the regionvisiting foreign officials. They also work closely with theregion’s city, county and state officials. They teach lawenforcers how to deal with diplomatic immunity andhow international agreements impact police work.

In Coral Gables, the office enjoys close ties with CityHall. “We really are part of the community,” he said.

Getting TogetherWhile these offices have diverse missions and are

miles apart, they meet more often and work more close-ly than most offices sharing the same floor at Main State.Each month the managers share ideas and poolresources over lunch at various Miami locations.

“When I first arrived and noticed all the StateDepartment offices here I just thought it would makesense for everyone to get to know each other,” said MikeJohnson, who directs Diplomatic Security’s Miami FieldOffice and began the monthly tradition about a year ago.

Richard Rowan, Diplomatic Security agent assigned to MiamiInternational Airport, confers with Grazyna Stasiulis at the Miami-DadeAviation Department.

Musclebeach

Duhane Nelson exists only on the phony birth certifi-cate he used to apply for a passport in Florida.Diplomatic Security arrested him after a West PalmBeach sheriff stopped him. The scofflaw’s fingerprintsrevealed his real identity—Krishean Thompson, aJamaican accused of shooting two people and killing onein Maryland. It was the passport violation, however, thathelped Maryland police snare their man.

Agents Nick Collura and Dave Nieland nailed a fugi-tive fleeing to Honduras from a murder charge. Whenthe agents learned the suspected killer was on his way topick up his passport, they waited outside the building.When a Ford Explorer roared up and a man fitting thefugitive’s profile dashed out, the agents grabbed him.

When agents raided a Miami house being used as aphony document mill, they arrested one resident andseized dozens of passports, passport photographs, biog-raphical information and bank records. They also confis-cated a 2003 Hummer H2, anassault rifle, two handguns, 400rounds of ammunition and$65,000 in cash. The agents soondiscovered the suspect had laun-dered more than $1 millionthrough a local casino.

Diplomatic Security agentsmay spend hours protecting VIPs,but they’re also on the street inthe thick of law enforcement. Andat the Miami Field Office, that’struer than anywhere else in thecountry.

With 31 agents, Miami is the third largest field office.Miami also manages satellite offices, with 20 otheragents, in New Orleans; Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; andSan Juan.

Located in downtown Miami next to the district court,the office has all the trappings of a precinct station.There’s a holding cell monitored with a video camera.There’s a booking area where paperwork and finger-prints of arrested suspects are processed. There’s an evi-dence lockup securing everything from money to com-puters. And there’s a weapons locker stocked withmachine guns and Uzi’s.

About 25 percent of the 2,067 arrests DiplomaticSecurity has made since October 1999 for visa and pass-port fraud were by Miami agents, according to MikeJohnson, the special agent in charge.

In just the first half of 2003, Mr. Johnson said, the officeopened 406 new cases while actively pursuing nearly

1,400 criminal investigations. It seizedmore than $500,000 in cash and prop-erty and opened 15 undercover opera-tions targeting illegal documentvendors.

“People will do anything to get intothe United States,” Mr. Johnson said.“There are so many angles it’s amaz-ing. They come into the United States,get temporary immigrant status andthen apply for permanent status.”

Miami Agents Build Cases withOld-Fashioned Detective Work

Agent Eduardo Santos sets up a receiver to pickup transmissions from informers or other agents.

28 State Magazine

October 2003 29

Agents arrested members of a Brazilian group usingchemicals to remove and replace visa photos. Theyrecently broke up a West African ring that pays homelesspeople to marry West African women. Once in the UnitedStates, the women receive Social Security benefits, wel-fare and other entitlements. Dubbed Operation BodyDouble, the agents made nearly a dozen arrests.

Detective Joe Friday would feel right at home at theMiami Field Office. But instead of the Dragnet regimen ofrobberies and homicides, agents with a global outlookpursue document fraud. They ferret out leads, do sur-veillance, conduct stakeouts and question suspects.

Take Agent David Nieland. He’s identifying key play-ers in a passport smuggling ring that operates in theVirgin Islands, Jamaica and New York City. “We’ll dosome buys, make an arrest and then move up the hierar-chy,” he said. “Some of these passports are going for$4,000 each.”

The FBI called him seeking information about individ-uals and companies trading arms with Iraq. Sometimes,Mr. Nieland said, “the FBI provides serial numbers thatallow us to run down the dealer.”

Agent Richard Rowan got a call from the DEA seekinghelp in trying to find the owner of a fake passport foundduring an arrest.

Later, the passport office asked him to question a sus-picious applicant. He also interviewed a person whoapproached a Department employee with informationabout terrorists.

“The person had some mental instabilities,” Mr.Rowan said. “But you have to follow up on all leads.”

Between tasks, he searched motor vehicle records forclues on another case.

Most of the time, the action is on the street.A typical operation early one morning starts when a

dozen agents rendezvous at a shopping center parkinglot. Within an hour they plan a SWAT-style raid on anearby house where the owner is suspected of traffickingin phony documents.

To ensure a swift, sure and safe strike, Agent MarcFiorini, the strike team’s supervisor, verbally walks theagents through each segment. Like a choreographed pro-duction, everyone has a part.

First, the entry team. An agent knocks. Another standswaiting to smash in the door with a battering ram if theowner doesn’t open it. Either way, a line of agents—called a stack—will rush into the house, Mr. Fioriniexplained. “They’re literally in a line as you make entry.”

At the same time, another team surrounds the house toprevent any escape. Armed with a search warrant fromthe U.S. attorney, agents inspect the residence thorough-ly before it’s declared secure.

“We once found a fugitive hiding in the ceiling insula-tion,” he recalled.

They don bulletproof vests, check weapons and readybattering rams and crowbar-like picks that can pulverizea doorframe in seconds. With their distinctive bright yel-low Federal Agent emblazoned shirts, dark paramilitary

uniforms and sunglasses, the team projects a lethal andconspicuous image.

“No matter how long you’ve been doing it, the adren-aline is pumping just before you hit the door,” said Mr.Johnson, a 20-year veteran who still prefers the tacticaltasks to the meetings andpaperwork that comewith his rank.

“This is the fun stuff,”remarked Agent LaurenNeiland, 26, who joinedDiplomatic Security fouryears ago right out of col-lege. Her husband, a for-mer North Carolinapolice officer, is AgentDavid Neiland.

Mr. Fiorini finishes hisbriefing. He grins as heglimpses the shabbyapartments bordering theshopping center in clearview of the no-nonsensegathering.

“There’s a lot of toiletsflushing now,” he con-cludes.

The raid itself is theculmination of countlesshours of police work.Agents spend days staking out locations and shadowingsuspects to gather evidence. Learning about a person’slifestyle, habits and associations is crucial to obtaining asearch warrant and knowing when to strike, Mr. Johnsonsaid.

“We consider who’s in the house,” he explains. “Isthere a wife? Are there kids?”

To leverage its resources, the office has forged closepartnerships with the region’s law enforcement commu-nity. It supports the U.S. Marshal’s office in tracking fugi-tives and the FBI in its South Florida Joint Terrorism TaskForce. A Diplomatic Security agent is assigned full-timeto the FBI’s Miami office.

The office even extends its reach overseas. ThroughOperation Global Pursuit, agents assist embassy staff andlocal authorities in cutting off phony documents at theirsource. When a Pakistani was arrested in Orlando thisyear on a fake visa charge, he drew a map showingwhere the documents were being made in Doha, Qatar.

“We faxed the map to the embassy and they workedwith local police to make an arrest,” recalls Mr. Nieland.“The guy was right where we were told he’d be.”

The cooperation leading to the forger’s arrest is typicalnot only of Global Pursuit but the inclusive culture theMiami office encourages among the region’s law enforce-ment agencies.

“Our goal,” Mr. Johnson says, “is to catch peopleinside and outside the United States.” ■

Diplomatic Security agents review detailsof a raid they’re about to conduct.

30 State Magazine

Don Petterson’s not the type of guy you’d expect towile away retirement in New Hampshire as a couchpotato watching daytime television. Instead, he’sliving his retirement like he lived his career, alwayslooking for new challenges. He served tours in ninedifferent African countries, four of them as chief ofmission and several during periods of civil unrest.

Two years ago, the fit 71-year-old retiree was looking for a new challenge. A formerpilot, he considered flying an ultra-light aircraft from New Hampshire to his nativeCalifornia. But a few rides taught him that flying an ultra-light was nothing like flyinga one-engine Cessna. Furthermore, the Federal Aviation Administration had placedsevere post-9/11 restrictions on general aviation that would have required him to file

California by Bike or BustBy Dave Krecke

Don Petterson beams after completing his 3,677-mile journeyon the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

of D

on P

ette

rson

October 2003 31

mountains of paperwork to gain permission for hiscoast-to-coast flight.

Still committed to his California-or-bust mission, Dondecided to propel himself from Brentwood, N.H., to SanFrancisco on a touring bike (a Cannondale T-800).“Except for riding to work for a few weeks in Zanzibarfrom 1963 to 1964 and to classes at Stanford from 1966 to1967,” he says, “I had rarely been on a bike since I was akid.”

He began training in the late fall of 2001 and, “Oncethe New England winter set in, I tried to keep in shapeby running and doing some spin cycling at a local gym.”

On May 8, 2002, Don Petterson began his journey.Staying on “blue” highways all the way, he biked westacross southern New Hampshire and Vermont, over theAppalachians, across New York from Albany to Buffalo,southwest along the shore of Lake Erie to Erie, Pa., andAshtabula, Ohio, then south and southwest throughOhio, west through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri,across the Mississippi at Hannibal, south past Topekaand west across what he calls “wonderfully flat Kansasfrom Emporia to Tribune,” across Colorado from Puebloto Grand Junction, on to Green River, Utah, then northto Price.

From his diary: The temperature had

climbed to over 95 degreesthat afternoon in June2002 as I neared Price,Utah. Four days earlier Ihad crossed the Rockies atMonarch Pass (elevation11,312 feet). By the time Ireached Grand Junction,Colorado, the heat hadbegun to build up.Despite the rising temper-atures, which could geteven more intense in thearid country west of SaltLake City and in Nevada,

I was confident I could complete my soloride across America. Then, a quarter mileshy of the Price exit from U.S. Route 6,about 2,700 miles from my starting point,a car traveling at 55 mph swerved fromthe roadway onto the shoulder where Iwas riding and smacked into me. I wentflying and ended up with a broken collar-bone, cuts, bruises and abrasions.

Don flew his battered bike andbody back to New Hampshire to recu-perate, vowing to finish the journey.That autumn, he got back on his now-repaired bike and rode when weatherpermitted, staying in shape through-out the winter. In mid-May 2003, he and the bike flew

to Utah to pick up his transcontinental journey where ithad been so rudely interrupted the year before. Twodays after arriving in Price, he rode north from the spotwhere the car had hit him, arriving in Salt Lake City twodays later. He rode west to Wendover a day after that,traversed basin and range across Nevada, crossed theSierras, California’s Central Valley and coastal rangeand rode across the Golden Gate Bridge on May 30, 977miles from Price.

More from his diary:There were times last year in the early days of the trip

when, struggling to surmount steep hills in near gale-forcewinds, or lashed by near-freezing rain I asked myself what thehell I was doing. And times when hours on a bicycle saddleproduced a fair amount of pain. But there were many sublimemoments—among them, cresting the summits of the Rockiesand Sierras, soaring downhill, riding 125 miles in one day,gliding through forests of tall trees in the stillness of a coolearly morning—that made the trip more than worth the effort.The journey by bicycle was a great adventure, an extraordi-nary opportunity to experience in the fullest sense of the wordthe wonderful diversity and majesty of our part of NorthAmerica. Icing on the cake were the many interesting conver-sations I had with people I met along the way.

Traveling an averageof 70 miles a day over 62elapsed days, DonPetterson completed hiscoast-to-coast journey.It shouldn’t take himlong to find a newchallenge. ■

Don Petterson can becontacted via e-mail atdonpetterson@comcast.net.

Crossing the ContinentalDivide doesn’t mean it’s alldownhill to California.

The prairie is mile after mile of boring scenery, but at least it’s flat.

32 State Magazine

By Mary Rose Axiak

Approximately 30 percent of the Department’s juniorofficers work in the Bureau of Western HemisphereAffairs. That prompted a group of the bureau’s mid-level officers to build an Entry-Level Officer Toolkit,with useful professional information for these officers.“The idea was to develop a series of professional devel-opment tools that entry-level professionals—junior offi-cers and specialists—could access from their posts,”according to Colette Marcellin, a WHA post manage-ment officer.

At a junior officer leadership conference in Port-of-Spain, Ms. Marcellin picked up on the need for more

professional resources. So, she and a few colleaguesformed a team to develop a toolkit. They distributedsurveys, consolidated and analyzed the results and metwith other bureaus and offices to gather materials.WHA’s webmaster, Larry Clemons, designed web pagesfor the WHA’s intranet site (website.wha.state.gov/Leadership/JO.htm) featuring those tools.

“The toolkit would begin where the A-100 course andintake training leave off,” Ms. Marcellin said, “and pro-vide continuing education modules and programs thatentry-level officers can use for professional develop-ment either as individuals or in junior officer groups.”By putting professional resources at their fingertips, thetoolkit will also help level the playing field for entry-

Toolkit Offers Tips forEntry-Level Officers

October 2003 33

level employees located in smallconsulates where senior mentorssuch as ambassadors, deputychiefs of mission and high-levelvisitors may not be as accessible.

The team began by surveyingentry-level professionals, askingthem about experiences at postsand for suggestions for toolsthat might improve their overallexperience.

Another survey went to WHAambassadors, seeking candidresponses on success in theForeign Service. The answerswere straightforward and provid-ed real insights about how theambassadors succeeded in theirown careers. The survey asked theambassadors for their observa-tions about new employees, whatjunior officers and specialists aredoing well and how they might improve. “It is instruc-tive that ambassadorial respondents covered all func-tional cones and yet highlighted similar themes forachieving success. Their assessment of junior officerswas uniformly high,” said Roland Bullen, formerdeputy director of WHA’s executive office, who infor-mally coached the toolkit group.

The toolkit includes a ProfessionalDevelopment Guide distributed lastfall to all WHA posts to promoteentry-level professional develop-ment in the bureau. The guide pro-vides ideas and best practices fromworldwide programs so posts canadopt good ideas or develop newmodel programs.

The team also wanted to includeinformation on reporting skills. Asurvey designed to identify reporting strategies, tipsand techniques went out to winners of the DirectorGeneral’s Award for Reporting. “These officers knowwhat works,” said Bart Putney, a toolkit team memberand the junior officer who organized the Port-of-Spainconference. “We thought it made sense to tap thatexpertise so that new reporting officers could pick upsome helpful hints from the Department’s best.”Respondents to the survey also submitted their own,personally developed resources, such as Writing for theState Department: Words of Advice, A Guide for the WearyCable Drafter and Getting Your Products Through the EditProcess. Eventually, the kit will include a collection ofaward-winning cables with short annotations by promi-nent ambassadors. “Knowing what senior officers finduseful,” said Richard Miles, a WHA desk officer, “is halfthe battle to understanding how policy is made inWashington.”

The toolkit is a clearinghouse of resources that newhires may find useful. It includes a variety of resourceson preparing employee evaluations, a list of theDepartment’s professional development videos, a glos-sary of acronyms of agencies represented at posts over-seas with an explanation of their roles and a “cheat

sheet” comparing Foreign Service ranks and titles withcounterparts in various branches of the military.

The team’s goal is for entry-level professionals to takeownership of the toolkit, adding and deleting materialto fit their professional needs. All submissions will beconsidered and should be sent to Jennifer Bantel atbanteljm@state.gov.

Officially unveiled at WHA’s entry-level officer con-ference in Guatemala last May, the toolkit includes con-ference PowerPoint presentations and handouts so thatthe many entry-level officers who were unable to attendcan access the material. The toolkit will be incorporatedinto the HR/CDA/EL web site on best practices forentry-level officers so that junior officers and specialistsworldwide will have access to these valuable tools. ■

The author was an intern in WHA/EX from January toApril 2003 and is studying international relations.

Knowing what seniorofficers find useful is halfthe battle to understandinghow policy is made inWashington

Kim Hoffstrom, left, Richard Miles and Bart Putney review the progress of “reporting tools”for the toolkit.

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34 State Magazine

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the ForeignService Institute has inaugurated a new series of profes-sional training courses for public diplomacy officers andother Department employees assigned to those posi-tions overseas. The new courses address America’s out-reach to foreign audiences.

Public diplomacy officers worldwide said FSI’s stan-dard three-week PD tradecraft course needed augment-ing to provide the level of skill and knowledge neces-sary to manage the Department’s range of PD programs,products and services.

In response, FSI’s public diplomacy training divisionassembled a team of experienced PD officers to designcourses that engage students by drawing them into theeducational process and making them responsible fortheir own learning. The new courses include a one-weekorientation to public diplomacy, two eight-week

courses—onefor informa-tion officers and another for cultural affairs/exchangeofficers—and a two-week course on managing a publicaffairs section for new public affairs officers.

The new courses contain few lectures. Instead,trainees are active in role-plays, simulations, digitalvideoconferences, computer-based exercises andresearch projects as they learn the skills associated withpublic diplomacy. As an added instructional aid, eachstudent is assigned a laptop computer with access to theInternet and preloaded software for self-study andgroup activities.

PD officers must master a daunting combination ofmanagerial skills and substantive knowledge to cre-atively manage PD programs, supervise large staffs,reach out to foreign publics and comply with federal

regulations. The public affairsofficer or cultural affairs offi-cer—running a complex exerciselike the International VisitorProgram or a major two-wayeducational exchange such asthe Fulbright Program—mustuse a variety of managementskills, including budget alloca-tion, federal grant administra-tion and monitoring, analyticalreporting, fund raising and rep-resenting the embassy on a bina-tional commission.

Pat McArdle, director of FSI’s publicdiplomacy division, leads the coursedesign team in a brainstorming session.

Phot

o by

Bob

Kai

ser

brain & brawnPutting Money and Muscle into Public Diplomacy Training

by mark jacobs

October 2003 35

The PD training division is now offering Public Diplomacy Basics, an interactive,three-day course for employees who want to learn more about how theDepartment’s public diplomacy function supports America’s foreign policy goals.This course is highly recommended for junior officers who are not assigned topublic diplomacy positions overseas and is open to other employees on aspace-available basis. The course is also the prerequisite for all professionalPD training courses.

Students consistently rate the course as “very or extremely effective.”They learn about PD activities and programs throughout the Departmentand say the course is actually fun. Classroom activities include films,games, role-plays, case studies, slide shows and much more. After tak-ing the course, many students have said they now plan to bid on PD jobsoverseas. PD Basics is offered every month. In FY 04 it will be offered 14times. Check FSI’s online catalog for upcoming dates.

Information officers must arrive at post knowingwhat it takes to organize and run an effective mediaoperation for a cabinet- or presidential-level visit. IOsmust thoroughly understand the local media climate,know how to draft press statements, arrange interviews,set ground rules, face thepress in crisis situations, man-age the mission InformationResource Center and advisethe ambassador, deputy chiefof mission and other embassyofficials on dealing with themedia.

FSI’s initiative was welltimed, given the recent intensemedia focus on America’spublic diplomacy outreach.Barry Wells, deputy directorof FSI, said, “Public diploma-cy is an integral part of what all our foreign affairs pro-fessionals do.”

Pat McArdle, training director, said, “The goal is toprepare officers serving in public diplomacy positions toeffectively and creatively support U.S. policy objectivesand foster mutual understanding between Americansand foreign publics.”

The course curricula authors were challenged totranslate their considerable field experience into exercis-es and activities that conveyed not just the technicalskills but also the spirit and ethic of service that ani-mates public diplomacy work abroad.

Several PD junior officers in language training at FSIvolunteered as test students for exercises developed forthe new courses. In one exercise they took the roles of

deputy chief of mission, political counselor and othersenior mission officers in an International Visitor selec-tion committee role-play. The instructors who observedthe simulation were impressed with the students’ enthu-siasm and savvy as they performed their assigned roles.

S e c r e t a r yPowell, in hisMay 2003 StateMagazine col-umn, said, “Intimes of warand of peace,our publicdiplomacy andpublic affairsefforts arecrucial tothe success ofAmerican for-

eign policy and they must be integral to its conduct.They are essential to conveying our story to the worldand to securing the support of the American people forsustained international engagement.”

Today, the Department annually spends almost one-half billion dollars on more than 100 public diplomacyprograms worldwide. The challenge that Edward R.Murrow once described as “telling America’s story tothe world” has never been greater or more demanding.Future generations of students at FSI will experience acompletely new approach to public diplomacy trainingthat will prepare them well to take on that challenge. ■

The author, a retired Foreign Service officer, works part timeat FSI.

The goal is to prepare officersserving in public diplomacy positionsto effectively and creatively supportU.S. policy objectives and fostermutual understanding betweenAmericans and foreign publics.

Public Diplomacy Basics

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36 State Magazine

By Paul Koscak

New watch officers in the seventh-floor operationscenter of the Harry S Truman Building may find thegoing a little easier now that the center is training itstrainers.

Instead of learning on the job, new officers will enjoya one-day orientation course before tackling one of theshifts at the 24-hour information-processing center. Thecourse, designed with the Foreign Service Institute, aimsto sharpen watch officer’s training skills so they cantrain their replacements more effectively. Watch officers

serve 13-month tours.About eight watch officers—a

mix of Foreign Service and CivilService employees—staff the cen-ter at all times, according toKathleen “Kay” McGowan, awatch officer who helped plan thenew course along with watch offi-cers David Meron and MatthewDolbow. The center is a clearing-house for diplomatic communica-tion, including tracking informa-tion, handling requests anddocumenting the Secretary’s tele-phone calls, Ms. McGowan said.

“We work under a lot ofpressure,” she said. “Add to thatthe night shifts and settling into anew home for those who justreturned from overseas and it canbe hectic.”

The course, she said, should“eliminate the lack of continuitybetween shifts” caused by usingmany trainers and prevent thenew officers from being over-whelmed.

While all the watch officersassigned to the center during thepast few months have taken theorientation course—18 in Mayalone—it’s too early to measurethe training’s effectiveness, Ms.McGowan said.

“People say it’s more calm andless hectic now.” ■

To Build Continuity, Ops CenterBegins Training Its Trainers

T

October 2003 37

Medical Report

here is more than one reason to get your flu shotthis year. Infectious disease specialists anticipatethat the Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome orSARS epidemic will re-emerge sometime thisautumn, possibly in many different countriesaround the world.

Early symptoms of SARS are virtually indistin-guishable from influenza. Those who receive fluimmunization and develop fever and cough, whilethey won’t feel any better, may help their healthcare providers diagnose their diseases—particular-ly SARS—by ruling out flu as one possibility.

This is important because, as the Office ofMedical Services points out, viral and respiratoryillnesses are the most frequent reason for healthunit visits around the world. Influenza and rhi-noviruses that cause the common cold are the mostfrequent causes of these viral and respiratory ill-nesses. In the medical community, professionalslearn the saying, “If you hear hooves, think horses,not zebras.” This means that a single patient is morelikely to have the flu than SARS. By removing thisculprit from the list of suspected causes for upperrespiratory disease, the provider can appropriatelyconsider less common causes such as SARS.

Another reason for getting the flu shot this year ismore practical. Many people dismiss influenza asan inconvenient wintertime nuisance. And for mostpeople it is. Let’s not forget, however, that last yearinfluenza caused approximately 36,000 deaths inthe United States alone. SARS, on the other hand,caused only 800 deaths worldwide. Particularly at riskare young children, pregnant women who will be in thesecond or third trimester during the influenza season,persons with chronic illnesses and the elderly.

Influenza is responsible for many hours of missedwork and school. For those in the Foreign Service, the ill-ness has a direct impact on diplomatic readiness. Byimmunizing American employees, Foreign ServiceNationals and families, including spouses and children,the Department is protecting the community from thetemporarily incapacitating effects of the flu.

This year, don’t put off your flu immunization. Thedisease is easily prevented by a single yearly immuniza-tion. This year, as every year, the vaccine is developed tofight the anticipated strain of influenza virus. Childrenunder age 9 require two injections. Generally, the sideeffects are minimal, because the vaccine is made from“killed virus.” Contrary to “old Foreign Service tales,”the influenza immunization cannot cause the flu.

The reasons to get the vaccine may appeal to each indi-vidual differently. Whatever reason appeals to you, andeven if none of them is particularly appealing—after all,who wants a shot?—this is the year for you and yourfamily to pull up your sleeves and get your flu shot. ■

Is It SARS or Is It the Flu?Get Your Flu Shot and You’llKnow What It’s Not.

38 State Magazine

People Like You

Story by Paul Koscak

Martin Kushinsky catches Saturday Night Fever evenduring the day. While most people are working, the for-mer U.S. Information Agency public affairs officer isrocking and rolling—and waltzing and tangoing andswinging and cha-chaing. You name it, he most likely isdancing it.

Whatever the style, it takes plenty of practice to keepall those movements sharp and nimble, said Mr.Kushinsky, who retired in 1974 and has an affinity forLatin dances.

“The dances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdayafternoons and the first and third Sunday of the month,”he said. “Usually there are snacks followed by dancingand a mini lesson.”

And those sessions, about two hours’ worth, are justthe casual gatherings. That’s not counting the 27 formaldances he attends each year wearing a tuxedo andtwirling effortlessly around a grand ballroom. At 83, Mr.Kushinsky is a man in motion. When he’s not dancing,he’s enjoying water aerobics and swimming or spendingan hour on his treadmill, or yoga or maybe a half-hourof calisthenics.

The dances are all local, usually within a few miles ofhis residence in southwest Washington, D.C. And,

unlike his other pastimes, seasons and weather don’t getin the way. One sweltering July afternoon, for instance,while shoppers carted groceries to their cars under abroiling sun, Mr. Kushinsky was swinging and swayingin an air-conditioned basement dance studio at anArlington shopping plaza. As Stevie Wonder’s “Signed,Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” 70s pop hit filled the air,dots of light bounced off a rotating crystal ball mountedon the ceiling, flooding the darkened hall with motion.

Also enjoying the moment was Louise Albin, Mr.Kushinsky’s frequent dance partner, who retired from theArms Control Disarmament Agency in 1994. “I’ve alwaysbeen involved in some kind of dancing,” she said.

Not so for Mr. Kushinsky. Friends persuaded him togive dancing a try in 1995 and he quickly took to thechallenge. Before that, much of his retirement wassedentary and academic. He and his wife, who died in1994, took courses at George Washington University.

“Since I did my mid-career training there, we wereable to audit the courses,” he said. “We took everything—religion, political science, philosophy. It was for fun.”

More fit and trim than many half his age, Mr.Kushinsky finds dancing an enjoyable way to stay inshape and socialize.

“I meet people from all walks of life—doctors,lawyers, government workers.” ■

Putting His Best Foot ForwardMartin Kushinsky with partner Louise Albin.

Phot

o by

Pau

l Kos

cak

October 2003 39

O B I T U A R I E S

Civil Service Retirements

PERSONNEL ACTIONS

Atwood, Richard B.Ayer, Margaret F.Brown, Constance J.Charlson, Donald G.Chavez, Pamela R.Hassan, Jeanne MarieHitts-Christophe, BeverlyHockett, Brenda RuffinKennedy, Loretta G.

Meighen, Clayton T.Morrow, Richard J.Patin, Theresa MarieSevier, Ida M.Shields, AnthonySpruell, Mary L.Targonski, RosalieThompson, Catherine S.Turpin, Katherine R.

Foreign Service Retirements

Agan Jr., AndresAmpofo, Lorraine MaryBigott, Louise B.Castro, Benjamin H.Cayer, Kathleen M.

Churchill, Paul G.Dailey, Dona LeahDe Salvo, Gerald L.Durbin, John F.Guichard, Miriam E.

Rapoport, Sheldon J.Rice, Jonathan K.Stein Jr., John J.Stratton, Theodore L.Street, Roger Lee

Robert Lyle Brown, 83, a retiredForeign Service officer, died ofcancer June 13 at home inArlington, Va. Mr. Brown servedbriefly in the U.S. Navy beforejoining the Foreign Service duringWorld War II. He served in China,Japan, New Caledonia, Morocco,Belgium and at the UnitedNations. He was inspector general

of the Department, political adviser to the SupremeAllied Commander in Europe and deputy executive sec-retary to Secretaries Dean Rusk and William Rogers.After retiring, he served as a consultant to theDepartment, Secretary Alexander Haig and the HudsonInstitute.

Leo G. Cyr, 93, a retired ForeignService officer, died July 27 inSterling, Va. He served with theNational Recovery Administra-tion, the Rural ResettlementAdministration and the NationalArchives before joining theDepartment in 1941. He helpedestablish the Bureau of AfricanAffairs in the early 1950s and

served as deputy director and director of the bureaufrom 1952 to 1957. Mr. Cyr served in Tangier, Yaoundeand Tunis. After a year as Diplomat-in-Residence atOhio University in Athens, Ohio, he was appointed U.S.Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda and served inKigali for five years. He retired in 1971.

Barbara Ann Elbinger, 59, wife of Foreign Service officerLewis Elbinger, died suddenly June 13 in New York. Sheaccompanied her husband on assignments to Oman,Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Germany, Kenya and India. Sheserved as housing coordinator for USAID in Kenya andfor the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Mrs. Elbinger alsotaught at the American School in Saudi Arabia.

Sandor A. “Sandy” Johnson, 59, aretired Foreign Service officer,died December 3, 2002, of suddencardiac conditions in Encinitas,Calif. Mr. Johnson served fouryears in the Peace Corps inAmbala City, India. He joined theForeign Service in 1969 and wasposted to Ankara; Belize City;Karachi; Bangui; Washington,

D.C.; Buenos Aires; Mexico City; and Brussels. Afterretiring, he taught, lectured and chaired the ForeignService Association of Southern California.

Mayme Ruth Saxon Merriwether, 93,a retired Civil Service employee,died June 20 in Maryland. Shejoined the Department duringWorld War II and retired as asupervisory clerk in the cashieroffice. She also worked for thePurity Baptist Church.

40 State Magazine

O B I T U A R I E S

Questions concerning deaths in service should bedirected to the Employee Services Center, theDepartment’s contact office for all deaths in service:Harry S Truman Building, Room 1252, Department ofState, Washington, DC 20520-1252; (202) 647-3432;fax: (202) 647-1429; e-mail: EmployeeServicesCenter@state.gov.

Questions concerning the deaths of retired ForeignService employees should be directed to the Office ofRetirement at (202) 261-8960, Retirement@state.gov.

Questions concerning the deaths of retired CivilService employees should be directed to the Office ofPersonnel Management at (202) 606-0500, or throughtheir web site at http://www.opm.gov.

In the Event of Death

Flemming E. Nyrop, 78, a retired Foreign Service officer,died of cancer June 26 in Alexandria, Va. Mr. Nyropserved in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945. Hetaught drama at Boston University and then at BrandeisUniversity. After joining USIA, he served as a culturaland public affairs officer in Thailand, Vietnam,Indonesia, Norway and Germany. Mr. Nyrop pro-grammed American artists overseas with USIA’s “ArtsAmerica” program. He retired in 1986 after more than 30years of federal service.

William Paul O’Neill Jr., 87, a retired Foreign Service offi-cer, died June 19 in Needham, Mass. He served inCanada, Tunisia, Germany, Belgium, Indonesia, theUnited Nations, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Roy V. Peterson, spouse of retiredForeign Service SpecialistCharlene M. Peterson, died ofleukemia June 4 in Minneapolis.He accompanied his spouse toPanama City, Bonn and London.Mrs. Peterson retired from theForeign Service in 1993.

Ann T. Ruegsegger, 95, the motherof Mrs. Donald J. McConnell, diedJuly 17 in Asmara, Eritrea, whereher son-in-law is the U.S.Ambassador. Mrs. Ruegseggerwas well known to the ForeignService and local communities inAfrica, Europe and the MiddleEast where she lived with theMcConnells for over 25 years.

Philip F. Vandivier, 81, a retiredForeign Service officer, died May30 at his home in Franklin, Ind.After serving in the Army AirCorps in World War II, Mr.Vandivier joined the ForeignService in 1948 as a diplomaticcourier. He worked mainly out ofChina, Pakistan, the Philippinesand West Germany. Later, as a

Foreign Service officer, he served in the Philippines,Malaysia, Indonesia, the Netherlands and New Zealand.After retiring in 1975, Mr. Vandivier was a journalist, avolunteer at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and alecturer.

Department of State, USABureau of Human ResourcesWashington, DC 20520

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Disabilities Awareness MonthSee related story on page 19