Iraq: A Gun At The Head of U.S. Diplomats
Last year, the State Department couldn't fill positions in Iraq, so it threatened to conscript diplomats if it didn't find volunteers. But people stepped up and the crisis was averted -- though the acrimony remained. Now, reports Karen DeYoung of the Washington Post, the State Department has another projected personnel shortfall in Baghdad for next year's rotation, and it's renewing its threat:
The State Department has warned U.S. diplomats that they may be required to serve in Iraq next year if there are insufficient volunteers to fill job openings there, U.S. officials said.
The possibility of "directed assignments" was first raised last fall, when State projected a shortfall of about 50 volunteers for positions at the Baghdad embassy and other locations in Iraq in 2008. Although those jobs eventually were filled without compulsory postings, the possibility of being forced to serve in a war zone caused deep unease at State.
Get used to this again and again and again, for every year that the Iraq war persists. Not only is the diplomatic corps relatively small -- about 6,500 for the entire planet, according to DeYoung -- but it's not an expeditionary force. Diplomats aren't trained to serve in shooting wars, since wars usually herald a disruption in diplomacy. Luckily for State Department morale, when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was asked about last fall's so-called "diplomatic revolt" (a town-hall meeting at Foggy Bottom about Iraq conscription became acrimonious) she responded thusly:
Rice said yesterday that those who attended the meeting were "self-selected" and that many of their colleagues were "absolutely offended" by their remarks. "I was deeply offended myself and deeply sorry that these people . . . went out of their way to, to my view, cast a very bad light on the Foreign Service," she told the House committee.
Yes, from the seventh floor of a D.C. office building, Rice was offended by intemperate remarks from the people she threatened to force into a war zone. Get me a tourniquet! My heart is bleeding.
Comments:
Posted 04/16/2008 10:23am with
This is a little of the backstory to your post, and it’s something I’ve posted about in the past—
Part of the problem is that the State Department can’t attract qualified candidates to fill key positions.
This is a search of the USAJOBS.com website for the State Department only, jobs sorted by salary, and this is just a cut-off sample of what they are trying to fill. (notice how many identify the duty as “Iraq?”
4/18/2008 EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST
Department of State US-DC-Washington, DC 115,317.00+
5/9/2008 Supervisory General Engineer
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 115,317.00+
5/5/2008 Managing Director
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 114,468.00+
4/16/2008 AUDITOR
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
4/16/2008 Compliance Specialist
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
4/17/2008 Deputy CIMO for Project Reporting (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/22/2008 MANAGEMENT ANALYST
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
4/21/2008 MANAGEMENT ANALYST, SUPERVISORY
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
4/22/2008 Management and Program Analyst
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
4/28/2008 Media Analysis Officer – Iraq
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Senior Agriculture Officer – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Senior Budget Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/23/2008 PRT Senior Business Development Specialist- (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/23/2008 PRT Senior City Management Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/28/2008 PRT Senior Governance Specialist – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/22/2008 PRT Senior Industrial Advisor – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Senior Public Health Advisor – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
5/7/2008 PRT Senior Rule of Law Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 98,033.00+
4/28/2008 Staff Accountant
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 98,033.00+
1/21/2009 FOREIGN SERVICE REGIONAL MEDICAL OFFICER /PSYCHIATRIST
Department of State US-Throughout The World 95,390.00+
4/6/2009 FOREIGN SERVICE REGIONAL MEDICAL OFFICER
Department of State US-Throughout The World 95,390.00+
4/28/2008 Justice and Law Enforcement Advisor
Department of State SA-The Middle East 95,390.00+
4/16/2008 AUDITOR
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,961.00+
4/28/2008 Education Program Specialist
Department of State US-VA-Alexandria, Arlington & Falls Church 82,961.00+
4/25/2008 Information Technology Specialist (Data Management)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,961.00+
4/16/2008 Lead Procurement Analyst
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,961.00+
4/23/2008 MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYST
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,961.00+
4/24/2008 Physical Scientist
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,961.00+
4/25/2008 Writer Editor (Speechwriter)
Department of State US-VA-Arlington, VA 82,961.00+
4/18/2008 Social Worker
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 82,165.00+
4/25/2008 Budget Analyst
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 69,764.00+
5/1/2008 Citizens Services Specialist
Department of State US-DC-Washington, DC 69,764.00+
4/24/2008 Physical Security Specialist
Department of State US-VA-Alexandria & Arlington & Falls Church, VA, VA 69,764.00+
4/17/2008 Program Officer
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC Metro Area, DC 69,764.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Agriculture Advisor – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Budget Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
4/23/2008 PRT Business Development Specialist- (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
4/23/2008 PRT City Management Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
4/28/2008 PRT Governance Specialist – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
5/8/2008 PRT Industrial Advisor – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Public Diplomacy Officer (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
5/16/2008 PRT Public Health Advisor – (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
5/7/2008 PRT Rule of Law Advisor (Iraq)
Department of State US-DC-Washington DC/TDY to Iraq 69,764.00+
Pale Rider
http://bluegirlredmissouri.blogspot.com/
Posted 04/16/2008 02:54pm with
And part of the problem seems to be your undersell of what functions and tasks “FSO’s” perform, all as part of US public diplomacy, well illustrated in pale rider’s inventory. Signing on as an FSO doesn’t limit one’s wardrobe to striped pants, where camos may fit better.