The Foreign Service Journal, March 2012

60 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 2 A F S A N E W S Inside a U.S. Embassy Continues College Tour On Friday, Jan. 20, FS Books Publisher Shawn Dorman and Mar- keting and Outreach Manager Ásgeir Sigfússon visited the University of Pennsylvania to introduce AFSA’s book, Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work , to Penn students, and to discuss a career in the Foreign Service. The visit was organized in collaboration with Penn’s International Relations program. More than 40 students attended the discussion, keeping the two busy fielding questions after Ms. Dorman’s presentation. Many of the students seemed genuinely interested in the Foreign Service as a career choice and appreciated the opportunity to speak with Dor- man, a former FSO. Two of the students had already taken the For- eign Service exam. The visit is part of a concerted effort on AFSA’s behalf to reach out to college audiences to introduce students to the Foreign Service and the five foreign affairs agencies. To date, AFSA staff have given presentations at Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, The George Washington University, Boston University and Tufts University. We continue to welcome op- portunities to visit additional schools around the country. AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Tax Guide Correction The Tax Guide found in the February issue of AFSA News cites the wrong form number for Schedule D. Please note that the correct number for the new form is 8949, NOT 8959. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. I n response to a question fromAFSA President Susan John- son at the Jan. 26 State Department Town Hall meeting, Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton said she would work with President Barack Obama to spotlight the fact that though the U.S. military presence in Iraq has ended, thou- sands of men and women from the State Department, USAID and other foreign affairs agencies continue to work there under dangerous conditions to help build a stable and democratic nation. Johnson cited the president’s Jan. 24 State of the Union address, in which he appropriately honored the accomplish- ments and sacrifice of members of the American military who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and asked: “What are your ideas and thoughts on what the State Department can do to ensure that the American people remember and better appreciate that we all — the men and women of the State Department and our other foreign affairs agencies — are still there, are still in harm’s way, are still taking care of business and advancing the interests of the United States?” “That is a very fair question,” Sec. Clinton responded, as heads nodded throughout the jam-packed Dean Acheson Auditorium. “This is the largest post-conflict operation the State Department has ever tried to lead and manage. It’s hard. Many of you have spent time trying to help us with this transition.” “But I think when I see the president tomorrow, I will mention to him the importance of also having presidential attention to our members on the civilian side of the ledger who are still in Iraq and who are facing threats and dangers,” Sec. Clinton stated. “He is very mindful of that, very grate- ful for it, and I think will look for an opportunity to raise it to a higher level of visibility,” she added. Sec. Clinton thanked AFSA for raising this point, adding that AFSA has been a “good partner” in all of this work, and that she continues to appreciate its support and constructive criticism. In prefacing her question, Johnson had conveyed AFSA’s regard for the Secretary’s leadership in initiating the Quad- rennial Diplomacy and Development Review process and her “inspiring advocacy for all of us to embrace change and see what we can do to make our agencies more effective,” prompting hearty concurrence from the audience. Sec. Clinton to Raise the Profile of Civilian Work in Iraq BY SUSAN MAITRA, FSJ SENIOR EDITOR Save the Date: May 4th Is Foreign Affairs Day This year’s annual Foreign Affairs Day homecoming for State Department retirees will take place on Friday, May 4, and will feature a morning of discussions, followed by a luncheon in the Benjamin Franklin Diplomatic Reception Room. Those on the FAD mailing list will receive an invita- tion by mail in March. Please return the RSVP card and, if attending the luncheon, send the card and payment to: Foreign Affairs Day, P.O. Box 58018, Washington DC 20037. The luncheon will be limited to 250 participants.