Here is your update from USAID Vice President Francisco Zamora. Please send any comments and questions to <fzamora@usaid.gov>.

1. Latest Vanguard is Out: The May edition of our Vanguard newsletter is now available. Since the re-emergence of FrontLines we have felt less pressure about putting out our little publication, but we still plan on coming out with 10 or so editions each year. We hope you will find this month's installment - including tidbits on training opportunities, contracting, and some exceptional USAID children - of interest. You can read the Vanguard by clicking on this link: http://www.afsa.org/usaid/0508vanguard.pdf.

2. AFSA Plaque Ceremony: As is custom on Foreign Affairs Day, AFSA on May 2 unveiled the latest names to be inscribed on the plaques honoring those Foreign Service employees who gave their lives in the line of duty. This year, we added two names: Steven Thomas Stefani, an employee of the Foreign Agricultural Service, who was killed in Afghanistan in October 2007, and John M. Granville, a USAID employee, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Khartoum, Sudan on January 1, 2008. We urge all Foreign Service members to visit the C Street lobby of the Department of State, where the plaques are located, to remind themselves of the important and often dangerous work we do.

3. New Journal: The May edition of the Foreign Service Journal has been published, with a focus on U.S.-African relations over the last 50 years. Your humble USAID Vice President also has a column in the AFSA News section. If you are not receiving your hard copy of the Journal, please make sure we have your correct address (http://www.afsa.org/comment.cfm.) The Journal is also available online to AFSA members at http://www.fsjournal.org/.

4. Member of Household Update: The Director General of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Harry Thomas, recently sent out a cable urging MOHs to seek security training where possible. This appears to be a new policy, as enrolling MOHs in any training has heretofore been practically impossible. AFSA/USAID welcomes this new direction, and we will work with USAID management to ensure that this policy is applied fairly across all the foreign affairs agencies. On a related note, AFSA/USAID congratulates the new GLIFAA board members on their election, and we look forward to continuing our positive relationship to ensure fair and equal treatment of all employees and their families.

5. Another Reminder: In past messages, we have urged you to consider obtaining the AFSA Professional Liability Insurance, offered through the Hirshorn Company. Unfortunately, we continue to see cases where an employee's problems are compounded due to the lack of this coverage. We urge you, yet again and in no uncertain terms, to purchase this insurance. It covers (a) wrongful acts, errors or omissions committed or arising within the scope of your service as an employee of the United States Government, such as: bodily injury, property damage, discrimination, and harassment; (b) acts prior to policy inception, from first day of service in the federal government, as long as you had no knowledge of any claim or action which might result in a claim or action; (c) counsel and cost of defense and monetary penalties arising out of any disciplinary proceeding, for any act, error or omission in professional services rendered; and (d) all related defense costs in addition to your coverage limits. Please note that your home agency may reimburse up to 50% of the cost of the insurance. USAID’s regulations on that can be found in ADS 537. You can read more here: http://www.afsa.org/mbr/ProfLiabilityInsurance.cfm.

6. Just In Case : One of AFSA's many services is a speakers bureau, which sends mostly retired Foreign Service Officers to speak in front of audiences all over the country. This is part of our outreach mission to educate the general public about the role and importance of the Foreign Service. In 2007 alone, we placed 505 speakers in 44 states (plus Washington, DC) with a total audience of 31,500. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in getting a speaker to join a group of any kind (book groups, retirement communities, church groups, World Affairs Councils, etc.) please contact AFSA Director of Communications Tom Switzer at switzer@afsa.org or visit our new speakers bureau web page at www.afsa.org/speakers.