The U.S. Diplomacy Center

Post by J

Secretary of State John Kerry and five former Secretaries of State - Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Madeline Albright, Colin Powell, and Hilary Clinton - spoke at the U.S. Diplomacy Center groundbreaking ceremony this afternoon. Our FSO orientation class was invited to attend, and comprised 85 of the 250 attendees present. We were delighted to be included.

Each Secretary spoke for a few minutes, and I was particularly struck by Secretary Powell's comments. Basically, he said that while Washington, DC boasts many monuments dedicated to military services (the Viet Nam War Memorial, the Korean Memorial, World War II, etc.), there is not a monument to those Foreign Service Officers who gave their lives while serving America abroad (there are over 200), nor is there a place dedicated to telling the story of the Diplomatic Corps. The U.S. Diplomacy Center will serve this purpose.

My classmates and I were a little starstruck, given the status of the speakers. We're all a little geeky and the Secretaries of State are the equivalent of rock stars in our world. Of course we shamelessly snapped photos with our phones.

And here's a little random addition to this post that has nothing to do with the Diplomacy Center:

Last week while searching for a place to sit at lunch, a classmate and I walked outside to the courtyard at the Main State building. All the tables were occupied, unfortunately, but we spied a table that only had one person sitting at it. We approached the man sitting there and asked if he'd mind if we joined him. He said no, and we sat down. Small talk ensued.

"Do you work here?" we asked. We ask this question of everyone, assuming that they're an FSO who might have interesting stories from the field, or insightful advice that we couldn't get anywhere else.

"No," the man replied. "I'm a reporter."

We hesitated, not knowing exactly what to talk with him about.  

"Which paper do you work for?" I asked.

"Not a paper. I work for Fox News."

Aha.  A television reporter.  

Turns out, we had lunch with James Rosen, who was quite a hot topic a few years ago. Rosen was the subject of an investigation, a pretty aggressive one in fact, conducted by the Department of Justice. Some believe the DOJ went too far, using intimidation tactics to squelch Rosen's free speech. The reason that some were on Rosen's side is that if investigative reporters are prevented from digging too deep (the DOJ was trying to intimidate Rosen by conducting their own investigation), it limits the media's role as a "watchdog."

It just goes to show, you never know who you're going to see from one day to the next in this job!

Monticello

Post by J

Since Thomas Jefferson (affectionately known as "TJ" to R who, by the way, also refers to Teddy Roosevelt as "TR" and William Shakespeare as "Billy the Shake") was the first U.S. Secretary of State, I thought it only fitting that I visit his home and pay my respects.

It takes a little over two hours to drive to Charlottesville from here, so I started out around 8:30 this morning. I enjoyed traveling through the rolling hills of Virginia, picturesquely hemmed in by tidy white fences, and didn't even mind the slower pace that was required because of the curves. I narrowly missed flattening a turtle with a death wish as it neared the end of its ponderous trek across the asphalt, however. I made good time and finally arrived at Monticello - the only home of a U.S. president that is a UNESCO world heritage site.

I paid the entrance fee and took the shuttle up to the top of Jefferson's "little mountain," which is what Monticello translates to in Italian. I was just in time for the next guided tour of the house, and our knowledgeable guide shared some amazing facts about Jefferson during the tour including:

• Jefferson had read every book in his father's library by the age of 6
• Jefferson could read in seven different languages
• Jefferson taught himself Spanish during a 19-day sea voyage by translating a copy of Don Quixote using a Spanish/English dictionary
• Jefferson was nearly a vegetarian, using meat only as a "condiment" to enhance the flavors of his vegetables
• Jefferson's favorite vegetable was peas, and he grew six different varieties on the grounds of Monticello
• Jefferson was an inventor, collector of fine art, and founder of the University of Virginia

In short, TJ was amazing.  But he suffered tragedy: his father died when he was 14; his wife, Martha, died after only 10 years of marriage, and only two of his six children lived to adulthood.

Monticello is beautiful, and the grounds and gardens are impressive.  I thoroughly enjoyed the three hours I spent there, and came away with new respect and admiration for our third president.

A-100 Week One Recap

Post by J

Week one of A-100 is in the books.  I don't remember being this tired since Basic Training back in my Army days, I kid you not. There's a lot of information to absorb, all of it relevant, all of it important.  Plus, I've been getting up at 5:00 each morning to run (there are treadmills in the apartment complex's small  fitness center), so by the time I get home around 6:00 p.m. I'm justifiably exhausted. Hello, three-day-weekend! Am I ever glad to see you!

The sessions this week varied from "mission statement and structure" to explanations of how to complete a travel voucher. We learned about global health issues, diplomatic history, and the National Security Council. We explored State Department priorities and the interagency process. We received an overview of the Transition Center, which includes the Overseas Briefing Center (OBC).

The OBC is of particular interest this week because we received the bid list for our class on Wednesday. The list consists of 105 possible posts that we each must rank high, medium, or low, depending on our self-determined priorities. The list encompasses 51 cities in 44 countries. This is where the fun comes in: all of my 84 fellow FSOs and I are busily poring over the vast array of material that the OBC keeps on each post, trying to decide what is best for us. We have been told we can rank no more than 25% (about 26 posts) low.

We are not able to publicly share the list, but our families are directly affected so can be "in the know." R, H, L, and I have been looking up countries and sharing information we find, trying to begin the process of weeding out and ranking. It's fun, but it does take a lot of time.

On top of all of the information during the day and the lengthy telephone conversations with Ross regarding possible posts, I have homework to complete. I'm usually in bed sawing proverbial logs by 9:00 p.m.

Today the OBC had special weekend hours (something that only happens once a month), and I took advantage of that and drove over to FSI (Foreign Service Institute) to do some more reading on potential posts, and to check out a few post videos. While there, I had a very interesting conversation with two "seasoned" FSOs who are in between tours. They were on hand just to talk with us newbies, and I found their advice very helpful in getting a handle on how to proceed when I talk to my Career Development Officer (CDO) next week about my preferences.

Just to remind myself that I am making progress toward Flag Day (the day my class finds out to which post we've actually been assigned) I've included a countdown widget on the right side of this page. Time is ticking!

A-100 Day One

Post by J

I have officially taken the oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.  So help me God.

I will take this oath again, at the completion of my orientation training.

I just want to say here that I take this oath seriously. These words stand for my belief in this country and its ideals, and I don't take that lightly. It's an honor to serve my country in an official capacity, and I look forward to the challenges this profession will bring.

Today's agenda included a number of briefings on logistics: travel orders, health insurance options, housing. The real training begins tomorrow.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Five

Post by J

I took a slight detour today and drove through Shenandoah National Park via Skyline Drive on my way to my new apartment. I wove in and out of the rain and mist on a mostly empty road, listening to Handel's Water Music (appropriately enough), and enjoying the scenery:

Throughout the drive I kept thinking of the Civil War - probably because I kept thinking of the Jimmy Stewart film Shenandoah. Virginia is thick with battlefields: Appomattox Courthouse, Spotsylvania, Manassas, Fredericksburg, and so many others. The unspoiled beauty that is the Shenandoah Valley seems removed from modern life and I could easily imagine Union and Confederate soldiers lurking among the trees, tired of fighting, just wanting to go home.

After a couple of hours of of misty melancholy, I headed to Luray to check out the famous Caverns. It's a popular destination, apparently, because the parking lot was full when I arrived at about a quarter past two. After I spent an hour on the tour, I understood the appeal - it's pretty spectacular. Read about the caverns here.

And finally I arrived at my new apartment around six this evening. After schlepping all of my boxes up to the fourth floor, I made a quick trip to the supermarket for coffee and milk and eggs. Tomorrow I'll unpack, explore the neighborhood, and give the metro a trial run.  

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Four

Post by J

This morning, after a run on the hotel's treadmill and a stop in their breakfast room, I was struggling to open my hotel room door with a bowl of oatmeal in one hand, a cup of hot coffee in the other, and my room key card in my pocket. A maid who looked to be about 20 was in the hallway outside my door and asked sweetly, "Can I help you, honey?" in a molasses-slow Tennessee drawl. I'm definitely not in Wyoming any more. Not that Wyoming maids aren't helpful - they are - but they definitely don't have the accent, and I've never been called honey by one of them, especially one young enough to be my daughter. I thanked that sweet, helpful girl and left a $5 tip on the desk when I departed. Because she was helpful, yes. But mostly because I'm a little in love with the accent.

It only took 3.5 hours to drive to Roanoke, and I was tempted to stop at three places I saw advertised along the Interstate:  President Andrew Johnson's home in Greenville, TN (because everyone should know a little bit about the presidents, even those who've been impeached ... I'm looking at you, Bill Clinton), Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park, also in Tennessee (because Davy's got a pretty bad-ass reputation, and looks good in a coonskin cap besides), and Hungry Mother State Park in Virginia (because who isn't curious about this one?). It was starting to rain, however, so I decided to keep driving. I have subsequently looked up the Hungry Mother State Park, though, because I just had to know. In a nutshell, a long time ago Native Americans destroyed several settlements in the area, but a mother (Molly Marley) and her child escaped. Surviving on berries, Molly eventually collapsed and the child wandered down a creek until he or she found help. All the child could say was "Hungry mother," though, and by the time Molly was found, she was dead. Note to the Virginia State Parks people: Molly Marley State Park is a much better name.

I pulled in to Roanoke at about 2:30 and promptly went to the mall where I found a really nice blazer for work - original price:  $100. Sale price:  $12.  Score!

Tomorrow I arrive in Falls Church. It's only about a three-hour drive from here and I plan to take in a few sites along the way, even if it's raining.

Pre-Diplomatic Cross-Country Tour, Day Three

Post by J

Kentucky, anyone? How about Tennessee?

With only 411 miles to cover today, I waved goodbye to the Land of Lincoln with Journey's Wheel in the Sky playing on the local oldies radio station. (May I just pause here to ask, "How, for the love of all that's holy, did enough time pass for Journey songs come to be considered "oldies"?)

I crossed the Ohio River and entered Paducah, Kentucky where I saw a billboard advertising the National Quilt Museum. I decided to stop.

You know how on Sesame Street each episode is brought to you by a number and a letter ("Today's episode is brought to you by the letter J and the number 8.")? The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky is brought to you by the word, "Wow." Inadequate as it was, I said that word over and over as I spent an hour in awe of the amazing talent displayed by the quilters. Although it is against the rules to take photos of the quilts (something about intellectual property rights, blah, blah, blah - a bunch of hooey, especially because images of the quilts were being sold as postcards in the gift shop), I took a few:

Seriously. The bird looks like it's been painted, but it's all applique and quilted. Crazy talent.

I continued on my way down the interstate and crossed the Tennessee River. Then the Cumberland, then Lake Barkley and Stones River near Nashville. Then I crossed the Caney Fork River five times in the space of less than two miles. Then the Falling Water River, the Obed River and the Clinch River. Captain Obvious: Kentucky and Tennessee have a lot of rivers.

Outside of Nashville, traffic came to an abrupt halt. A heavy rainstorm had just passed over and it was still drizzling. Over the course of the next hour, I covered 10 miles, inch by inch. I grabbed my phone after about 15 minutes and looked up road conditions on I-40 eastbound and discovered there had been an accident around milepost 252. Sure enough, when I got to the accident site, a huge motor home was turned over along the side of the road, a damaged truck beside it. By my calculations, I would have been pretty close to that spot at the time of the accident if I hadn't stopped to ogle the quilts back in Paducah.  

The upside is that, while stalled in traffic, I was listening to Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat on my iPod that I had synced with the car sound system. Hysterical. I'm sure the other drivers in the gridlock must have thought I had just been released from Bellevue, if they chanced to look in my direction and saw me cracking up for no apparent reason.

I'm spending the night in Knoxville, and looking forward to a short day (only 259 miles!) tomorrow, when I arrive in Virginia.