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Thoughts from A-100 Training
Note: A-100 is the 7-week basic training course all junior foreign service officers go through immediately after hire. Mike's A-100 training was in March and April 2004. Click here for Life after A-100, or click here to go to Mike's blog on daily life in Korea.
4/25/04 – “Week Seven of A-100 Training / Swearing-In Ceremony”
The 118th A-100 class ended last Friday with our final swearing in by Secretary Powell. Before I share more about that awesome day, let me fill you in on how our class ended. I don’t want to share the suspenseful ending immediately because then I would spoil all the fun.
On Monday we met at Main State. In the morning we heard from two officers from the Office of the Inspector General who talked about the OIG’s role at State. The OIG assesses posts worldwide, investigates fraud cases, and performs myriad other services on behalf of the Department. Following this session we toured the fabled 7th Floor, the epicenter of operations at the State Department. The foyer outside Secretary Powell’s office is fantastic. The decor reminded me of the East Wing of the White House, the wing open to the public, although the walls of the 7th Floor were festooned with portraits of previous Secretaries of State. At lunchtime we walked over to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) building to meet for lunch with colleagues and AFSA. We often hear that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” in the Foreign Service. Although we did not have to pay for lunch with AFSA, we were obliged to listen to a presentation about the organization. It’s not the equivalent of a condo pitch; it’s for a great cause. If you have not yet joined AFSA, I highly recommend joining if you’re planning a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA represents all Foreign Service officers and advocates to the State Department on behalf of employees. They work hard to represent all of us, and you never know when their services will come in handy on a personal basis.
After lunch on Monday we went to the State Department Press Briefing Room, the room with a nice wooden podium, blue circular State Department sign, and press seating. Press Secretary Richard Boucher joined us for a discussion about Department briefings. He looks just like he does on C-Span. After he departed we had an opportunity to take our turn at the podium while our classmates pretended to be paparazzi. Who says diplomats can’t be silly at times? Fortunately, we were orderly enough not to disturb the room’s feng shui. We ended Monday listening to Assistant Secretary William Eaton talk about Foreign Service life. He had some amazing stories to share about serving aboard in embassies around the world. I’m looking forward to consular and language training, but I’d rather be out at post developing stories of my own.
We spent Tuesday morning learning how to draft our first letter to post announcing our impending arrival and expressing enthusiasm for our assignment. Interestingly, this letter needs to be paper-based, not in E-mail format. It’s one of the few traditions that have remained unchanged. In the afternoon we reconvened at Main State for a group meeting with our career development officers (CDOs), who talked to us about our 2nd and 3rd posts. We learned about bidding strategies during our remaining time as junior officers and how networking becomes an important component of bidding as a mid-level officer. Although the time until our follow-on bids seems light years away, it’s fast approaching. My second bid will happen in a little over one year from now. If all goes well I’ll be assigned to a country requiring a world language on my second tour and can top off at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and then enroll in a 9-month intensive Economic course at FSI prior to my third bid. I never thought I would have to mark my calendar as far out as the year 2008, but we need to use foresight to develop our careers in the Foreign Service.
We returned to our FSI classroom on Wednesday. An officer who organizes VIP visits for Secretary Powell spoke about planning and executing official visits. She also talked about the impact of delegation visits on overseas posts and our potential role in these visits as junior officers. Our course coordinators joined us afterwards to wrap up the course. They highlighted the goals of A-100 training and asked us for feedback on how to improve it. Most of us were so impressed with the training in general that most of our suggestions were possible additions to the training. In the afternoon another Assistant Secretary met with us to talk about Economic and business affairs. Our class mentor, Ambassador Griffiths, ended the day by sharing her thoughts and insights on changes in the Department culture. Now that the training is over I look back at sessions like these and appreciate how much guidance Department leadership gave to us. I came from the private sector where employees usually begin their jobs with little interaction with upper management. That is definitely not true in A-100.
Thursday was a short day at FSI. We completed a final survey of the A-100 course, returned our loaner laptops, and gave unvarnished feedback to the FSI Director about the class. Some of our suggestions could be incorporated by as early as June, although we’ll never know which ones they accepted. Finally, our course coordinators returned for one last meeting with us in the FSI training room. They imparted pearls of wisdom to us and took a final bow. The class erupted in applause as they left the room. I thought for a moment they might return for an encore, but instead we had to coax them back to the room to celebrate one of our course coordinator’s birthdays (a milestone that rhymes with “nifty”). The birthday song, cakes, and gifts ranging from a Mötörhead T-shirt to Geritol provided a fitting end to a wild and wacky A-100 training. And sunshine to boot! After class ended a few of us went to the FSI office and Overseas Briefing Center to give gifts to the support staff that worked hard to make our A-100 training a smooth experience.
We ended the week with our Swearing-In ceremony. I could not have scripted a better ending to A-100. Many of our loved ones came to town to join us for the Big Day. I was happy to be joined by my wife and son as well as my mother, father, and their spouses on a beautiful, sunny day. We met at the entrance of Main State at 11 a.m. and were ushered in by Security to the 8th Floor for the ceremony. We exited the elevators and headed for the Ben Franklin Room, a room usually used to sign treaties. The room is extremely lavish and filled with antiques, mostly gifts given by other nations as gestures of friendship to the United States. We sat at the front of the room, surrounded by loved ones. The ceremony began at noon. Several distinguished speakers talked briefly about the history of the A-100 and about our class. As the first class benefiting from the new critical needs language policy, we left a strong impression on the staff. Although I didn’t benefit from the CNL policy myself, I was thankful that the policy change imparted our class with a unique legacy. I was also honored as co-recipient of the Glenn Munro Award for esprit de corps in the 118th A-100, as voted by my colleagues in the 118th. When the speaker announced that I had won the award during the ceremony, I was at once surprised and at the same time worried that I would have to go up and say something at the podium as if I had won an Oscar. Fortunately, I didn’t, and the ceremony continued after a round of applause. I beamed with pride and gave a thumbs up to Ali, who shared the award. Shortly thereafter Secretary Powell arrived, and he spoke to us for about 15 minutes. He also swore us in as Foreign Service officers and stayed to pose with us for a class photo. I am extremely impressed with Secretary Powell—even more so now that I’ve seen him in person. He is a commanding presence but at the same time very personable. He has truly done an amazing job as Secretary of State. It’s hard to imagine that State employees did not have Internet access at their terminals until Secretary Powell arrived.
Following the ceremony we returned to the first floor for a reception in a room filled with State Department artifacts. The Swearing-In Committee organized a wonderful spread with champagne and gourmet samplers. I ushered my family to the reception room and helped prepare the thank-you gift we planned to present to the FSI coordinators. My colleagues Alice, Jim, and I arranged to have a professional cartoonist design a 16”x20” caricature featuring the seven people most involved with our training. After my colleague Scott presented a plant to Ambassador Griffiths to thank her for being our class mentor, Alice thanked the FSI staff and gave the director of the Orientation Training Division our gift. If you’re planning to join an A-100 class in the near future, you might see the caricature hanging on the wall in the FSI office. I also enjoyed meeting family, spouses, partners, and friends of many of my colleagues until the reception ended.
Thus ended the training of the 118th A-100 class. My colleagues and I will soon scatter to the winds, but we plan to keep in touch. I wish my colleagues god speed and good fortune. Although the A-100 training is over, I will continue to write what I can about life in the Foreign Service. Someone from a previous class who read my journal said that their experience in A-100 was similar to mine. From here on out our career and training paths diverge, but virtually everyone in the Foreign Service shares the common legacy of A-100 class. It’s one piece we all share in the colorful mosaic of the Foreign Service.
4/11/04 – “Week Five of A-100 Training / Tri-Cycle II”
Happy Easter! I can’t believe how fast time has flown. It’s already the end of week 5. Next week is Flag Day, and the week after is the Swearing-In ceremony. I can’t believe that just six weeks ago I was in the Seattle area wondering what Foreign Service life would be like. I’m still wondering, but I now have an idea of what’s in store for me. There are still many unknowns for my family and me. Where will we be posted and when will we be there? How long will I be in training? What will job will I be doing for the next two years? (Consular is a safe bet. Most of the jobs on our bid list are consular jobs.) Will I manage Foreign Service nationals? Will I be overworked on the new immigrant visa (NIV) line? Will my job be substantive, or will my work end up in a file cabinet somewhere? Will I have a good supervisor? What will our housing be like? These are questions most of us mull over days before Flag Day. I wish I could give you a sneak peek into where I will be posted, but I have no idea what flag they will give me in the next 72 hours.
Last week was a good salve for the nervous tension you feel before you learn where you’ll spend the next two years of your life. The Tri-Cycle is a good distraction because we’re given plenty of homework to preoccupy us. On Monday and Tuesday the Penguins participated in a Public Speaking Workshop led by Paul Edel, who trains American and foreign diplomats in public speaking and communication. His training was fabulous. On the first day we learned helpful public speaking techniques we can use if we give speeches or communicate in an official capacity. On the second day we met in groups of 12 to give five-minute, videotaped speeches behind a podium. We also critiqued others’ speeches. I talked about “The possible affects of outsourcing on the Austrian economy following European Union enlargement.” It’s an absolutely riveting topic, to be sure. I did well, but it was the first time I had given a speech from a written text. Unfortunately, my head bobbed as I read the text, and on camera I looked like a woodpecker dismantling the podium. It was great practice for speeches I will no doubt eventually give. We also wrote short speeches for other people to help us tailor our writing to other speaking styles.
On Wednesday our class assembled as a group. We spent the morning learning how to process our per-diem vouchers. The vouchers are required so that we’ll be paid back for the living expenses we’ve incurred since early March. It’s a nightmarish process, because each person has a different situation to capture on the voucher. The voucher session was followed by another exciting cable writing session and a new cable assignment. We ended the day with an excellent presentation on advocacy and dissent presented by two outstanding retired ambassadors, including an ambassador who was instrumental in establishing the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA).
At lunchtime on Wednesday we divided into cones and attended mandatory career track brown bag lunches with the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) career track representatives. The head of the Economic career track met with us and talked to us about working in cone and pursuing formal Economic training. I am more convinced than ever the Economic is the right career track for me. I love to learn, and the Economic Cone provides more training opportunities than any other cone. During our third bid cycle (in my case, 2008), Economic officers can apply for nine-month intensive Economic training at the FSI before beginning their third tour. The State Department will also send some mid-level officers to the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton to earn a Master’s in Public Policy. Some Economic officers also spend a year on duty at any school in the U.S. pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree. Although officers in any cone can apply for any of these training opportunities, preference is given to Economic officers. Someday I might pursue a doctorate through State to open the door to teaching after I retire (32 years down the road).
On Thursday and Friday the Tri-Cycle reconvened. We spent both mornings in “Composure Under Fire”, a course designed to prepare us to answer tough questions. Imagine yourself giving a presentation in country A about trade, and during the Q&A someone in the audience asks you about the U.S.’ military and diplomatic activities in country B. Did you anticipate and prepare for that question? Probably not, but still you have to give an answer so you don’t look stupid or unprepared in front of a potentially hostile audience. The course helps new officers adjust to thinking on their feet and answering unexpected and sometimes heated questions. In the afternoon on Thursday we learned about supervising Foreign Service nationals. Most of us will supervise at least one, possibly dozens of FSNs at our posted during our first tours. Many of us, including me, have had little experience managing foreign nationals. It will definitely be trial by fire once we arrive at post. However, this class gave us some insight into working with and managing FSNs. On Friday at lunchtime we had the pleasure of having lunch with a group of FSNs who are in training at the FSI. I met an FSN from the embassy in Tokyo and a FSN working in Lagos, Nigeria. It turns out that the sister of the FSN from Tokyo had attended college in the small American town where I was born. What a small world! It turns out that FSNs are humans too. They’re not just worker bees serving the whim of the Foreign Service officers.
Only 72 hours until Flag Day! I’ll let you know where we’re going as soon as I can get to a computer with Internet access.
4/6/04 – “Week Four of A-100 Training / Tri-Cycles”
The excitement of The Woods has subsided, and life has calmed down again. It almost makes week four of A-100 training feel anti-climactic. Not only were we back in the classroom, but we also spent most of the week subdivided into three teams: Team Lemur, Team Otter, and Team Penguin. I am now a proud member of Team Penguin. The animal monikers are one way for the Powers That Be to let us know that we shouldn’t be too full of ourselves. It’s easy to be overly proud of yourself in A-100 training and make a big deal of your own sense of accomplishment. Working with outstanding colleagues can leave you confident in your own success; that is, until you become a member of Team Penguin and are reduced to being referred to as a small, frumpy critter that looks suspiciously like a gentleman in a suit or tuxedo. Still, it’s good to be a penguin. I would definitely hate to be a lemur.
On Monday we spent the morning together debriefing on the off-site, at least as much as we could remember through all the weekend haze. It was difficult rolling into class on a bright and sunny Monday morning. We went through another Foreign Service writing session to learn about writing memoranda, and we listened to someone give a Congressionally mandated talk on international religious freedom. Ambassador Robert Pearson, Director General of the Foreign Service gave a short speech on human resources. I wonder if he still has the daisy I gave him during my song at the Follies (don’t ask). We ended the day with an informal DCM panel that answered our questions about mission life and climbing the Foreign Service ladder. Each DCM gave great insights on career do’s and don’t’s in the Foreign Service. I wish I could share more, but I don’t want to spoil your fun. You’ll have to listen to the panel or talk to others who are in the Foreign Service.
On Tuesday we split into our respective teams. Team Penguin traveled to K Street in Washington, D.C. and met with representatives from several GO’s and NGO’s, including InterAction and the UN World Food Programme. We learned about refugee and internally displaced people (IDP) issues and focused on the plight of Liberian refugees during the 10-year Liberian Civil War. On Wednesday we went to Main State at Foggy Bottom and listened to more panels discuss IDP and refugee issues as well as Liberia. On Thursday we turned our attention to the Caspian Basin and energy development in the region. A three-person panel, which included the senior advisor to Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy, discussed the intricate issues involved in extracting and exporting oil and gas from the region. Following these discussions we were instructed to choose either Liberian refugees or Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy and write a one-page cable summarizing and commenting on the relevant issues. Trying to write on such complex issues in one page is like trying to stuff a penguin into a tuxedo. It just isn’t an easy thing to do. I’ve heard that each team will have its own set of issues to deal with. While the Penguins spent time at K Street and Main State, other teams focused on other Tricycle activities.
On Wednesday we also heard a short but interesting presentation from a U.S. Diplomacy Center employee who talked about the ongoing National Diplomacy Museum project. When completed in 2006 the museum will be the first in the U.S. dedicated to honoring our nation’s diplomatic history. It will be housed in a portion of the Main State building and will be open to the public. I tried to find some information about it on the Web, but there’s not much available yet. If I can get a hold of a museum contact, I’ll post it in case you want to donate to the museum. I’m excited to hear that we will finally have a museum to honor such an important profession. On Thursday and Friday we also learned about diplomatic privileges and immunities, official representation, and professional conduct. When you attend an official function as a note-taker, where do you sit? Where does the Ambassador sit? Where does the foreign dignitary sit? Can you accept and drink beverages or eat food while taking notes? What do those black diplomatic passports represent, and when and how do you use them? What if you get in trouble in a country where you’re assigned or not assigned? Now I know.
I spent Wednesday morning taking my French language test. It was my first foreign language test at the FSI. I dusted my French off and gave it my best try. I hadn’t used French for over 12 years and ended up with a 1/1 in speaking/reading. Tests scores seem to be lower than what test takers typically self-estimate. I thought that I read at level 2, but somehow the testers thought that my reading was comparable to my speaking (which is pretty pathetic). Even if you have a really rusty grasp of a foreign language, it’s still advisable to test in that foreign language. However, if you can only count up to the number 10 in that language, and the only sentence you can say in that language is “I want a beer,” then you might want to reconsider testing in that language. The language test consists of two parts. Part one, speaking, is similar to the B/EX phone test. You speak for 5 minutes in the foreign language with a native speaker, then speak for 5 minutes on a pre-selected topic, and then ask the speaker a few questions in the foreign language and translate their responses into English for the moderator. Part two, reading, has two sections. In the first section, you read seven short texts, including ads, and discuss what they mean in English without directly translating into English. Section two includes two longer texts, one chosen by you from a selection of texts and one chosen by the testers. Again, you have to discuss the meaning of the texts without directly translating into English. I did well on the text I chose myself, but I think the testers deliberately chose a second text for me that would test my ability to read between the lines. My basic French couldn’t handle such complicated thoughts. I can talk about beer, but forget about discussing the affects of beer consumption or brewing techniques. I really hope that I do better during my German and Spanish tests.
Next week Team Penguin continues their Tricycle adventures. Just two weeks to Flag Day!
3/27/04 – “Week Three and The Woods”
I made it back from The Woods in one piece, although it was a mind-blowing experience to say the least! Before I talk about the retreat, which is usually regarded as the highlight of most junior officers’ experiences during A-100 training, let me recap the beginning of the week before we left for West Virginia.
On Monday we were briefed by Ambassador Barbara Pope, Assistant Secretary of State for Civil Rights. She gave an excellent, short presentation about the State Department’s progress on improving civil rights and reducing discrimination and sexual harassment in the State Department. We also talked about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a common theme throughout the week. As much as I don’t like typing (“how come you talk so much if you’re an Introvert?”), I realize that MBTI is helpful in making you aware of your personality and how you interact with others. If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t get along with someone else or why someone annoys you so much, it might be because their MBTI is much different from yours. The Center for Applications of Psychological Type goes into depth about the MBTI. I turned out to be an INTJ (Introvert, iNtuitive, Thinking, Judging), affectionately known as the “Madman and Genius” category because Einstein and Hitler were supposedly INTJs too. The “Defense is from Mars, State is from Venus” article claims that State has a disproportionate number of INTJs. It’s probably because you have to be a little crazy to live the Foreign Service life. The MBTI isn’t intended to stereotype anyone; it’s intended to see how well you can play in the sandbox. During Week 3 you’ll learn what your type is if you don’t already know, and you’ll learn how to work with and draw from the strengths of others who have different personality types than you.
On Tuesday we split into three groups for most of the day. In the morning we worked through four scenarios we might encounter as new JOs. One classmate played a JO in each scenario opposite our instructor, and following the exercise the rest of the class discussed our reactions, how they would have reacted, and the best responses to these situations. I played a JO in one fictional scenario. (And I thought this job would be easy!) I ended up handling baggage in Caracas, when what I really want to do was take notes at an important conference. I realized though that as unglamorous as baggage handling sounds, it can be a good or bad career move if you do your job well or screw up royally. We spent Tuesday afternoon going through crisis management training and talking about what to do in the event of a crisis at an embassy or consulate. So there’s a war going on? What do you do? Evacuate the embassy? What do you do? I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know until they talked about what to do. We have two Port-au-Prince posts on our bid list. I wonder what I would do if I had been sent there before it was evacuated.
OK, so you really want to know about The Woods, that mysterious three-day get away to West Virginia. Well, I don’t want to spoil all the fun, but I’ll tell you a little about it. Seriously folks, it rocked. I already know that it will go down as my personal favorite of the A-100 training. Who cares about Flag Day, right? J It definitely helped that the weather cooperated. The staff said that it would be cold and rainy, but it was beautiful for most of the retreat. I came back seriously burned out from all the adrenaline and alcohol flowing. I have to admit that since I’m a married guy who’s far away from his family I did my best to relive my college years. When you’re a family man, you usually have a different kind of fun than what comes from hanging with Da Crew, sitting in classes, or from passing a bottle.
We all met bright and early on Wednesday morning. I volunteered as a driver to haul things for the Follies, and our very own Shawn Tribe joined me. We followed two buses loaded with A-100 students up I-66 to West Virginia. We briefly lost sight of the buses, but 15 minutes later two identical buses came into view. We naturally followed them. We drove up I-66 to Front Royal, VA and all of a sudden the buses exited the freeway. We followed behind for 20 minutes. Shawn thought it would be a good idea to drive up to the side of one of the buses and wave to our classmates. I drove next to the bus, Shawn waved at the bus, and a group of schoolchildren waved back at her. We suddenly realized that we had been following behind the wrong buses! What are the odds that two identical buses would be driving the same way as our buses at about the same time? Fortunately, we weren’t that far from I-66 and quickly made it back to the freeway and finally arrived at The Woods, albeit half an hour late.
“The Woods” resort is located in Hedgesville, WV not far from Hagerstown, MD. I thought it ironic that we were not far from the warehouse where most of our household belongings are being stored until we head overseas. It’s not a bad resort, no matter how much the staff downplays it. When you’ve been there 20-30 times like some staff members have, you would probably not enjoy the amenities at “The Woods”. It’s just like Bill Murray reliving February 2nd over and over again in the movie “Groundhog Day”. The food was fine, and the facilities are a bit dated, but it’s by no means roughing it. Still, the woods surrounding “The Woods” could have been straight out of “The Blair Watch Project” and we didn’t venture far from the resort.
Our class was assigned to 8 different teams of about 12 people each. Our team was fortunate to have our class mentor, Ambassador Barbara Griffiths. She’s absolutely wonderful, and we never felt any discomfort having a teammate of such high stature. In fact, we were reluctant to let her go when we voted to let her join another team halfway through our exercises. Our team, the “Debutants” (named after our group facilitator, Deb), used a princess wave and “da duh da duh dah!” as our team cheer. We participated in a variety of indoors and outdoors activities. I won’t spoil the fun and tell you what exercises we did, but I will say that we learned to work together effectively as a team. Not only did we have to discuss and execute strategies to accomplish our team goals, but we also had to physically interact to accomplish our assigned tasks. Yes, it included a bit of moshing and handholding, so be prepared. We participated in activities on Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday, and Friday morning. These activities are intended to promote team building and reliance on others.
On Wednesday evening we met at the women’s Representational House for a social gathering (a party by another name is still a party). People dressed as lounge lizards for Lounge Lizard Night. On Thursday evening we went to the men’s House for 80’s Night. The fun, drinking, dancing, and funky costumes were unforgettable. Madonna, Poison’s guitarist, Mötörheaders, and David Byrne of the Talking Heads showed up for the party. It was wild at times, but it was still tame compared to parties you might have been to in college. We’re all too old for that. Some of my classmates do have a talent for dancing. That’s all I’ll say! We had such a great time that one of the instructors stayed until 2 p.m. The instructor said that it was one of the best times they’d had at “The Woods.”
On Thursday we performed the famous A-100 Follies, a Vaudeville-style show written, performed and directed by our career development officers, staff, and classmates. The CDOs performed a song, and the staff performed a skit. Our class performed most of the skits and songs. Again, I don’t want to spoil the fun by telling you about our Follies—you have to experience it for yourself. For those of you in the May or June classes, however, be prepared to put together your Follies in less than a week. Think of fun, creative songs and skits poking fun at Foreign Service life and the A-100 class. It’s the one of the few times in the Foreign Service when making a fool out of yourself can actually help your career! I performed a song during the Follies that brought down the house. I took an old song I posted on this group back in December when Lingogate first hit and rewrote it for the Follies. A few high-level ambassadors were in the audience, and I stirred up the audience by singing, dancing like a funky chicken, and giving away daisy flowers. (Yes, you too can embarrass yourself on stage!) By the end of the song everyone sang the chorus together. The song is called “The State,” and it’s based on “Escape (The Pina Colada Song”) by Rupert Holmes. Here are the lyrics as I wrote them for the Follies:
I was tired of my
old job,
Been were working there too long,
Wasn’t very rewarding,
My boss was always wrong.
So while I sat there working,
I surfed the Web and then,
On this Government web site,
Was this announcement I read.
“If you like living exotic,
And getting moved every year,
If you don’t like convenience,
If you have half the fear,
Can you evacuate at midnight?
To a place where it's safe,
Then you're the One that we look for,
Apply here at the State.”
I didn't think about my family,
I know that sounds kinda mean,
But me and my whole family,
Needed something to shake up our routine,
So I tested my mettle,
Took the written exam,
And though I’m no globetrotter,
I thought I wasn’t half bad.
Yes, I like living
exotic,
And getting moved every year,
I’m not into convenience,
I’m not here to complain,
I got to test by tomorrow noon,
And start to fight this red tape,
At this big hall on campus,
Where I’ll test for the State.
So I tested with high
hopes,
And passed the written exam,
And then I passed the Orals,
I knew it wouldn’t be long,
It was the start of my new life,
When the State said, “We want You.”
So I packed my belongings,
And to the State I moved.
Yes, I love Dink,
Dan, and Charlie,
And sitting in class all day,
And Rebecca and Ashley
Cramming things in my brain,
I want to bid on Lagos,
And Jamaica, my friend,
It’s the job that I’ve hoped for,
I’ve been sucked into State.
“If you like
living exotic,
And getting moved every year,
If you like stamping passports,
And people who complain,
Can you evacuate at midnight?
To a place where it's safe,
Then you're the One that we look for,
Apply here at the State.”
We returned from “The Woods” on Friday afternoon. I was so worn out from the retreat that I crashed when I came home. If you go to “The Woods,” chances are you will too.
3/21/04 – “Week Two of A-100 Training”
Wow, week two is already over! I waited forever to get in to A-100 training, and the weeks are just blowing by. Today was the first day in three weeks I actually had time to sit down and catch up on some old items on my to-do list. I hear that is really common among A-100 students—you feel tired, sluggish, overwhelmed, and rushed for the first two weeks, and by the end of week two things start feeling like normal again. It felt great to lock myself in my apartment for the day. Tomorrow more lectures from our crazy instructors will start again. You’ll have a blast getting to know Charlie, Dink, Rebecca, Ashley and the myriad others who cycle through during A-100 to teach you how to be a good diplomat and State Department employee.
Week two started with the infamous MLAT (Modern Language Aptitude Test). No one really knows how the Foreign Services uses the results, but it takes a good two hours to do the test and it goes into your employee profile. Maybe it’s a tiebreaker in case there are two candidates with identical bids, backgrounds, etc. Prince Roy talks about it in his blog: http://www.princeroy.org/. On Monday afternoon we learned more about eBid, the online bidding web site. A-100’ers don’t usually use eBid to submit their bid lists because most of us aren’t supposed to be in the personnel system yet, but we apparently were and were the first class to use eBid. Never mind that we used it in addition to the traditional method of submitting A-100 bids (spreadsheet). I suppose being the first class to do it is pretty cool, although it doesn’t make the process any more efficient. On Tuesday we learned how to draft cables, the State Department’s unique way of transmitting messages between Main State and post. Fun, fun, fun! We spent half the day learning about the Foreign Service’s quirky style of writing. In the afternoon five veteran Foreign Service officers came to our class to talk about the five FS career tracks. I’m an ECON officer, but the Consular officer who presented on his cone was pretty darn persuasive. Is it too late to switch cones? J Note to CON people—the CON people I’ve met so far have been some of the most passionate presenters. It must be a “people-person” thing. On Wednesday morning an Ambassador who is mentoring our class spoke to us, and in the afternoon the Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs spoke to us. That’s quite an honor. It makes me realize more and more that this isn’t all fun and games and that we’re in a fishbowl watched by the powers that be. We also heard a briefing on processing travel vouchers, those fun forms you have to fill to be reimbursed for coming to A-100. (Domestic hires, be glad you don’t have to do it! Never mind the per diem…not.)
Our post bidding came to a head on Wednesday. We had about two weeks to decide which posts we wanted to bid on. It’s really nerve-wracking trying to choose the next two years of your life, but by Monday a lot of us just wanted to be over with it (c’mon Flag Day!). Although our bids were due on Thursday morning, most of us submitted our bid lists by eBid and spreadsheet on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s my final bid list:
SHANGHAI
BEIJING
GUANGZHOU
HONG KONG
BEIJING
BEIJING
BEIJING
GUANGZHOU
VIENNA
PRAGUE
PARIS
SEOUL
BUENOS AIRES
NEW DELHI
MUMBAI
LONDON
LONDON
CALCUTTA
MANILA
SANTIAGO
GUADALAJARA
MONTERREY
BRASILIA
I really, really want to be posted in China, so I was in heaven when I saw 8 China posts on our list of 82 international posts (there were also 10 or so domestic posts). Unfortunately, there’s about 15 Chinese speakers and many of them also want to go to China. Who knows, maybe I’ll get the “Call” too and end up in Lagos, Nigeria like some members of the last A-100 class did. I have to admit, though, that every post, even Nigeria, has some level of comfort. It can be tough, but it’s as nice as you can get in difficult parts of the world. It makes me appreciate everything Peace Corps and military personnel go through overseas.
Thursday and Friday were split sessions for us. Half of us went on Thursday went to Main State to process our security badges and to discuss our bid lists with our career development officers (CDOs). I begged and pleaded with my CDO to send me to China. On Friday the other half went to Main State, and we went back to the classroom to listen to an all-day lecture by American University Professor Gary Weaver about “crossing cultures.” It was an awesome lecture, although “The Wrath of Khan” kept playing in my head (you’ll know why when you get here). We also turned in our first cable assignment, which I’m sure I butchered. I’m glad I got some practice before I have to do a real one! Cable writing is definitely an acquired art.
More next week!
3/15/04 - Stats from the 118th A-100 class
Gender: 33 women, 59 men
Age:
Range: 22-54
Mean: 33
Median: 31
Mode: 33
Marital Status:
Single: 44 (and shrinking by the day)
Married: 48
Highest Degree Obtained:
BA: 28
BS: 1
JD/LLM: 13
MA: 35
MBA: 6
MBA/MA: 1 (that’s me)
MPA: 2
MS: 2
PhD: 3
Overseas Experience: 65 work, 78 student/tourist
Career Track:
Management: 20
Consular: 14
Economic: 19
Political: 18
Public diplomacy: 21
Languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kashmiri, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek
3/14/04 – “The Drive and Week One of A-100 Training”
I drove from the Seattle area to Arlington, VA. I left on 2/29 and arrived on 3/7/04. I drove the required 300 miles per day and stayed with friends and family along the way. I took I-90 to I-94 to I-80 and connected with I-76 south to the Washington, D.C. area. I had never driven through the Midwest east of the Twin Cities before, and I really enjoyed seeing Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh for the first time. The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen, bar none. Check out some of the photos at http://www.mam.org/site/buildingfuture.asp. I can definitely see why Chicago is called the “Windy City”. The day I was there the Skydeck at the Sears Tower was closed due to high winds. In Cleveland I made a pilgrimage to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Pittsburgh had a beautiful waterfront and was the nicest of all the cities I passed. Except for monsoon winds in Chicago and a snowstorm in Fargo, North Dakota, the driving trip was relatively uneventful. I will be reimbursed $.375 per mile driven (that’s a lot of miles), and the State Department will reimburse me at CONUS (continental U.S.) rates of $55/day + tax for motel stays and $31/day for meals.
I arrived at my new residence, Korman Communities, bright and early on
Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. ready to unpack the horde of boxes stuffed
in my car. Unfortunately, the reception desk did not open until noon,
and I after I managed to contact the apartment manager I was told that
I was not supposed to move in until 4:30 p.m. Fortunately, the manager
let me in early. Lesson learned—make sure you know what time they’ll
let you move into your apartment. The manager tried to sell me on a sliding
lease (pay more up front for two months and then decrease the rent on
the third month). I resisted, and I’m glad because the A-100 staff
was adamant that no one should sign a sliding lease. Afterwards, the manager
gave me a hand truck for me to use to unload my belongings, and after
several trips my new apartment was full of boxes. I spent the rest of
the day unpacking, buying groceries, acquainting myself with the Ballston
area, and going to the pre-118th A-100 welcome party hosted by the gracious
folks from the 116th A-100 class.
On the first day we were sworn in during the welcome reception at the Foreign Service Institute (http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/) in the Wood Lobby. They told us, “the first one is for dough; the second one is for show.” Afterwards we went to our training room for the first time, and after an introduction from the orientation staff we spent most of the day taking turns introducing each other. This allowed us to practice making official introductions so we would be ready to introduce guest speakers. Horsemeat, Utah, Peace Corps, Japan, and Russia seemed to be recurring themes among our classmates. At the end of the day we received our long-awaited bid list. I was happily surprised to see several China posts available to bid on. Because we’re a “special” class, the first one with members who speak one or more critical needs languages, we received a list with more posts requiring critical needs languages. The Overseas Briefing Center also gave us a tour of their facilities.
We spent the second day filling out paperwork and listening to briefings on healthcare options and overseas schools. Contrary to anything you’ve heard, we were specifically told that everyone should complete and send in ALL paperwork before showing up for A-100 training. This makes it much easier for the B/EX to help us successfully complete or correct our paperwork during the time allotted. At the end of the day we attended security briefings and were issued our “lightweight” brick-like laptops that can only connect to the Internet at the FSI and will be returned after the 7-week A-100 training. On day three we were briefed on foreign language programs at the FSI as well as language testing procedures. We also met with our career development officers (essentially mentors) to talk about the bidding process, and we did a practice bidding exercise to help demystify the process. On day four we went to Main State (Foggy Bottom) to obtain one of two security badges we will need and to attend an open forum with the State Department Federal Credit, Bank of America, Family Liaison Office, and health insurance representatives. If you need to open a bank account you can use overseas, this forum allows you to meet with BoA and SDFCU representatives who will help you open the account. We also learned more about the Employee Service Center and attended a “job fair” of sorts where we talked to State Department representatives about the various posts on our list. On Friday we spent the day learning more about the State Department, overseas missions, and security. Throughout week one the Overseas Briefing Center stayed open late and opened on Saturday so we could research posts using brochures, briefs, information on CD, and post videos to assist us in our bidding decision.
Well, I made it through week one without showing up late or losing anything. Whatever you do, don’t show up late to class and turn off your electronic devices! I’m ready for week two!
2/28/04 – “Getting Ready to Join the Foreign Service”
I'll try to write
to tell you about my experiences in the A-100 class. The stories other
people have shared from earlier classes have been my personal favorites
on this board, so I thought I'd return the favor by sharing some of my
thoughts about life after "The Call." I got "The Call"
in late January and have been working hard since then to get ready for
the March A-100 class. Tomorrow I get in my vehicle packed full of personal
items and depart from Seattle to Arlington, VA. I'll be on the road all
week and should arrive on Sunday, 3/7 (barring bad weather).
If you're chosen for the May or June A-100 classes, your world will turn
upside down after you accept the offer. You'll go from waiting, waiting,
waiting for a call to springing into action to implement a plan you hopefully
worked out in your mind or on paper before receiving the call. Last fall
my family and I worked out a rough draft plan before I got "The Call,"
and it really helped prepare us for the move. I did as much as I could
beforehand, especially researching the Foreign Service and Washington,
D.C. area. We also made decisions about our future such as whether we
wanted to sell our house and which vehicles we wanted to sell or take
abroad. It's a lot easier making these kinds of decisions before the pressure
of post-Call life kicks in.
After I got the call, I spent the first week working out a plan to quit
my job and gave my two weeks' notice. My wife decided to stay on until
her job ends in June. We also focused on renting out our home instead
of selling and finding housing in D.C. Getting housing in D.C. is one
of the critical items because it can take time to find the right place
(especially sight unseen). We also decided keep our CR-V to take overseas
and sell the rest. We also decided to do some work on the house to get
it ready to rent. If you sell, you'll probably also need to do some prep
work before you sell.
During the next 2-3 weeks I did a variety of miscellaneous tasks: 1) Brought
appropriate clothing for the training (buy a few weeks in advance to give
the company enough time to tailor); 2) Completed the small ream of paperwork
required (19 forms) and sent back to State; 3) Prepared to drive to D.C.
so we could have our car in D.C. (State will not ship to training); 4)
Worked with Transportation and my Personnel Technician to secure travel
orders and coordinate logistics such as transportation to D.C. and items
for shipping (unaccompanied air baggage and household effects); 5) Closed/opened
bank and credit card accounts in D.C. and Seattle; and 6) Worked on the
house.
During the final 2 weeks I focused on creating an inventory of our home.
We had to figure out what we wanted to sell, store with a relative, store
as household effects for furnished/unfurnished posts, send to training
as unaccompanied baggage, or bring along across country. That alone took
a few days! The movers picked up a few hundred pounds of personal items
to ship to D.C., and I put together a pile of things that I just stuffed
into my car tonight.
Tomorrow I will say goodbye to my family until the swearing-in ceremony
in late April, and I will get into my car and drive across country, hopefully
without incident (like running into a snowstorm). Wish me luck!
2/20/04 – “Almost a JET”
I'm almost a JET, but not quite. In 1994 I turned down an offer from the Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET) program because I met the girl of my dreams. I was living in Europe at the time, and we couldn't bear to be apart for another year or more. I always wondered what life would have been like if I'd gone to Japan on the JET program. It sounds like a fabulous opportunity. Still, I don't regret my decision. I'm glad though that I'm coming back full circle and joining the FS along with some JET alums. At the risk of sounding corny, it's like the movie "The Family Man" with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni where he steps into a life that he could have had but never did because he made a different decision. It's nice to see that I still ended up at the same destination even though I settled down to marry and have a family.