FSO: Why have less than 1 in 5 of us served in Iraq?

Another foreign service officer, responding to our request for comments on Embassy Baghdad and the potential of forced deployments there, wants to know why fewer than 20 percent of his colleagues have served in Iraq. Are you an FSO with something to say on the issue of Embassy Baghdad? E-mail Passport. As someone who served in Embassy ...

Another foreign service officer, responding to our request for comments on Embassy Baghdad and the potential of forced deployments there, wants to know why fewer than 20 percent of his colleagues have served in Iraq. Are you an FSO with something to say on the issue of Embassy Baghdad? E-mail Passport.

Another foreign service officer, responding to our request for comments on Embassy Baghdad and the potential of forced deployments there, wants to know why fewer than 20 percent of his colleagues have served in Iraq. Are you an FSO with something to say on the issue of Embassy Baghdad? E-mail Passport.

As someone who served in Embassy Baghdad early in my career I believe that Secretary Rice has not only the right but the duty to direct Foreign Service Officers to serve assignments in Iraq. I was there … during perhaps one of the worst periods of violence throughout the country.

[T]hat year spent there gave me invaluable insight into the fact that nearly every other agency and department in the U.S. government is focused on the Global War on Terror and the fight in Iraq, whereas the State Department is not. Soldiers have been sent over to Iraq by the hundreds of thousands to die, whereas Foreign Service Officers have been asked to go in the hundreds. True, we only number 11,000 strong with officers and specialists combined, yet to date less than 20% of State Foreign Service personnel have served in Iraq. Why is that?

For those officers who say they don't want to serve in Iraq, perhaps they should think back to their first day in A-100 [introductory training], where immediately we took the oath for entry to our positions. We also retook that oath upon graduation from A-100. Each of us will serve apart from our families, loved ones and even (God forbid) pets. However barring serious medical conditions those with skills who can contribute to the war effort should because it is their duty. Tell your spouse, partner, children, parents, other family that you'll be back, put your multiple cats up at some animal farm and step forward to serve the cause to which you signed up because that is our reason for being: to serve the President of the United States, the Secretary of State and ultimately the American people wherever in the world we're told.

The bottom line is there are two choices: go to Iraq if chosen or resign your post and make room for those who will serve their country when called.

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