When one thinks of life in the Foreign Service, they imagine living overseas, experiencing different cultures, and trying exotic foods.…
A Miracle Worker in Vietnam—Saving a Young Boy’s Life
Being a U.S. soldier and fighting for your country overseas is an incredible sacrifice. The extended time away from family,…
The Interest Trap—Diplomacy before the Cyprus Dispute
The majority of society dismisses Classical literature and history as irrelevant to tangible success in a world that has become…
At the Negotiating Table for SALT
U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War were marked by increasing tension. Emerging from WWII as the two strongest countries, competition…
A Precursor to the Downfall: Living Through Soviet Perestroika and Glasnost
The international community hoped great changes would come to the Soviet Union after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in March…
“Open Space at the Top of the World”—Defending the Thule Air Force Base in Greenland and Denmark
The purview of an ambassador in a U.S. embassy extends beyond the geographical borders of their host nation and into…
An Honest Broker: Remembering Brent Scowcroft
Brent Scowcroft was an Air Force lieutenant turned two-time United States National Security Advisor who served under Presidents Gerald Ford…
Finding Resilience in the Bombing of the Al Rasheed: Beth Payne in Iraq
Life in the Foreign Service extends far beyond the office, following its officers into all realms of existence abroad, at…
Introducing American Culture to Tokyoites
Renate Coleshill was born in Germany and went on to work for the U.S. Foreign Service in a number of…
An Expropriation Saga in Peru
For many Latin American states, expropriation has been a hammer in the toolbox of land or labor reform. For the…