A desolate landscape and frozen ocean seems like an unlikely place for the scene of major world events and geopolitical…
Grains, Cows, and the End of the Cold War
The end of the Cold War is sometimes thought about as a dramatic and rapid event marked by the fall…
The Variety of a Foreign Service Career: Bananas, Beaches, and a Plane
Robert Reis, a longtime State Department official, is a perfect example of how far one can come from the American…
The Last Days Before the Fall of Saigon: Evacuating Vietnamese Refugees
The Fall of Saigon is perhaps one of the most infamous moments of the Vietnam War. Following the fall of…
Keeping “Enemies” Close: Diplomacy in Divided Cities
The twentieth century continues to captivate the attention of policy professionals, academics, and the general public. This is due to…
A “Typical Roberta Cohen Operation”—Establishing USIA Programs in Addis Ababa
Like much of Africa, Ethiopia experienced a watershed moment at the end of World War II, emerging out from under…
Daily Life in Japanese Custody: Japan Takes Over U.S. Consulate in Vietnam During WWII
About one month before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States officially entered World War II, tensions were already…
The Pursuit of Perfection: Dilemmas in the Foreign Service
Capturing, preserving, and sharing the experiences of America’s diplomats. ADST’s maxim perfectly encapsulates the diverse nature of a Foreign Service…
Dinner with Imelda: Encounters with the Philippines’ Most Famous Dictatorship
In the wake of the Cold War, dictatorial regimes sprang up throughout the world, capturing international attention with news of…
We are the World: Development Support in Africa
The work of the U.S. Foreign Service encompasses more than just advancing U.S. interests abroad. A critical part of it…