Being fluent in different languages is a fundamental skill for foreign service. While many foreign service officers learn languages as…
The Stars and Stripes Around the World
No symbol more iconically represents the United States abroad than its flag, the Star Spangled Banner. Whether planted on the…
Afghanistan Project-Scott Kilner
Scott Kilner Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomacy in Afghanistan, 2001–2021 Interviewed by: Robin Matthewman Initial interview date: March 23, 2023…
Afghanistan Project–Hugo Llorens
Ambassador Hugo Llorens Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomacy in Afghanistan, 2001–2021 Interviewed by: Robin Matthewman Initial interview date: September 22,…
A Trailblazing Visa to Apartheid South Africa
When Ulric Haynes joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1964 as the desk officer for Southwest Africa, the United States…
An American in a Japanese “Triple Disaster”
There was no warning. The shaking that soon rocked mainland Japan on March 11, 2011 would tear down buildings and…
Experiencing the Lebanese Civil War as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon—Robert S. Dillon
“I traveled in a long convoy, with armed body-guards. Much of the concern for our safety stemmed from the assassination…
The Peace After Chaos—Genocide in Burundi
Welcome to Burundi For former United States Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, Joseph C. Wilson IV, the…
Breaking Institutional Barriers: How the State Department Became Less of a Boys’ Club
In the 1960s, the U.S. was still grappling with its new role as a world leader. For nearly two decades,…
China Invades Taiwan? No Chance!
“There is a sentiment that…we need to contain China to balance off its aggressiveness. That would be a disaster.” A…