It was the end of a long, hard road. Although the Vietnam War had finally officially concluded, the Fall of…
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 Lost Sense of Belonging: An Attempt to Fit in
Becoming a refugee often involves losing more than just one’s home country. Perhaps one of the most important is the…
Advancing Unity in the Aftermath of War – Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Mid-1990s
Foreign service officers typically must demonstrate adaptability and proactivity to accomplish their missions smoothly and effectively, but sometimes they find…
Through Peace and Prosperity: An Armenian-American finds the American Dream
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This line from “The New Colossus,” by…
Yellow Rain in Southeast Asia: Bee Pollen or Deadly Weapon?
The 1925 Geneva Protocol put in place a worldwide ban on chemical weapons, but the necessity and handling of such…
Women Working Together to Rebuild Liberia after the Civil War
The Liberian Civil War was doubtless one of the most devastating conflicts in recent history. Spanning from 1989 to 2003,…
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…
Parallels in Protest: From the Civil Rights to the First Intifada
In the 1960s, the United States experienced nationwide protests for the justice of African Americans in a society where the…
A Fragile Peace: The Aftermath of the Sri Lankan Civil War
One of the greatest challenges in a diplomat’s career is serving in a country that is trying to rebuild after…