Upon joining the Foreign Service, most officers are immediately assigned to locations all over the world. Postings can vary from…
Methodist Missionary: A Future Ambassador’s Historical Experience in South Korea
Korean Christianity appears to observers as embedded in Korean history and tradition. However, this is not the case, as Korean…
An Embassy at War: Labor Management in South Vietnam
The roles of embassies and their staff vary greatly by countries and regions, though few can claim themselves to be…
Documentaries for Diplomacy: African Cinema in the 1960s
When it comes to determining the world’s greatest films, we may focus on Italian giants of neorealism like Bicycle Thieves…
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…
Black Trade Union: “Catalyst that Ended Apartheid in South Africa”
U.S. Foreign Service Officer John Dinger arrived in South Africa to serve as a regional trade officer at the time…
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…
Getting a Global Education as a Foreign Service Family
Having a global education is a unique privilege; however, it may become difficult to balance. Foreign Service Officers often take…
One Size Fits None—U.S. Reform Dilemmas in South Africa
One reform to fix them all. What could be more ideal than this? Unfortunately, such a dream will forever lie…