In the May Foreign Service Journal, former Secretary of State Jim Baker paid tribute to the Foreign Service on its 100th anniversary. He said:
Not long after the conclusion of World War I, a bespectacled,
balding, and mustachioed congressman from Massachusetts named John Jacob Rogers identified a flaw in U.S. diplomacy. Too many American diplomats, he argued, were merely
wealthy friends of presidents without the skills required to serve
their country abroad.
The congressman began a campaign resulting in
the Rogers Act of 1924 that merged the diplomatic and
consular services of the U.S. government into the U.S.
Foreign Service.
Diplomats had to pass an extremely difficult
Foreign Service examination intended to identify the
most qualified applicants. The act also established a
merit-based career path and better pay to encourage
less affluent individuals to serve.
“Let us strive for a foreign service which will be
flexible and democratic; which will attract and retain the best men
we have; which will offer reasonable pay, reasonable prospects for
promotion, [and] reasonable provision against want when old age
comes to a faithful servant,” Rogers said in 1923.
A century later, Rogers’ vision of a professional Foreign Service
has become a reality, one that plays a vital role in keeping our
nation safe, secure, and strong. The people who make up our
Foreign Service represent the best, brightest, and most loyal our
country has to offer. And increasingly, members of the Foreign
Service are no longer simply “male, pale, and Yale” as described
in years past. U.S. diplomats represent our country in all its variety.
The State Department defines the role of a U.S. diplomat
simply, in 17 words: “to promote peace, support prosperity, and
protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the
U.S. abroad.” The traits required to properly perform that role are
varied and complex. Our Foreign Service officers are the “Swiss
Army knives” of public servants—possessing numerous distinct
capabilities to address any situation. They must be well versed in a
range of foreign and domestic subjects.
The path to becoming a Foreign Service officer is quite strenuous. Thousands compete annually for just a few hundred open
BY JAMES A. BAKER, III
spots, and the hiring process can take more than a year.
To properly perform their jobs, Foreign Service officers and
specialists must be:
Intelligent and Knowledgeable. The areas of expertise for Foreign Service professionals can encompass a variety of disciplines.
Many come from the top universities in the nation. All are highly
qualified.
Patriotic. Just like their brethren in the armed
services, Foreign Service inductees take an oath of office
to protect and defend the Constitution. This loyalty to
country is the moral bedrock of the U.S. Foreign Service.
Team Players. Because diplomats represent the
United States abroad, they must speak with one unified
voice. Differences should be kept within the government. If a diplomat disagrees profoundly with a policy,
they should resign and only then go public with their
criticism, not undermine policy from within.
Self-Starters. Initiative is a key component of being an effective
diplomat. Simply sitting around waiting for orders from Washington
is a recipe for failure. American diplomats should be constantly on
the lookout for ways to advance our nation’s interests and values.
Adventurous and Brave. Foreign Service officers and specialists expect to spend much of their careers abroad. Some assignments will be in challenging places; some will be downright dangerous. Successful Foreign Service members revel in the diversity
of foreign societies and accept physical risk as a simple matter of
their profession.
Ethical. Integrity is a key component of the Foreign Service.
For many people around the world, the face of American diplomats is the face of our country. And it must be a face of honesty,
fairness, and candor.
My proudest and most productive times in government were
when I was at Foggy Bottom.
I was honored to collaborate with the members of the Foreign
Service, the elite corps that serves our country around the world.
They are talented and loyal public servants, and any Secretary of
State would be foolish not to harness their strengths.
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