re: "12 Things for 2012"

OSB at The OpSec Blog ("Security and privacy information and advice at home and abroad.") shared 12 thoughts about living abroad in the Foreign Service.

Read them all.

My favorite?

Number 5, of course:

"5. No matter how hard you think you are working, your Marine Security Guard detachment is working much harder. Give them the respect and kindness they deserve. Address them as “sir” or “ma’am” (until you learn their names, of course), invite them to your happy hours (even if it’s just for snacks), and go out of your way to ensure that they are invited to your social functions."

Actually, don't call them "sir" or "ma'am" (which is something of an exception to my rule-of-thumb* in this matter); as enlisted and non-commissioned officers (which most MSGs will be), they are not addressed as "sir" or "ma'am."

Commissioned (and warrant) officers are addressed as "sir" and "ma'am." Very few (if any) overseas missions will have MSG detachments whose members are either commissioned or warrant officers. MSG detachment commanders will often be USMC gunnery sergeants and other detachment members will be varying grades of sergeants and corporals.

Don't know what that means? Well, then that's a great "area-for-improvement" to improve upon.

My advice, for those who haven't learned USMC rank insignia: if they're on guard or standing watch in your embassy or consulate, and you don't know their names or ranks, see if they have any chevrons (or "stripes") on their shirt sleeves. And just call them "Sergeant."

If they are sergeants, in any of the several pay grades that encompasses, then they won't take offense that a civilian wasn't able to guess their precise rank; and if they're one of the enlisted or non-com ranks below sergeant, they probably won't be offended by an unintentional promotion.

12/31


* CAA's rule-of-thumb about terms of address comes from the perspective of customer service (and Southern gentility and manners). Treat everyone respectfully, addressing gentlemen as "sir" and ladies as "ma'am." And referring to them each, in the third person, as "gentlemen" and "ladies."

The exception (there's always an exception) to that are those folks who rate a more specific term of address. Such as ambassadors, many government officials, the clergy, certain academics, and members of the military and naval services.

Entire books have been written on how such persons should be addressed. As commissioned officers of the U.S. Foreign Service, people will be looking to you for leadership and guidance in such, and other, matters of protocol and etiquette. A good start is learning, at least in a general way, the various rank structures and insignia of our own armed forces and how to correctly refer to and address such fine people.

re: "Quickie: Consul-at-Arms' Manner of Substance"

Thanks to Domani Spero at Diplopundit ("Blogging the Foreign Service: Just one obsessive observer, diplomatic watcher, opinionator and noodle newsmaker monitoring the goings on at Foggy Bottom and the worldwide available universe.") for the quote and the link.



It seems to be driving some traffic my way; if I was getting a kickback from Amazon (and Debrett's) for the traffic that's going onwards from my post's book recommendations that'd make a nice piece of change.



By the way, love the "Protocol" graphic from the Goldie Hawn film: that was a great flick!

Manners of Substance

As part of the ongoing FS hiring push, the A-100 course (basic training for diplomats, that is; a.k.a. the "Foreign Service Officer Orientation") was recently reduced by about two weeks. That allows the Foreign Service Institute to schedule more training cycles into the training year and get more newly-hired FSOs out to the field sooner.

Some applaud the move, on grounds that the course is too long anyway. It's been awhile since I went through the course, and while my impression is that there are parts that could have the slack tightened out of them, that slack could be profitably employed by additional useful training.

Having knocked around the Foreign Service for a few years now, both as an entry-level officer (ELO, a.k.a. "junior officer") and afterwards, I've had occasion to observe more than once how we (we being those of us already in the Foreign Service) fail to prepare our ELOs for service abroad representing the United States.

One of those areas has to do with manners.

I'm not really talking about etiquette, or perhaps I am, but not as it's taught during the optional one-day class at FSI. That's a useful class as well, if you can remember enough of it by the time you find yourself in a situation where you're not sure which fork to use, or how to set a dinner table properly.

Once upon a time, your humble scribe was stationed overseas with the military. There was a Cold War in progress, something called NATO was taken pretty seriously by its member nations, and the U.S. Army was perfectly serious when it told its teenaged soldiers, fresh from boot camp, that they were American ambassadors. That is, in the dozens of interactions you might have every day with foreign nationals, civilian and military, the impression you left would be the one they had of U.S. soldiers, of the United States Army, and of Americans in general.

If that's true for soldiers, you can magnify its significance for diplomats who really are America's "ambassadors."

In other words, the eyes of Texas are upon you, each and every day. So it's important to make a good impression, or at least not a bad one.

This gets drummed into the minds of consular officers, with respect to the thousands of visa interviews and other professional interactions they have with foreign citizens, but it's equally true beyond the interview window.

For the most part, I think our ELOs do pretty well at this. They try to speak the local languages, eat the local foods, treat people respectfully whether they're shopping in the marketplace or trying to explain to the maid how to change the vacuum cleaner bag.

But at certain public events, some of our ELOs fall short. In many ways it's not really their fault. Let me give a few examples regarding public appearances.

First, each U.S. embassy will receive literally hundreds or even thousands of invitations during any given year. Mostly they're addressed to the ambassador him- (or her-) self but oftentimes will be for various agency or sections heads. Chiefs of consular sections are quite popular in this regard for reasons which should be obvious. The point is that other commitments will often prevent the invitee from attending any particular event and that the invitation can usually be passed to a less senior diplomat within the mission. This accomplishes two things: the embassy shows that it respects the invitation enough to send someone even if the ambassador can't make it as well as giving the less senior diplomat the experience of representing the United States.

So if you're getting these invitations yourself and can't attend for some reason (even though the event or the host is deserving of the U.S. embassy's representation) it's up to you as a supervisor to make sure your junior officers are getting experience at this.

That's a small "m" management issue.

The other issue is just how well are our ELOs prepared to represent the United States at various events. Oh, I'm not talking about the political aspects of who we are or aren't talking to at a given time, or about toeing the talking points correctly. That I think our training covers sufficiently.

What bugs me again and again are the little things that should have been covered in, ohletmesee, elementary school. But then it's my understanding that things like the Pledge of Allegience have been dropped from primary school programs so knowing how to behave when the national anthym (ours, their's, anybodys!) is played is perhaps too much to expect.

So here are some suggestions:

INVOCATIONS & BENEDICTIONS

These are prayers said at the beginning and end of an official program or event.

Show some respect. I don't care what your personal religion is or what you think the Bill of Rights says about not respecting religions (that's not actually what it says, look it up); if the bishop or chaplain or shamen says "Let us pray" (or the local equivalent, then you've got to show that you respect your hosts.

How to do that?

Well, if the prayer is preceded with a request that you "please, rise" then by all means stand up. Stand up straight. Place your feet about shoulder width apart, clasp your hands together and let them fall naturally to your front, and bow your head.

Former military will recognize this as sort of a modified "Parade Rest."

Be aware of your surroundings. If no one else is standing, then by all means stay seated. Place your hands together in your lap and bow your head. When the prayer is over, return to your previous pose.

NATIONAL ANTHYMS

Learn to recognize them, both our own and that of the host country. No one will expect you to sing the local national anthym (it's not yours, after all), but you should recognize it and show respect when it's being played or sung.

How do you do that?

First, about the Star-Spangled Banner. For most of us, particularly men, singing it is difficult due to the key in which it's composed. But if it's being played and you can manage it, by all means sing it. You are, after all, a U.S. diplomat. No one, least of all you, should be offended by your exhibiting a little formal patriotism.

But that's perhaps too advanced for this essay.

Stand up!

Veterans will know what to do: face the U.S. flag (if there is one) or straight ahead and stand at the position of attention and either place your right hand over your left breast (this is the civilian version of a salute). Military personnel in uniform will perform a military-style salute; this is now also an option for veterans either in uniform or out.

Non-veterans sometimes need a little help with this. Once standing, face the U.S. flag (if there is one) or straight ahead, place the heels (no clicking!) of your shoes together with your feet at a 45 degree angle, hold your head and face straight to the front, and let your arms fall naturally to your sides. Let your fingers curl inwards a bit and align your thumbs along the outer seams of your trousers before placing your right hand over your left breast.

When the song is over let your right hand fall naturally to the right side before relaxing your overall posture.

Believe me, no one is going to mistake a non-veteran FSO for some sort of militarized robot, but they are going to notice that you respect your own national anthym (and theirs).

For national anthyms other than the Star Spangled Banner, do just as for our own but omit the hand salute portion.

FLAGS

Flag ceremonies are often combined with the playing of a national anthym, so refer to the guidance above. Basically, if a color guard is presenting a national flag or passing in a parade, stand at attention. Only salute if it's the U.S. flag, but show your hosts at least the respect of standing up straight. Be aware of how the other guests or audience respond, but also be aware that some of them will be taking their cue on how to act from you.

SPEAKERS

I recently was at an Independence Day reception (one of our own), and while the chief of mission was giving his speech, ELOs at the back of the event venue were eating and talking among themselves. Perhaps they thought that the invited guests listening politely to the speech only a very few feet away from them were somehow deaf in that direction. I just don't know. But this is not a career enhancing move, no matter how hungry you are or how good the food is.

If someone is giving a speech, turn your fool cell phone to vibrate only. People will understand if you pull out your phone and look at it, even get up and head towards and exit. After all, diplomats can get genuinely emergent calls at any time and no one should get bent out of shape. But if the prime minister's speech is interrupted by the American vice consul's cell phone everyone is going to remember it.

Yes, lots of local guests will fail to heed this and their cell phones will ring and they may or may not be embarrassed. Don't worry about them; worry about you. And worry about your reputation.

REFERENCES

Every FSO should own a copy of Protocol. Any of the several editions will suffice. Short of an assignment as a staff assistant or protocol officer, no one will expect you to have memorized it, but you should read through it once just so you are at least familiar with the contents for later on when you realize you need to look something up.

Also highly recommended is Service Etiquette. For those of you serving in Commonwealth countries, I would also heartily commend to you any of Debrett's publications.

re: "New Bureau Needed at State?"

Domani Spero at Diplopundit weighed in on the protocol learning curve.

Money quote(s):

"On the DVD gift set reportedly given to Mr. Brown, what can I say? At least Mr. Brown did not have to report it to his ethics office? Or -- it was so cheap, Mr. Brown gets to keep it? Well, I'm trying to be helpful here -- who picked out that gift, an intern with a maxed out credit card? Okay, let's be charitable and just say they are on a learning curve here."

"(W)hat we need is a a new position at the State Department -- the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Gag Gifts and Foreign Gifting (GG/FG). He/She would be the subject matter expert on gifts and foreign gifting choices for all branches of the government."

&

"I'm willing to do the gag gift gig, if only to show I'm not a kid! Will work for free if there is coffee and some respectability (i.e. corner office).

Not a lot of options here, people - get your act together, get a new bureau (and A/S), or get your daily dose of Comedy Central. Seriously."

re: " "You're nothing special" "

EURSOC had some commentary on the UK gifts gaffe.

Money quote(s):

"(I)f the new administration is eager to reach out to its traditional enemies and rivals, it is less interested in its oldest allies. Regular readers will be aware that we hold no brief for British PM Gordon Brown: However, the disdain Brown received from Obama's office during Brown's visit was appalling, not only as a breach of diplomatic etiquette, but as a calculated snub to one of the few major nations the US can rely on."

&

"(L)et us allow the gifts to pass. Obama and Brown are not tribal chieftans meeting in the desert, exchanging golden swords, dancing girls and eunuchs. Obama's people are new to this game and, besides, they have a lot on their plate."

JG - More modern etiquette

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

More modern etiquette

Published: Sunday March 29, 2009

Photo by Rita Elliott

Choose centrepieces that allow for the good flow of conversation.


Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor


With the trend in recent times being the glorification of all things vulgar, banal and/or trite, the line between what is acceptable social behaviour and what is not has been completely blurred.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"It is as if the vulgar things have now become the operational mode of the society, with the commonsensical approach to good manners not only frowned upon by some, but the idea of doing the right thing by way of manners and protocol is regarded with a sense of mistrust and downright disdain. In today's culture, the young man who opens the car door and allows his female companion to be seated then closes the door before making his way to the driver's side runs the risk of being ridiculed or being subjected to name-calling. The same is true of the young man who holds the chair for his female companion at a restaurant.

Sadly, the women have been contributing to the erosion of these traditional values and attitudes by giving in to what passes for the popular culture, as against holding out for the more time-honoured signs of respect that this deference accommodates. And even more sadly, this erosion knows no social barrier, as in the popular subculture of the dancehall, the more demeaning the lyrics are to women, the more they embrace and revel in it! "

"Before you get caught up in the circus of being led by the etiquette-impaired, however, always remember the basic rule of etiquette: one's actions must be dictated primarily out of the concern and well-being of others, and not one's own. Such as, when sitting at the table, in reaching for a dish, instead of piling food on to your own plate then passing on what's left to others, first pass the dish to others and wait until it makes its way back to you before you serve yourself. "

"The protocol of wine, however, is fairly simple. When it comes to red or white wine, the protocol is that reds are best suited to dishes such as beef, lamb, mutton, pork (including sausages) and heavy stews.

Conversely, whites are best suited for fish, fowls, crepes and generally light dishes. In recent times, however, the protocol has been relaxed in some quarters, which has seen some rosé being paired with spicy fish, fowls and even some reds used in this mode; the operational rule here being individual taste."

&

"(F)or years the debate has raged here as to how best to serve red, as the 'purists' from their position of ignorance, have always maintained that reds should be served at room temperature. This is a fallacy that continues to be propagated by ignorance. In the old wine countries, room temperature was derived from the fact that wines were stored in dank cellars and room temperature there meant that the wine was taken from the cold cellar and taken above, where it was more than not decanted and allowed to 'cool' down to room temperature before drinking.

In hot climes such as obtains here in the Caribbean, red wine is at its best if it's first stored in a wine-cooler or in the crisper of your regular refrigerator. The wine is best if opened some time before it is actually served to allow it to 'breathe', as this process allows it to fluff itself and thus create a more pleasing experience. If you run into people (and you will) who insist that red wine should only be served at room temperature, pity them, as the acidic levels likely to be present in any such wine make it best suited for cooking as against fine drinking, and no amount of posing can alter that simple fact."

re: "Bow? Wow!"

Former U.S. diplomat John Burgess at Outside the Beltway ("an online journal of politics and foreign affairs analysis") explains the significance, or lack thereof, of the bow.



Money quote(s):



"The conservative media and blogs have been having a field day parsing the bow that President Obama gave before Saudi King Abdullah in London last week. Some see it as a sign that he is submitting in fealty to Saudi Arabia. Others find ‘coded messages’ about how the US will submit to Islam. His act stirs up the canard that Obama is a ’secret Muslim’."


"The fact is that Obama made a mistake. It is US diplomatic usage, dating from the days in which American broke away from the crowns of Europe, that Americans do not bow (or curtsy, as the case may be) to royalty, no matter who the American, no matter who the royalty."

"It’s a custom; it’s a tradition; it’s a political statement. It is not a law, however."

&

"A ‘head bow’, inclining the head in the direction of the person being honored, is appropriate and is the norm in diplomacy. Obama over did it, perhaps, but he did not put the US in fealty to Saudi Arabia!"

re: "Obamateur hour: bowing and scraping"

The Unwanted Blog ("Rockets, cats, aircraft, guns, politics, photography, science fiction. You know, the usual stuff.") is mightily displeased.

Money quote(s):

"An American bows to no one."

&

"This is not an incident of being a little unaware of the proper protocol. No American should ever bow to foreign royalty (and anyone pretending to be American royalty should be greeted with a boot to the ass), and certainly not to antagonistic royalty. Meeting the King of Arabia is not the time to bow… it’s the time to stand up a little straighter."

(Emphasis in original. - CAA.)

re: "Protocol"

Lex at Neptunus Lex ("The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy!") compares and contrasts.

Money quote(s):

"I’m a little less excited about Michelle Obama’s “undue” familiarity with the British monarch, than I am the president’s unnecessary obeisance to the House of Saud."

&

"(A)re there no professional bureaucrats left at the State Department to prevent the first family from embarrassing the country?

It’s almost like the leadership at State wants them to stumble."

(Emphasis in original. - CAA.)

re: "About that "reset" button"

Jason at COUNTERCOLUMN: The Adjunct of Evil (""I, for one, welcome our new libtard overlords!"") is understanding of mistakes, but only up to a point.

Money quote(s):

"I can understand missing the translation. Actually, it happens all the time, though it would be unusual at this level. But not realizing that, gee, I've noticed over the years that Russians seem to use some sort of crazy backwards alphabet, but still taking the idea, running with it, and getting all the way up to the Secretary of State without any adult supervision looking at the damn thing even once on the way up the flagpole takes incompetence to a whole new level of stupidity."

&

"Why in God's name does the Secretary of State still have a "small political team" of commissar loyalists? She's the farging Secretary of State, not the President. She's not a politician. She's a diplomat. Apparently, she's congenitally incapable of telling the difference. And why is she allowing her small, political team of operatives to stick their juvenile, incompetent noses in protocol functions, where they have zero expertise? Why isn't she putting them on a leash and limiting their functions (to, say, making coffee at Foggy Bottom)?"

re: " "Overwhelmed" "

George Smiley at In From the Cold ("Musings on Life, Love, Politics, Military Affairs, the Media, the Intelligence Community and Just About Anything Else that Captures Our Interest") weighs in on the gifts gaffe.

Money quote(s):

"Every new administration--and president--goes through an adjustment process, but this is ridiculous."

Ouch.

"(I)n regard to Obama's meeting with Gordon Brown, there is no excuse for the diplomatic faux pas. Both the White House and the State Department have permanent, professional protocol staffs who work these events on a daily basis. If the Obama team was unsure of how to "handle" a meeting with a British Prime Minister, all they had to do was ask.

Apparently, no one did, since Mr. Brown was not afforded the press conference or formal dinner that normally accompany a U.S.-British summit. Additionally, protocol experts could have prevented the embarrassment over those cheesy DVDs given by Mr. Obama to the British leader."

There's also such a thing as "managing upwards."

Did no one in a protocol position at either the White House or State Department know that PM Brown was going to visit?

I hate to sharpshoot the guys/gals whose responsibility this was; I read the job description for State's protocol officer during last summer's bidding season and, despite protocol and ceremony being an interest of mine (perhaps rising to the level of a hobby), I'd take that job only if someone very senior to me asked me to do so (and if said senior official was someone I both liked and respected). It's the kind of job that'll make you lose your hair.

re: "Apparently Obama shops at Wal Mart"

The Unwanted Blog ("Rockets, cats, aircraft, guns, politics, photography, science fiction. You know, the usual stuff.") is also under-impressed with current White House protocol.

Money quote(s):

"Gifts like these are diplomatic niceties, nothing more… and they are gifts that should last for generations. But they should be recognized for the public relations value they have."

re: "Gordon Brown Obama Meeting"

beth at Blue Star Chronicles ("a way from me to vent and journal the experience of having a son in the military, stationed in Europe and deployed to Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror") is pretty unhappy with Pres. Obama.

Money quote(s):

"Barack Obama hosted his first foreign leader yesterday and today and managed to insult British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the entire United Kingdom."

&

"I’m sure that its no accident that the very first time Obama hosted a foreign leader, it was British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Obama has to be broken in to dealing with foreign leaders, protocol and all things diplomatic, so best to start out with those who are going to be friendly with us even if there is a faux pas here and there. But what to do when its all just one big faux pas that can’t be over looked or looked over?"