American Foreign Service Association

How the Diplomatic Security Service is helping to secure the Winter Olympics for fans and athletes The Diplomatic Security Service is helping to secure the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan for fans, athletes and companies.

A good reminder of the depth, breadth, and important work of the U.S. Foreign Service.

abcnews.go.com/US/diplomati...

Federal unions, employees urge Senate to take up bill restoring collective bargaining - Maryland Matters Hundreds of federal employees, union members and other workforce advocates gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday afternoon to urge the passage of legislation that would restore their collect...

We were proud to take part of yesterday's rally to call for a restoration of labor protections for our federal workers. America is only as strong as its public workforce. #PAWA

marylandmatters.org/2026/01/14/f...

Grateful for this opportunity to talk about what is happening to the Foreign Service workforce and why it matters.

How recall of career diplomats fits into Trump's foreign policy shift In an unusual move, the Trump administration is recalling the ambassadors from nearly 30 countries around the world. William Brangham discussed this move with John Dinkelman, president of the American...

"This is not standard practice. This is unprecedented. This is unheard of. This is a sabotage of the American diplomatic machine." - AFSA President John Dinkelman on PBS News Hour
www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

Trump Administration Orders Nearly 30 U.S. Ambassadors to Leave Their Posts

These abrupt, opaque, and unexplained recalls sabotage diplomatic effectiveness and U.S. credibility abroad: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/u...

Democrat Eileen Higgins sworn in as Miami's first female mayor after 30 years of GOP control Eileen Higgins has been sworn in as Miami’s first female mayor, taking office two weeks after defeating a Trump-endorsed Republican. She’s also the first Democrat to lead the city in nearly 30 years. ...

Here’s proof that diplomatic skills are exceeding transferable.

This history-making mayor-elect also served the country as a member of the Foreign Service

www.nbcmiami.com/news/politic...

Trump admin broke spending deal agreement to halt mass layoffs, judge rules Judge Susan Illston plans to issue yet another order blocking RIFs.

“The government did what it was ordered not to do,” according to the judge in our case against State Department separations during the government shutdown.
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Members: Support our lawsuit against the use of the government shutdown to carry out workplace separations and mass reductions in force at a hearing in San Francisco on 12/17 at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Find out how to watch the AFGE v. OMB proceedings in person or virtually: cand.uscourts.gov/judges/si/il...

This morning, many FS staff discovered that their 2024 performance evaluations were no longer in their personnel files.

Maybe this is an error, maybe not.

AFSA is asking the Department of State to explain the removal of these evaluations and to restore transparency to the process.

Black background with orange and white text: Just 6 out of 7 people tapped to serve as U.S. ambassadors are career Foreign Service members. That’s 91% with zero Foreign Service experience.

Since 1/1/25, career diplomats have been increasingly passed over for political appointees in key roles, at rates we haven’t seen before.

Others pay attention to who represents the U.S., and credibility suffers when expertise is diminished.

In a time of global complexity, experience matters.

Destroying American Diplomacy: Pulling Down our First Line of Defense The Steady State | by Charles A. Ray

What’s left of America’s diplomatic service after the administration’s bloodletting is demoralized and unable to perform at its optimum. @steadystatevets.bsky.social reviewed our sobering workforce survey and lays out a plan that could bring the FS back from the brink:
substack.com/home/post/p-...

US judge blocks 250 State Department layoffs for now A judge on Thursday blocked the U.S. State Department from immediately laying off more than 250 workers, a legal setback for President Donald Trump and his mass firings of government employees.

Some good news to start your morning

www.reuters.com/business/wor...

Trump administration changes have left US diplomats demoralized and less able to do their jobs, report says | CNN Politics The report, based on a survey of foreign service members, found that a vast majority of respondents — 98% — said morale had declined since January, and a third were considering leaving the foreign ser...

This is an existential crisis.

www.cnn.com/2025/12/03/p...

You’ve seen the headlines, but the full picture is even more alarming.

New data reveals just how severe the crisis inside the diplomatic workforce has become.

Our grim findings are drawn from the voices of more than 2,000 active-duty Foreign Service members.

Read it: afsa.org/at-the-break...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: State of the Foreign Service Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. AFSA’s new report, At the Breaking Point, reveals a Foreign Service workforce under severe strain—demoralized and overstretched. Join us on Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion with the rep...

Join today's virtual report launch at 1:00 p.m. ET to hear the whole story: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

U.S. Diplomats Report Broken Morale and Abandoned Careers

“Damage is being done to America’s diplomatic service that we will be paying for decades to come.” AFSA's John Dinkelman on the findings of our new survey: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/u...

Since January, executive orders have rolled back collective bargaining rights across the government—a serious blow to unions and workers. Watch our discussion “The War on Federal Labor Unions” for what this means for federal employees, organized labor, and democracy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=la_x...

Not surprising when our greatest soft power tool is dismantled others fill the void

As Rights Are Taken Away, a Transgender Trailblazer Seeks Refuge Abroad

An intimate and powerful portrait of a now-retired Foreign Service member and trailblazer: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/u...

The treatment of feds, including attacks on their unions, is unprecedented. AFSA’s Sharon Papp shares what she’s seeing & why it’s so concerning.
Learn about what's happening to federal employee unions on Nov. 20 at 1 pm ET with AFSA, AFGE & Georgetown University experts. afsa.org/war-federal-...

We applaud Congress for ending the shutdown and getting federal employees back to work. But the damage is real.

Political dysfunction can’t be allowed to weaken America’s diplomats. AFSA will keep fighting for stability, respect, and support for those on the front lines.

Read more: bit.ly/49SFVWR

The Voice of America: The Sound of Truth In a powerful tribute, Former Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili recalls how his parents listened secretly to the Voice of America during the Soviet era — a rare connection to truth beyond propaganda. He says the Voice of America “helped win two world wars — against fascism and against lies,” and urges America to keep that voice alive in today’s age of disinformation. #SaveVOE #VOEGeorgia #PressFreedom #short The Voice of America: The Sound of Truth

Former Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili recalls how his parents secretly tuned in to Voice of America during Soviet times — “a voice that helped win two world wars: against fascism and against lies.”
He urges America to keep that voice alive in today’s era of disinformation.
#SaveVOE #VOEGeo

It's a month of feds being used as political pawns.

The longer the shutdown, the weaker we become economically, diplomatically, and morally. We're ceding ground to competitors, compromising safety, and undermining those who defend our interests.

Read our full statement: bit.ly/47AlLhJ

As Caribbean dreads Hurricane Melissa’s destruction, it can no longer count on USAID When catastrophic Hurricane Dorian became the strongest storm ever to hit The Bahamas six years ago, submerging the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama under floodwaters, the U.S. government was among t...

@miamiherald.com

Jamaica’s economy is tightly connected to U.S. trade, tourism, and migration. Sending aid isn't just the moral thing to do, it also can help prevent regional disruption that can affect American jobs, supply chains, and markets.

www.miamiherald.com/news/weather...

‘I have no idea what I’m going to do:’ Feds abroad fret about making rent without pay or subsidies during shutdown Some employees say their foreign landlords have little sympathy for their “U.S. issue.”

The shutdown hurts civilian federal employees stationed overseas, too:

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Former USAID staff honored for their ‘constructive dissent’ At the American Foreign Service Association, a recognition of the USAID staff who spoke up as their agency was being pared down.

www.devex.com/news/former-... via @devex.com

The federal workers who showed up at "No Kings" are not the villains in this story A shutdown, mass firings, political hacks aiming to traumatize them: It's been a rough year for dedicated civil servants.

“I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. And that is exactly what I’m doing here today, and I love this country.” Feds speak out during this weekend's protests via @motherjones.com
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The Peace Summit in Egypt, and Shutdown Lessons From U.S.A.I.D. Podcast Episode · The Daily · 10/14/2025 · 37m

The Peace Summit in Egypt, and Shutdown Lessons From U.S.A.I.D.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Scoop: White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to backpay A move to deny backpay to up to 750,000 furloughed workers would dramatically escalate Trump's pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown.

Using federal workers as pawns to maximize the negative impacts of a shutdown isn’t just partisan and reckless, it’s also bad for America. It jeopardizes the vital services we all depend on. AFSA stands with all public servants. www.axios.com/2025/10/07/t...

Babies' deaths in Cameroon show how US aid cuts curtail malaria fight Nine-month-old baby Mohamat burned with fever for three days before his family took him to the closest health centre in northern Cameroon, but it was too late. He died of malaria that day.

Per @reuters.com
Gutting humanitarian aid has real-world impacts: www.reuters.com/business/hea...