Introduction The Foreign Service The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 The Foreign Service was established in 1924 to provide a cadre of personnel to help formulate and implement U.S. foreign policy and to represent U.S. interests in foreign countries and international organizations. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-465) provides the framework for the current FS personnel system and states that the Foreign Service should be representative of the American people and operated on the basis of merit principles. The State Department concluded that it is essential that the Department represent the principles, ideals, freedoms, and diversity for which this country stands, and it is therefore of fundamental importance that the Foreign Service truly represent the cultural and ethnic diversity of our society. The Department of State employs the majority of the FS personnel. FS personnel at State are divided into two broad categories: officers and specialists. State employs over 5,100 officers and 4,200 specialists. Officers are assigned to four broad functional work areas-administrative, consular, economic, and political affairs-and must go through an examination process before being hired. Specialists include secretaries, doctors, security personnel, personnel officers, and others. The FS personnel system is essentially a bottom entry, merit promotion, up or out system. In contrast with State's 4,700 Civil Service employees, FS employees have rank in person rather than rank in position. They can be assigned to jobs either above or below their personal ranks. In addition, FS personnel are promoted based on individual capability and potential rather than promoted into a specific position. |