Connecting with the Military

Connecting with the Military

USAID people have a lot in common with military people: a wicked sense of humor, a sort of weird enthusiasm for hard problems, and a commitment to getting the job done no matter what. When USAID folks and military folks encountered each other in our overseas deployments, we bonded quickly, having both chosen a path of service, often in harm's way, and often far from our loved ones. USAID and DoD personnel lived together on remote bases under austere conditions. We worked together to address things like military coups, surprise helicopter landings, and catastrophic earthquakes. One or two USAID people also joined each class at year-long military training programs called “war colleges.” Whether in those classrooms or in the field, we learned a lot from each other. The military taught us the right way to ride a helo and how to start a fire with some surprising tools. USAID helped DOD connect with local communities, led disaster response, and made long-term progress on national security challenges like migration, disease, and climate change. If you’re a USAID alum or family member with a story about connecting with the military overseas, I’d love to hear it. Send a message at www.itwasneverajob.com [http://www.itwasneverajob.com].

"Wow" Moments

Life and work with USAID offered amazing experiences. Visits to the wildest, most beautiful, most remote places in the world. Meetings in the Presidential palace or the White House. Real human connection across wide gulfs of language and culture. Seeing firsthand how our work helped families and communities live better lives. Service to the United States through service to the world. Next time you’re with a former USAID person, ask them about a time when they said to themselves, “Wow. I can’t believe this is my job. I can’t believe I get to be here, in this place, with these people, and do this work.” You might see them smile or cry. Maybe both. Maybe at the same time. No other career offered the same opportunity to show American values, advance American interests, and learn so much about the world. Learn more and get in touch at www.itwasneverajob.com [http://www.itwasneverajob.com/]

Duty Officer

A US Embassy has no higher purpose than serving Americans overseas. When a fellow citizen loses their passport, ends up in jail, gets seriously ill, or dies in another country, specialized State Department officers are there to help them. Those State Department officers who focus on services for American citizens do plenty of work on nights and weekends, but they need a break sometimes. So when an anxious family member or distressed tourist calls the Embassy late at night, the Marine on duty connects them by phone with the Duty Officer. All the diplomats in a US Embassy take turns serving as Duty Officer, usually for a week, to be the helpful voice at the other end of the phone after hours. Armed with only about an hour of training and a manual that describes how to handle typical situations, that week’s Embassy Duty Officer keeps the phone by their side day and night, to address whatever comes at them. USAID’s Foreign Service personnel took their turn alongside all the other members of the Embassy community as that first line of support for fellow citizens in need. Learn more and get in touch at www.itwasneverajob.com [http://www.itwasneverajob.com/]

Diplomats of Color

This episode doesn’t need much of an intro or summary. It doesn’t have obscure government acronyms or a lot of Embassy inside baseball that needs explaining. USAID’s diplomats of color had different experiences, and this episode shares a few of them. Learn more and get in touch at www.itwasneverajob.com [http://www.itwasneverajob.com/].

VIPs and Visitors

Embassy life can be pretty fancy. Diplomats meet with heads of state, CEOs, and Ambassadors. The President, Cabinet secretaries, and other Washington bosses visit. The only thing that’s a bigger deal than a VIP is a *V*-VIP. That’s of course a VERY very important person – usually code for the President, the Vice President, or the Secretary of State. Congressional delegations – abbreviated “Co-Dels” – travel the world to see firsthand the quality and impact of foreign assistance. The theater of pomp and circumstance that often comes with these visits is an important part of diplomacy, signalling friendship, power, or rivalry between countries. But before the photo ops and major speeches, the rank-and-file of the Embassy toil for weeks to choreograph every detail and plan for every contingency. High-level officials – and their staff – have high expectations. Security preparations are uncompromising. Members of Congress sometimes bring their spouses, who get their own bespoke itineraries, full of cultural experiences, and sometimes retail. USAID staff took their turn, planning and organizing, and often helping visitors get outside the capital and connect with ordinary local people. Learn more and get in touch at www.itwasneverajob.com [http://www.itwasneverajob.com/]