Life as a Foreign Service Officer A Foreign Service officer (FSO) is a commissioned member of the United States Foreign Service. FSOs formulate and implement the foreign policy of the United States. John Helm spent his career as an FSO. He served as a consular official and a management officer. Consular officials are responsible for issuing visas to foreign citizens and assisting US citizens in foreign countries with death, birth certificates for children born abroad, and other assistance needed. As a management officer, John oversaw building projects.
The Foreign Service was one of the earliest departments of the US government, established in 1879 by Congress at George Washington's direction. Until 1926, the United States had only ministers and not ambassadors because the title of ambassador allowed too much power over spending. The Foreign Service is structured like the military and headed by the Director General. FSOs have to pass a rigorous exam and are promoted through the ranks until their commission is complete and they are retired. They are civil servants and not subject to political supervision. Other state department employees, such as ambassadors, are politically appointed. The number of FSOs and their budget is set by Congress and has not been increased to keep pace with the demand. Stories |
