3 Surprising Facts About the Men & Women
in the Foreign Service

The Academy Awards' "Best Picture" tells the story of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats during the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-80.

But, for all that it's a movie about diplomats, it tells nothing of the men and women who represent the United States abroad, the challenges they face and how prepared - or ill prepared - they are to face those challenges, says Nicholas Kralev, an expert on international affairs and diplomacy and author of a new book, "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy," www.americasotherarmy.com.

Why should Americans care?

Because the work of U.S. diplomats affects every American's safety and security, Kralev says.

"Their success - or lack of it - affects our ability to travel; our employment opportunities; our prosperity."

The U.S. Foreign Service is much less visible than the U.S. military - in spite of the attention it has received in recent months. The 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Libya, where Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died, raised greater awareness of our Foreign Service workers. Additionally, media attention on the globetrotting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who oversaw the department, captured the public's imagination.

Kralev, a former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent covered the State Department for 10 years under four secretaries of state. He visited more than 50 embassies and interviewed 600 American diplomats to learn about who they are, what their daily lives are like, and what they do. He says Americans would be surprised by what we don't know about the Foreign Service.

• Parties are the last thing on a diplomat's mind. Their multiple missions range from helping lift people out of poverty to influencing public opinion in the countries where they're posted to watching out for threats to U.S. interests. For the past 10 years, the goal of U.S. diplomacy has been to ensure security and prosperity by removing the conditions that foster conflict. That means a diplomat must be a jack of all trades. They roll up their sleeves to provide hands-on help building schools and hospitals; aid victims of natural disasters; work with refugees. Diplomats also intercede on behalf of Americans who run into problems while traveling abroad; seek grants for local projects, and build relationships among the local populace and leaders.

• American diplomats risk their lives every day. Chris Stevens was not the first diplomat to die in the line of duty. Violent crimes including kidnapping, carjackings and robberies are ever-present threats. In 2008, a 33-year-old embassy employee was killed in Sudan while returning home from a party at the British Embassy. In 2002, a 60-year-old diplomat was killed in Jordan. In 1983, a car bomb killed 63 employees of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
"Our Foreign Service workers tell harrowing stories of near misses," Kralev says. "But they also understand that the adventure that makes that lives so appealing to them is not without risks."

• Foreign Service workers have surprisingly little training. To be eligible for the service, applicants must by U.S. citizens at least 21 years old and no older than 60 on the day you are appointed, and available for worldwide assignments. They also must pass a Foreign Service Officer exam. "They are ordinary Americans -- former lawyers, nurses, restaurant managers, teachers and journalists. They come from every walk of life," Kralev says. "Much of what they do is based on intuition, luck and gut. Officers learn on the job almost everything they need to know."

The work of the Foreign Service is too important to remain a mystery, says Kralev, who details countless individual stories in "America's Other Army."

"Strong and effective U.S. diplomacy is essential to our security, prosperity, even our freedom. Americans should pay attention to whether we're providing them with all of the tools they need."

About Nicholas Kralev

Nicholas Kralev is an author, journalist and lecturer on international affairs, diplomacy and global travel. A former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent, he has traveled around the world with four U.S. secretaries of state, including Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice, and visited more than 80 countries. He is the author of "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy" and "Decoding Air Travel: A Guide to Saving on Airfare and Flying in Luxury." He is also the founder and CEO of Kralev International LLC, an air travel consulting and training company. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

PORT BYRON, IL - A measure co-sponsored by state Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) to prevent child sex offenders from escaping prosecution won the approval of the Illinois House last week, in time for the recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness month in April.

"People who commit these terrible crimes against children should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law - not allowed to slide by because a few years have passed," said Smiddy. "This is especially important when you consider how many child victims are scared to report the crimes, unsure if a crime has occurred, or simply afraid to report someone they know and should trust. This legislation gives child victims of the worst kind of sexual crimes the ability to seek justice when they are ready to face their abuser."

In general, current law requires crimes to be prosecuted within three years for felony charges and within 1.5 years for misdemeanor charges, although some extensions already exist for sex crimes against minors. House Bill 1063 would eliminate the statute of limitations for certain sex crimes committed against a minor, including criminal sexual assault, aggravated sexual abuse, and predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

"We are committed to ending the suffering of sexual assault victims and holding sex offenders accountable for their crimes," said Lyn Schollett, general counsel for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "Children who have been victimized by sexual violence experience unimaginable trauma. Sex offenders often prevent child victims from reporting the crime by blaming or threatening the child. This bill will ensure that when a survivor of childhood sexual abuse is safe enough to report the crime, prosecutors can stand ready to charge the offender."

House Bill 1063 will move to the Senate for consideration. For more information, contact Smiddy's constituent services office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com, (309) 848-9098, or toll-free at (855) 243-4988.

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Des Moines, March 28, 2013 –The Iowa Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Marlita A. Greve, Bettendorf, as Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District. Judge Greve succeeds Judge Bobbi Alpers who will retire April 4, 2013.

"Judge Greve is well respected by both attorneys and her fellow judges in the Seventh District," Chief Justice Mark Cady said. "She has shown a strong commitment to our legal system and our profession. Her experience in business management will complement her excellent legal background."

Judge Greve was appointed to the bench in 2006. She received her undergraduate degree from Upper Iowa University Magna Cum Laude and her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law with High Distinction. After graduating from law school in 1992, Judge Greve practiced as a trial lawyer in the areas of employment law, civil rights, personal injury and general civil litigation. Judge Greve is a member of the Scott County Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Iowa Judges Association and Dillon Inns of Court. She is married and has a daughter.

"It is an honor to be selected as Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial District," Judge Greve said. "I am pleased, eager and excited to carry on the work of Chief Judge Alpers and those before her. I am so privileged to have such hardworking and dedicated judicial officers and staff. Our goal is to continue to promote our judicial branch to our citizens and to continue to serve their needs as efficiently, promptly and respectfully as we can."

As chief judge, Judge Greve will supervise all judicial officers and court employees in the district, supervise the performance of administrative and judicial business in the district, set the times and places of holding court, designate presiding judges, and serve on the judicial council, which advises the supreme court on administrative matters affecting the trial courts. In addition, she will continue to preside over cases.

The Seventh Judicial District is located in eastern Iowa and comprises five counties: Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, and Scott. The district has twelve district judges, five district associate judges, four senior judges, fifteen part-time magistrates, and 166 employees, with an operating budget for the current fiscal year of approximately $14 million. A total of 85,614 cases were filed in the Seventh Judicial District last year.

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2013

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Senator Chuck Grassley made the comment below about the Iowa League of Cities victory in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency.  In 2008 and 2009, Senator Grassley forwarded questions to the Environmental Protection Agency for the Iowa cities, including Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Ottumwa, and Waterloo.  This week, a three-member panel of the court, in a unanimous decision, said the EPA exceeded its legal authority and didn't follow proper rulemaking.

Senator Grassley's comment:

"The Environmental Protection Agency attempted to impose a new process for handling wastewater on several Iowa cities that would have cost Iowans hundreds of millions of dollars, but which the court has now confirmed were not necessary to meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act and current regulations.  The court rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's claim that its mandate to the Iowa cities was just an interpretation of existing rules, which is a way for agencies to make an end run around the rulemaking process, a process designed for stakeholder voices to be considered and for the federal bureaucracy to be held as accountable as possible.  This decision should send a clear signal to the EPA and other federal agencies that they must act within the law established by Congress and cannot dictate willy-nilly."