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Statement of GEORGE M. STAPLES
Director GENERAL OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE AND DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Department of state
BEFORE SUBCOMMITTEE ON MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
HEARING ON
Working in a War Zone: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Civilians Returning from Iraq
June 19, 2007

Introduction

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee.

I am Ambassador George M. Staples, Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today.

Iraq staffing

Since I became Director General, my highest priority has been to position our people in line with our nation's most critical foreign policy needs. Those needs have changed considerably from when I joined the Department 26 years ago. The median hardship differential for overseas positions is now 15%, and there are currently over 700 positions that do not allow our employees to bring their entire family with them to their assigned posts.

In order to fill our most critical overseas positions first, including those in Iraq, I introduced last year substantial changes to the assignments process, from the order in which assignments to posts are made to changes to the Fair Share rules requiring service at hardship posts and the elimination of fourth year extensions at posts with less than 15% differential. I am pleased to report that the process has worked well. By the end of May, we had successfully filled 99% of our 2007 positions in Iraq, including those in Baghdad and in the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and nearly all of our unaccompanied positions worldwide - all with volunteers.

In order to continue to effectively meet the challenge we face in staffing Embassy Baghdad and the Iraq PRTs with qualified officers, I have introduced a first-ever country-specific special assignments cycle for Iraq. This new cycle will ensure that we once again fully staff our mission in Iraq for next year -- with full access to our best and brightest -- before any other Foreign Service staffing decisions are made.

Our new assignments procedures have been successful because of our dedicated men and women who-in the finest tradition of the Foreign Service and the Department in general-have taken on board the need for change and are committed to serving the needs of America. The Secretary and I are grateful and proud of their service. We recognize that many are serving in dangerous and difficult posts and that all, regardless of location, are advancing our nation's interests. I can assure you, the Department is committed to not only maintaining, but also improving support for our employees and their families.

Support for Employees and their Families

We have taken a number of steps to better support our families. Our Family Liaison Office has established a dedicated position for a specialist to work with our families in the U.S. while the employee is serving in an unaccompanied tour. We have over 200 such families in the U.S. today, and over 80 of them have loved ones in Iraq.

We are mindful of the stresses and strains of service at unaccompanied posts and contracted last summer with the Managed Health Network to provide separated employees and family members with an educational self-help website, monthly e-newsletter and a 24/7 hotline for information and referral services. To provide additional support to their children, we are developing age-appropriate handbooks to help them understand and cope with the stress and uncertainty of having a parent serving on an unaccompanied tour. We have also developed recognition awards for the children of those serving at unaccompanied posts.

We have a full incentive package for those serving in Iraq, including the possibility, in certain circumstances, of allowing families to remain at an overseas post while the employee serves. We are also able to grant home leave for those who serve in designated unaccompanied posts after a 12-month tour.

We are now trying to increase the maintenance allowances for those on unaccompanied tours, though funds are scarce, and we are dedicated to instituting a modernized performance-based pay system that fairly compensates our men and women who are serving abroad. We were disappointed that the legislation did not pass in the last Congressional session, but we will continue to work to address the pay disparity.

Arabic Speakers

Since September 11, 2001, the number of Arabic speakers who have tested at the level of 3/3 (general professional proficiency) and above has increased from 198 to over 270, and an additional 422 State Department employees have a tested speaking proficiency of 2 or 2+ (the required level for most Arabic language-designated positions). State enrollments in Arabic language training at our Foreign Service Institute have quadrupled since 2001. Recognizing our needs in today's world, we continue to increase the number of Arabic language-designated positions at our posts in Near East Asia and build the number and proficiency of Arabic speakers at the Department. Recently, we announced a new initiative that will allow tenured employees to immediately curtail assignments to begin Arabic language training this fall in connection with an onward assignment in the Middle East. This initiative supplements all of our other efforts to increase the number of personnel with Arabic language skills. Since 2004, for example, the Department has given bonus points in the hiring process to Foreign Service candidates with demonstrated Arabic language skills. We recognize that we must improve our ability to understand, engage, and influence a part of the world of continuing importance to our foreign policy.

These are exciting and challenging times. The Department has adapted to changing conditions throughout its two hundred-year history. I am confident that, with your support, we will successfully do so again.