O 272028Z MAY 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS STATE 056532 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: AMGT APER AF IZ
 
SUBJECT: ANNOUNCING THE 2009 IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN CYCLE 
 
REF:  A) STATE 36313  B) STATE 24893 
 
--------------------------- 
THE ONGOING CALL TO SERVICE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶1.  Last year, our Foreign Service and Civil Service 
colleagues made their considerable talents available in 
support of our top foreign policy priorities in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, as we anticipate happening this year.  They 
responded to our Department's call, and volunteers staffed 
every position in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Secretary is 
asking that all of us once again consider directly 
supporting our efforts by volunteering for service in these 
two countries.  Following is the text of a personal message 
from the Secretary which will be followed by a video to be 
released early this week (available on BNET and via links 
on the Assignment~Iraq and Assignment~Afghanistan websites 
listed in para 13). 
 
¶2.  Begin text of Secretary Rice's message: 
 
I want to thank the dedicated men and women of the 
Department of State, Foreign Service, Civil Service, 
Locally Employed Staff, and retirees alike, who have 
stepped forward to serve at our missions in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  I am proud of their achievements at the 
forefront of diplomacy and national security, in 
fulfillment of two of our country's highest foreign policy 
priorities.  I am asking that you consider joining this 
highly motivated team of professionals as we look for 
volunteers for positions opening in 2009. 
 
I visit Iraq and Afghanistan on a regular basis and have 
seen our efforts firsthand.  Working closely with other 
civilian colleagues, our military, and Iraqi and Afghan 
counterparts from all levels of government and civil 
society, the Department of State is making a difference in 
the lives of ordinary people.  We are helping to rebuild 
local and national governments, foster economic 
development, and promote reconciliation.  The results are 
inspiring. 
 
Our brave volunteers are doing a tough, but necessary, job 
far away from family and friends.  Employees and families 
deserve the nation's gratitude. 
 
I can assure you that they have mine, and I encourage you 
to join our teams in Baghdad and Kabul. 
 
End text of the Secretary's Message 
 
¶3.  This telegram, which incorporates changes based on last 
year's assignments cycle, lays out this year's process for 
filling these two priority posts.  Many of the changes are 
intended to address concerns regarding transparency and 
accuracy.  We are also starting earlier this year in order 
to give our colleagues additional time to consider 
volunteering, discuss the issues with their loved ones, and 
digest the details of the process.  We also believe that a 
more timely assignment process will allow our colleagues to 
take better advantage of the significantly enhanced Iraq 
and Afghanistan-related training opportunities being 
offered by FSI. 
 
¶4.  As the Secretary has noted in her message, the 
dedication of the men and women of the Foreign Service and 
Civil Service who have already stepped forward is inspiring 
and she knows that others will join them on the cutting 
edge of diplomacy.  Our decision to staff Iraq and 
Afghanistan before proceeding to other worldwide 
assignments, as discussed in Ref A, reflects the vital 
importance of these two countries to our strategic foreign 
policy goals.  As in the past, we hope to staff both with 
qualified volunteers. 
 
¶5.  With the release of this message, the 2009 vacancies in 
Iraq and Afghanistan, including out-year language positions 
with language training included in the tour of duty, will 
be advertised in FSBid and will be available for immediate 
assignment for Foreign Service and Civil Service volunteers 
starting June 10 - two weeks after the positions have been 
advertised.  The Iraq-Afghanistan assignment cycle will 
last throughout the summer.  At the appropriate time, the 
Director General will consult with the senior leadership of 
the Department to determine how best to complete the Iraq- 
Afghanistan assignment cycle prior to the end of September. 
See para 23 for a timeline for key elements of the Iraq- 
Afghanistan cycle. 
 
¶6.  To facilitate the assignments process this year, 
employees with the necessary qualifications who bid on 
stretch or out-of-cone positions in these two countries can 
also be brought to panel beginning June 10.  These 
provisions allowing immediate consideration of stretch 
assignments are more flexible than in the regular 
assignments process and provide employees the opportunity 
to secure their assignments early in the Iraq-Afghanistan 
bidding cycle. 
 
------------------ 
LINKED ASSIGNMENTS 
------------------ 
 
¶7.  We are also proposing, for Iraq only and pending 
further discussions with AFSA, that the Department's firm 
commitment to assigning qualified bidders on PRT positions 
to one of their top five onward assignments be replaced 
with a broader version of the successful "linked 
assignments" program implemented for some grades/cones 
serving in Iraq last year.  Under this proposal a Foreign 
Service employee may be paneled to his/her onward 
assignment for 2010 at the same time as he/she is paneled 
to a 2009 Iraq assignment. 
 
¶8.  The senior leadership of the Department has given its 
support to this proposal and has encouraged the regional 
and functional bureaus to work in close cooperation with 
HR/CDA to make it effective.  Under this proposal, 
employees of all cones and specialties may work directly 
with regional or functional bureaus and their CDOs to 
formulate linked assignments.  All bureaus will make their 
best efforts to facilitate this process and will provide 
clear explanations to HR/CDA in cases where a proposed 
linked assignment is not possible (for example if an 
employee does not have the necessary qualifications to do 
the job). HR/CDA and NEA will work actively with bidders 
and bureaus on these linked assignments and will enlist the 
support of their leadership where necessary.  Both NEA and 
the other bureau concerned must concur on the proposed 
link. 
 
¶9.  Linked assignments may be made to one-grade stretch 
positions (up or down) and, for generalists, may be in cone 
or out of cone assignments.  Specialists will generally be 
expected to look for linked assignments in their areas of 
specialty.  Also, some functional bureaus may not be able 
to offer a full range of linked assignments due to limited 
position availability at certain grades.  In all cases, 
however, specialist bureaus will make every effort to 
accommodate employee preferences for onward assignments, as 
they have in the past. 
HR/CDA will support any linked assignment agreed to by both 
bureaus and the employee as long as the guidelines 
regarding grade and cone/specialty are met.  In addition: 
 
-- Employees will be responsible for initiating the search 
for a linked assignment.  Unlike last year, bureaus have 
not been asked to select specific positions as potential 
linked assignments.  Instead employees interested in 
linking should check bureau web pages for lists of 
projected vacancies and contact bureau EX offices or desks 
to discuss options.  CDA will have links available to those 
bureaus with projected vacancies sites. 
 
-- Linked assignments to DCM and PO positions will not be 
available. 
 
-- Should agreement on linked assignments prove to be 
unobtainable between NEA and the other bureaus, the 
employee's bid on Iraq will not be retained unless he or 
she wishes to proceed without a linked assignment (or 
agrees to a different linked assignment option). 
 
-- This incentive will be available to employees who 
volunteer for Iraq service by August 1, 2008. 
 
¶10.  Note that this proposal to expand the option for 
linked assignments is currently being discussed with AFSA 
and we hope to update the Foreign Service shortly to 
confirm the status of this program and provide further 
details. 
 
---------------------------- 
TARGETED RECRUITMENT EFFORT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶11.  The recruitment effort this year is beginning earlier 
and will be even more proactive and targeted than in the 
past.  HR/CDA is reviewing the list of eligible 2009 
bidders to find those who are particularly well-qualified 
to staff key positions in Iraq.  We will inform those 
individuals in the coming days that they are part of a pool 
of the best qualified potential bidders who will be the 
primary (but not exclusive) focus of recruitment efforts 
for Iraq.  In addition, should the DG determine that 
identification procedures need to be used later in the 
cycle to staff unfilled positions, these individuals will 
also comprise the primary pool for identification.  We will 
actively encourage them over the coming months to bid on 
those positions in Iraq for which they are particularly 
well qualified.  We repeat, however, that this is not the 
only group from which we will recruit for Iraq or from 
which we will accept bids.  The entire Foreign and Civil 
Services have a robust pool of talented individuals who 
have much to offer through service in Iraq and also in 
Afghanistan. 
 
¶12.  The list of positions for which we sought particularly 
well qualified bidders and the criteria we considered in 
assessing employee qualifications is available through the 
links on the newly-created HR/CDA webpage: 
 
(http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/cda/iraq _afghanistan/) 
 
The criteria include factors such as the employee's grade, 
cone, language ability (where relevant) and grade- 
appropriate experience for a particular job.  We have not 
included in this review those employees with other than 
class one or class two medical clearances.  We recognize, 
of course, that some of those who have the requisite skills 
for a given position may also have unique situations, apart 
from medical restrictions, that could make it difficult for 
them to serve in Iraq.  However, it is not necessary now 
for officers who are informed that they are among the best 
qualified for a given position to send personal statements 
or take any other action during the recruitment period. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
BIDDING MECHANICS: STRETCHES, PROMOTIONS, DCM/PO BIDDERS 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶13.  To assist those bidding, we have updated the 
"Assignment~Iraq" website: 
 
(http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/dg/assig nment_iraq/) 
 
and created an "Assignment~Afghanistan" website: 
 
(http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/prd/hrweb/dg/assig nment_afghanis 
tan/) 
 
as well.  HR has also placed information about specific 
positions on the HR/CDA webpage listed above under 
"Iraq/Afghanistan Cycle."  All three of these web pages 
will be "live" as of OOB 
Washington on May 27. 
 
¶14.  The current Iraq and Afghanistan Service Recognition 
Packages will be released septel.  In the interest of 
transparency and to assist our colleagues in their decision 
making, HR/CDA will also release via FSBid the complete 
Open Assignments 2009 Summer Cycle in early July to allow 
everyone to see the full range of available 2009 assignment 
options as they consider bids on Iraq and Afghanistan. 
FSBid also contains an Iraq/Afghanistan 2009 cycle with all 
jobs advertised.  Position descriptions and language 
designations are included.  The jobs and their position 
descriptions together with additional resource material 
have also been posted on the intranet HR/CDA webpage noted 
above to make it easier for colleagues to access and review 
them.  To place bids or to determine whether or not a 
particular job remains vacant, please use FSBid.  If FSBid 
is not accessible, a bidder should contact his/her CDO via 
fax or e-mail, requesting that a bid be entered on his/her 
behalf.  Civil Service colleagues should express their 
initial interest in Iraq or Afghanistan assignments to NEA 
(Laura Starr - StarrLE@state.gov; Tony Spakauskas - 
SpakauskasA2@state.gov ) or SCA (Sumera Ashruf - 
AshrufSX@state.gov; Jane Ross - RossJS@state.gov ) for 
consideration. 
 
¶15.  HR/CDA recognizes that the Iraq and Afghanistan 
timeline will require employees to make decisions on 
bidding jobs in those countries before promotions are 
announced, before bids in the regular cycle are due, and 
before DCM/PO committees have met.  If a volunteer for Iraq 
or Afghanistan is promoted and wishes to look at a 
different position in either country or at their linked 
assignment, HR/CDA, and the concerned bureaus will work to 
meet the needs of newly-promoted employees on a case-by- 
case basis.  Also, as noted above, stretch assignments for 
bidders with the necessary qualifications for the positions 
will be considered from the start of the cycle. 
 
¶16.  Bidders who wish to compete for DCM/PO positions for 
2009 should be aware that those positions will almost 
certainly not be reviewed by the DCM committee prior to the 
completion of the Iraq/Afghanistan Cycle.  They should also 
be aware that if they are assigned to Iraq or Afghanistan 
during the cycle, those assignments will take priority over 
their DCM bids.  We recognize that this may make for 
difficult choices for some bidders, but we nonetheless 
strongly encourage officers bidding DCM/PO positions to 
give very careful consideration to assignments in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  The significant responsibilities and high 
profile of many of these positions are career enhancing and 
could strengthen your qualifications for a DCM/PO position 
in 2010. 
 
¶17.  Fair share bidders are strongly encouraged to consider 
service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  As an added incentive, 
the regular season assignment rules that require a bidder 
to bid exclusively on domestic jobs or be subject to fair 
share bidding rules will not apply to bids on the 
Iraq/Afghanistan Cycle.  Submitting a bid on Iraq or 
Afghanistan positions does not preclude bidding exclusively 
on domestic jobs in the Regular Cycle.  Should you choose 
to bid overseas in the Regular Cycle, any bids submitted in 
this cycle can be considered a part of meeting fair share 
bidding requirements in the regular season.  As with all 
fair share bids, they must be replenished as the 
Iraq/Afghanistan positions you bid are filled. 
 
¶18.  In regard to medical clearances, we urge colleagues 
interested in volunteering to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan 
to update their medical clearances as soon as possible. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
ONWARD ASSIGNMENTS FOR THOSE SERVING IN IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN 
2008-2009 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶19.  In order to fulfill our obligation to employees who 
will be serving in Iraq and Afghanistan starting in summer 
2008, we will allow them to accept handshakes on Open 
Assignment Cycle positions for 2009 as soon as those jobs 
are advertised in July.  As "differential bidders," these 
employees may receive handshakes for a one-grade stretch 
position.  Furthermore, given that senior promotions will 
almost certainly not be released prior to bidding by 
officers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, we will allow FS- 
01 bidders in Iraq or Afghanistan to accept a handshake for 
an OC position pending release of the promotion lists.  If 
the bidder is not promoted, however, they will require a 
senior cede in accordance with current procedures, before 
their bid can be considered further.  Iraq/Afghanistan 
service will, however, be taken into account as a positive 
factor when reviewing the request for a senior cede. 
 
¶20.  Employees serving in an Iraq PRT in 2008-2009 still 
have the Department's firm commitment to assigning them to 
one of their top five at-grade, in-cone choices.  HR must 
be in receipt of your job preferences before the Open 
Assignment Cycle begins in October in order to ensure that 
other employees are not paneled to the jobs.  Further 
information on this process will be provided by your CDOs 
in the near future. 
 
----------------------------- 
CONTACT HR/CDA WITH QUESTIONS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶21.  We hope that this cable will be a helpful first step 
in our effort to inform all our colleagues about the 
details of the Iraq-Afghanistan cycle.  Please do not 
hesitate to contact your CDO or any of us in HR/CDA with 
any questions.  HR/CDA is also willing to arrange DVCs with 
posts abroad or group discussions with colleagues in 
Washington as requested. 
 
¶22.  We appreciate and respect the service of those of our 
colleagues who have already served in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
This year many more of us will join those ranks.  We hope 
that once again we will be able to demonstrate in a 
concrete way that we know our duty and, as members of the 
career Foreign Service, have stepped forward in service to 
our nation. 
 
------------- 
TIMELINE 
-------------- 
 
¶23.  Iraq-Afghanistan Assignments Timeline: 
 
May 27 - Release of cable announcing Iraq-Afghanistan cycle 
and opening of cycle positions in FSBID. 
 
May 29 - Well-qualified candidates will be contacted and 
urged to volunteer. 
 
June 2 - Release of cable with Iraq and Afghanistan Service 
Recognition Packages. 
 
June 10 - Assignments of Iraq or Afghanistan volunteers 
begin. 
 
July 1 - Release of Open Assignment 2009 positions in 
FSBid. 
 
September - Completion of Iraq and Afghanistan Assignment 
Cycle. 
 
October 1 - Start of 2009 Open Assignments Cycle. 
 
¶24. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
RICE