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The ''United States Foreign Service'', the commissioned diplomatic service of the United States Government, represents the United States around the world. Members of the Foreign Service serve at any of the 265 American Embassies , Consulates and other Diplomatic Missions around the world, as well as in Washington, DC and other domestic offices. They represent America abroad by implementing the foreign policy of the United States, representing U.S. interests, and protecting the interests of American Citizens . FOREIGN SERVICE EMPLOYEES AND WHAT THEY DO ]]Members of the Foreign Service represent America: analyze and report on political, Economic , and social trends in the host country, communicate U.S. interests and positions to host-country governments and private individuals, and respond to the needs of American citizens abroad. Members of the Foreign Service include Foreign Service Officers, Foreign Service Specialists, and Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs). Foreign Service Officers implement and carry out the Foreign Policy of the United States. Foreign Service Officers employed by the Department of State are divided into "cones" representing their career focus. The cones are Management, Consular, Public Diplomacy , Political and Economic. While Foreign Service Generalists pursue a career in only one cone, most will serve in positions across several different cones throughout their career. Most Foreign Service Officers, for example, are required to serve at least one year in a Consular position. Foreign Service Officers employed by the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture focus on trade promotion, analysis, and trade policy throughout their careers. Foreign Service Officers of the U.S. Agency for International Development carry out development programs to promote prosperity and well-being in less developed countries. Foreign Service Specialists perform technical services in support of the State Department and its Embassies and Consulates worldwide. Examples of specialists include Information Management (IM) Specialists, Office Management Specialists (formerly "Secretary"), Regional Security Officers, Financial Management Officers, and Nurse Practitioners. Foreign Service Nationals ( FSNs ) are host-country and third-country citizens hired abroad to perform support tasks at overseas Embassies and Consulates. FSNs benefit the Foreign Service in several ways. They provide unparalleled local-country knowledge and language skills to the Embassy that are rarely found among native-born Americans. They also provide continuity, as FSNs usually spend their entire careers at one embassy, while Foreign Service Officers and Specialists rotate postings every 2-4 years. FSNs do not have access to Classified Information . FOREIGN AFFAIRS AGENCIES The ''United States Department of State'' is the lead foreign affairs agency of the U.S. Government. Certain other foreign affairs agencies are authorized to use the Foreign Service personnel system for positions that require service abroad. These include the Department Of Commerce's Foreign Commercial Service, the Department Of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the United States Agency For International Development . JOINING THE FOREIGN SERVICE The U.S. Foreign Service seeks to employ the best and brightest citizens. Foreign Service Officers must take an all-day written exam, which emphasizes entry level knowledge of world affairs and mangagement skills that one would find in many college survey courses. Those who pass are invited to appear for an oral assessment which is an exercise in one’s ability to use general persuasion and interpersonal skills in conjunction with other applicants in the context of hypothetical diplomatic Case Studies . Whereas the United States Department of State offers the Foreign Service Exam every year, the United States and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) offers the Commercial Service Assessment Exam every two years. The next Foreign Commercial Service Assessment is tentatively scheduled for 2007. Foreign Service Specialists are hired based on having proven skills in their specialities. Both Officers and Specialists selected for hire must pass extensive background and medical clearances. FOREIGN SERVICE CAREER SYSTEM Foreign Service Officers are commissioned officers of the United States, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Foreign Service is a "rank-in-person" system like the military: individuals are appointed to a class, equivalent to military rank, which is independent of the position actually occupied. This permits "rotational authority", i.e., the ability to assign individuals above or below their personal rank as necessary to fill positions, a feature not found in the civil service. Foreign Service Officers follow an "up or out" career path similar to that in the military, with specific time limits in each rank ("time in class"). Foreign Service employees may only stay in each Rank a limited time, the length of time depending on the type of Foreign Service employee; those not promoted by the end of the "time in class" must leave the Service. As commissioned officers, however, Foreign Service Officers may be recalled to service at the pleasure of the President. Foreign Service Officers are subject to world-wide availability requirements. That is, they may be directed to an overseas assignment which they may not refuse, on pain of forced separation from Federal service. The modern Foreign Service had its birth with the Foreign Service Act Of 1924 , also known as the Rogers Act, which consolidated the Diplomatic Service and Consular Service. It has been reformed twice since then, by the Foreign Service Act of 1946 and the Foreign Service Act of 1980. EXTERNAL LINKS
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