An EcoGuard practices lifesaving medical interventions with fellow rangers during wilderness medicine training. The training provides the EcoGuards with the knowledge and expertise to deliver higher-echelon care and rapid transportation options. Photo courtesy of Embassy Libreville

Partnering to protect Gabon’s natural assets

By Kevin Chapla The Department of State and the Gabonese government have established a partnership to help protect Gabonese wildlife and the country’s natural beauty across thirteen national parks. This effort is supported by the...
The Office of Casualty Assistance team (from left) Deputy Director Shannan O’Bryan, Director Kirk Leach, and Program Specialist Tonyia Warren. Photo by Amanda J. Richard

The Office of Casualty Assistance

by Kirk Leach The Office of Casualty Assistance (OCA) was established within the Bureau of Human Resources (HR) in 1999 in the aftermath of the 1998 terrorist attacks at the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and...

IRM hosts appreciation event to share resources with employees

The Bureau of Information Resource Management (IRM) hosted a customer appreciation day in the Harry S. Truman building Exhibit Hall, Oct. 24. IRM employees spread the word on new services such as Self Service...
To improve accessibility and increase the number of lactation rooms for nursing mothers, the Bureau of Human Resources (HR) in coordination with the Bureau of Administration opened a new lactation room on the second floor of the Harry S. Truman building. A joint ribbon cutting ceremony commenced with remarks by DGHR Carol Z. Perez and Assistant Secretary Carrie Cabelka, Oct. 30. “Opening one more lactation room is important for our nursing mothers. Thank you to all who helped to make this happen,” said Perez. Currently, there are 29 lactation rooms at domestic facilities, in addition to 109 designated lactation spaces at posts worldwide. Photo by Luis A. Jimenez

New lactation room unveiled in Main State

To improve accessibility and increase the number of lactation rooms for nursing mothers, the Bureau of Human Resources (HR) in coordination with the Bureau of Administration opened a new lactation room on the second...
Embassy Kathmandu’s spokesperson Andie De Arment welcomed the new cohort of the U.S Embassy Youth Council (USYC) in Nepal. The group of 55 exceptional Nepali youth leaders from across the country was selected from an application pool of more than 2,300 individuals. This year’s gender-balanced group represents the ethnic and geographic diversity of Nepal. The USYC promotes democracy, inclusion, accountability, transparency, and youth civic participation among the next generation of Nepal’s leaders and now has a network of 400-plus alumni across all sectors of Nepal. Photo by Punya Prajapati

Embassy welcomes Nepali youth leaders

Embassy Kathmandu’s spokesperson Andie De Arment welcomed the new cohort of the U.S Embassy Youth Council (USYC) in Nepal. The group of 55 exceptional Nepali youth leaders from across the country was selected from...
The U.S. Mission to the U.N. in Geneva and the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) co-hosted a seminar, Conflict and Stabilization: Best Practices, Challenges, and New Approaches, in Geneva, Nov. 7. As many parts of the world today are impacted by violent conflict, stabilization has become a topic of increasing importance for individual countries, the U.N., and regional and global coalitions. Nearly 100 attendees representing governments, NGOs, academia, and international organizations, participated in an exchange on contemporary approaches to stabilization, including the U.S. government’s Stabilization Assistance Review, and its intersection with other disciplines, such as humanitarian assistance, human rights, and long-term peacebuilding. Panelists included Senior Advisor for CSO Eythan Sontag, President of Interpeace Scott Weber, and the Head of the European Union’s Division for the Integrated Approach to Security and Peace Madeleine Majorenko. Jason Aplon, peacebuilding and post-conflict advisor for the International Organization for Migration moderated the event, and U.S. Mission Geneva’s Chargé d’Affaires Mark Cassayre delivered welcome remarks. The event was broadcast on Facebook Live and can be watched online. Photo by Eric Bridiers

Geneva Peace Week examines approaches to conflict stabilization

The U.S. Mission to the U.N. in Geneva and the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) co-hosted a seminar, Conflict and Stabilization: Best Practices, Challenges, and New Approaches, in Geneva, Nov. 7. As...
One of the 60 Gold Award Girl Scouts in attendance, takes notes during the question and answer session of Women in Leadership, Oct. 11. Photo by Candice Helton

Investing in Future Female Leaders

By Rachel Ingal and Nayab Khan The International Day of the Girl is a United Nations effort to draw the international community into a dialogue on how to empower and equip girls globally. In recognition...
A member of the Latvian State Police receives touch-ups to his realistic wounds during the SWORD exercise. Photo by Edgars Grundšteins

Duck and Cover

By Chad Twitty Not many regional security officers (RSOs) would welcome the opportunity to have hostile protesters gather at the gates of an American embassy and force their way onto the compound, but Embassy Riga’s...
Pedestrians walk along the notoriously congested highway linking Kinshasa's city center to N'djili International Airport. Photo by Isaac D. Pacheco

Kinshasa

Story by Isaac D. Pacheco Rising up along the eastern bank of the Congo River, Kinshasa is a bustling metropolis with an estimated population of 11 to 13 million. As the capital of the Democratic...
Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations agents deliver food and water to severely damaged Fox Town on the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas, in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Sept. 6. Photo by Kris Groagn

Team Effort

By Daniel A. Durazo Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the Island of Abaco in the northern Bahamas, Sept. 1. Maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and a 20-foot storm surge tore apart houses...

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Office Spotlight

Making a Statement

The image is split down the middle with the "Making a Statement" logo in white on a blue background on the left, followed by the name Josué Barrera. Barrera smiles on the right.