WEBVTT

00:00.600 --> 00:03.549
Please welcome . Ok ,

00:04.599 --> 00:07.400
Secretary Bill . Yeah ,

00:08.750 --> 00:09.750
you

00:14.359 --> 00:17.170
Director General of the Foreign Service ,

00:17.190 --> 00:20.790
Marsha Beneke USA Councilor Clinton

00:20.799 --> 00:23.360
White and tonight's Master of

00:23.370 --> 00:26.239
Ceremonies . Absa President Tom Yas

00:26.700 --> 00:28.190
Gerdi . Thank you .

00:46.069 --> 00:47.069
Yeah ,

01:32.550 --> 01:34.383
please welcome to nice master of

01:34.383 --> 01:36.717
ceremonies . Ask the President Tom Lier .

01:50.230 --> 01:52.849
Secretary Blinken , Director burns ,

01:53.250 --> 01:56.470
Pastor Thomas Greenfield , Director

01:56.480 --> 01:58.813
General Burnet , friends and colleagues ,

01:58.813 --> 02:01.036
esteemed members of the Foreign service

02:01.036 --> 02:03.091
family . Ladies and gentlemen , good

02:03.091 --> 02:05.370
evening . And thank you all for being

02:05.379 --> 02:07.400
here tonight to celebrate the

02:07.510 --> 02:09.677
centennial of both the Foreign Service

02:09.677 --> 02:11.510
and the American Foreign Service

02:11.510 --> 02:13.899
Association . Not everyone may know

02:14.179 --> 02:16.020
that AFSA represents six member

02:16.029 --> 02:19.479
agencies , the State Department USA ID ,

02:19.490 --> 02:21.789
the Foreign Commercial Service , the

02:21.800 --> 02:24.240
Foreign Agricultural Service , the US

02:24.250 --> 02:26.880
Agency for Global Media and the animal

02:26.889 --> 02:29.000
and plant health inspection service .

02:29.000 --> 02:31.360
Are Aphis now , Aphis are the folks who

02:31.369 --> 02:34.050
may seize your prized cheese and fruit

02:34.059 --> 02:36.059
at the airport when you return from

02:36.059 --> 02:38.309
overseas , sniffed out by their vaunted

02:38.320 --> 02:41.369
beagle brigade that happened to me on

02:41.380 --> 02:43.960
more than one occasion . But in any

02:43.970 --> 02:46.192
event , I'm happy to have each of these

02:46.192 --> 02:48.359
agencies represented here tonight . We

02:48.359 --> 02:50.637
are proud that over 80% of active duty ,

02:50.637 --> 02:52.830
foreign service employees choose to

02:52.839 --> 02:55.550
belong to our organization making Afsa

02:55.559 --> 02:57.837
truly the voice of the Foreign Service .

02:58.080 --> 03:00.136
I'd like to thank Director General ,

03:00.136 --> 03:02.191
the Foreign Service , Marsha Beneath

03:02.191 --> 03:04.080
for being our gala partner and an

03:04.080 --> 03:06.191
enthusiastic supporter of the Foreign

03:06.191 --> 03:05.880
Service .

03:14.199 --> 03:16.199
I'd also like to thank the Afsa and

03:16.199 --> 03:18.190
department staff without whom this

03:18.199 --> 03:20.366
evening would not have been possible .

03:26.520 --> 03:28.242
Additionally , I would like to

03:28.242 --> 03:30.242
recognize our primary sponsor , our

03:30.242 --> 03:32.464
friends at the American Foreign Service

03:32.464 --> 03:34.464
Protective Association , as well as

03:34.464 --> 03:36.242
ambassadors John Negroponte and

03:36.242 --> 03:38.298
Roseanne Ridgeway for their generous

03:38.298 --> 03:40.464
donations that made this commemoration

03:40.464 --> 03:42.539
event a reality . Thank you .

03:50.119 --> 03:52.063
We appreciate the Virginia General

03:52.063 --> 03:54.286
Assembly members present here tonight .

03:54.286 --> 03:56.341
Delegates David Reed and Paul Krizek

03:56.389 --> 03:58.278
and Senator Tara Durand for their

03:58.278 --> 04:00.222
contributions on behalf of foreign

04:00.222 --> 04:02.445
service members in Virginia , including

04:02.445 --> 04:04.611
the joint resolution Commemorating the

04:04.611 --> 04:06.611
centennial of the foreign service .

04:06.611 --> 04:08.111
Thank you for being here .

04:13.500 --> 04:15.500
Finally , I'd like to recognize the

04:15.500 --> 04:17.444
members of our centennial honorary

04:17.444 --> 04:19.500
committee , many of whom are in this

04:19.500 --> 04:21.667
room with us tonight . We are saddened

04:21.667 --> 04:23.667
by the passing of Ambassador Esther

04:23.667 --> 04:25.778
Cooper Smith and very glad that Janet

04:25.778 --> 04:27.944
Pitt , her longtime chief of staff can

04:27.944 --> 04:30.222
join us in her memory . Where is Janet ?

04:30.222 --> 04:33.670
Is she here tonight ? Well , she was

04:33.679 --> 04:35.901
part of our centennial committee and we

04:35.901 --> 04:38.940
honor her memory 100 years ago . This

04:38.950 --> 04:41.172
month , the enactment of the Rogers Act

04:41.172 --> 04:43.228
combined the diplomatic and consular

04:43.228 --> 04:45.394
functions and laid the foundations for

04:45.394 --> 04:47.394
a professional Us Foreign service .

04:47.500 --> 04:49.779
This act established personal ranks

04:49.899 --> 04:52.089
with pay scales merit based hiring and

04:52.100 --> 04:54.109
promotions and a retirement and

04:54.119 --> 04:56.570
disability system . Along with many

04:56.579 --> 04:58.579
other provisions that recognize the

04:58.579 --> 05:00.801
unique nature of the foreign service of

05:00.801 --> 05:03.700
foreign service work . 1924 also saw

05:03.709 --> 05:05.876
the birth of a PSA as the professional

05:05.876 --> 05:08.220
association of this service . It is

05:08.230 --> 05:10.174
thus fitting tonight , we are here

05:10.174 --> 05:12.341
together the State Department and AFSA

05:12.369 --> 05:14.147
to host this event as the joint

05:14.147 --> 05:16.369
stewards of the Foreign Service . Since

05:16.369 --> 05:20.200
1924 this enduring partnership has

05:20.209 --> 05:22.480
marked our service as an institution of

05:22.489 --> 05:24.322
excellence with a highly skilled

05:24.329 --> 05:26.470
workforce that is willing to protect

05:26.480 --> 05:28.700
the people , defend the interests and

05:28.709 --> 05:31.000
promote the values of our great country

05:31.059 --> 05:32.948
in some of the most dangerous and

05:32.948 --> 05:35.549
inhospitable places on earth . So

05:35.559 --> 05:37.730
tonight , we gather to celebrate the

05:37.739 --> 05:39.906
dedicated men and women of our service

05:39.906 --> 05:42.017
whose talents and skills are needed .

05:42.017 --> 05:44.250
Now , more than ever , there's no

05:44.260 --> 05:46.204
celebration of the foreign service

05:46.204 --> 05:48.149
without mentioning the support and

05:48.149 --> 05:50.093
contributions of our great foreign

05:50.093 --> 05:52.427
service , family members , the Children ,

05:52.427 --> 05:54.427
spouses and partners , many of whom

05:54.427 --> 05:56.482
work at our embassies and consulates

05:56.482 --> 05:55.899
abroad .

06:07.119 --> 06:09.286
They also know what duty and sacrifice

06:09.286 --> 06:11.286
mean . I also want to recognize the

06:11.286 --> 06:13.341
backbone of our foreign service that

06:13.341 --> 06:15.452
tens of thousands of locally employed

06:15.452 --> 06:17.563
staff all over the world whose expert

06:17.563 --> 06:19.563
advice and dedication to the United

06:19.563 --> 06:21.730
States advance our interests sometimes

06:21.730 --> 06:23.841
at great risk to themselves and their

06:23.841 --> 06:24.429
families

06:35.510 --> 06:37.677
to help us celebrate . We are thrilled

06:37.677 --> 06:39.788
and honored to have as our centennial

06:39.788 --> 06:41.899
speakers , Secretary of State Anthony

06:41.899 --> 06:43.954
Blinken . CIA Director William Burns

06:43.954 --> 06:46.177
and USA ID Councilor Clinton White . At

06:46.459 --> 06:48.459
the end of their remarks , Director

06:48.459 --> 06:50.626
General Beni Cat will lead us all in a

06:50.626 --> 06:52.626
toast . But before we hear from our

06:52.626 --> 06:54.792
speakers , we'd like to share with you

06:54.792 --> 06:56.903
a trailer of a sort of our centennial

06:56.903 --> 06:59.015
video that highlights our most valued

06:59.015 --> 07:01.181
resource . Our people . The full video

07:01.181 --> 07:03.459
will be available this Friday May 24th ,

07:03.459 --> 07:05.626
the anniversary date of the Rogers Act

07:05.626 --> 07:08.760
on our website afsa.org . So please

07:08.769 --> 07:10.936
take a look at the , at the monitors .

07:10.936 --> 07:11.936
Thank you .

07:16.140 --> 07:18.750
I'm really proud that we as Americans

07:18.760 --> 07:20.959
define our interests , not just in our

07:20.970 --> 07:23.570
own prosperity and our own security ,

07:23.579 --> 07:26.010
but that we also define our good in

07:26.019 --> 07:28.059
terms of the world for every person

07:28.070 --> 07:30.309
who's free for every person who gets to

07:30.320 --> 07:32.920
earn a decent living and raise their

07:32.929 --> 07:34.929
family in a protected environment .

07:34.929 --> 07:37.207
That's a safer world for Americans too .

07:37.207 --> 07:39.207
We're the first line of defense for

07:39.207 --> 07:41.318
America . We're not armed , we're not

07:41.318 --> 07:43.540
the military , but we're the first line

07:43.540 --> 07:43.369
of defense to protect American

07:43.380 --> 07:45.747
interests and all so to promote our

07:45.756 --> 07:47.923
values . That's incredibly important .

07:47.923 --> 07:50.145
It's not just the interest we promote .

07:50.145 --> 07:52.647
It's also what makes us Americans every

07:52.657 --> 07:54.713
country , every assignment . There's

07:54.713 --> 07:56.601
something new and interesting and

07:56.601 --> 07:59.546
exciting . You also are able to make a

07:59.557 --> 08:01.867
difference in people's lives . We are

08:01.877 --> 08:04.326
about American prosperity , American

08:04.337 --> 08:07.367
security and we are the bridge between

08:07.377 --> 08:09.433
the United States of America and the

08:09.433 --> 08:11.266
rest of the world . What I think

08:11.266 --> 08:13.266
Americans should know about foreign

08:13.266 --> 08:15.433
service is that the foreign service is

08:15.433 --> 08:17.321
just gonna continue to evolve and

08:17.321 --> 08:19.544
become more diverse and that's gonna be

08:19.544 --> 08:21.544
better for everyone because once we

08:21.544 --> 08:23.544
become more diverse , we understand

08:23.544 --> 08:25.599
other cultures better and what other

08:25.599 --> 08:27.488
governments need in order to make

08:27.488 --> 08:29.710
connections when we do our job . Well ,

08:29.710 --> 08:31.933
nobody really knows . You know , and so

08:31.933 --> 08:33.821
we're preventing conflict , we're

08:33.821 --> 08:35.488
promoting trade and peace and

08:35.488 --> 08:37.655
prosperity if done . well . You know ,

08:37.655 --> 08:39.488
it's like a pilot . If the plane

08:39.488 --> 08:39.484
doesn't crash , everything went well .

08:39.494 --> 08:41.438
And so I think we're sort of these

08:41.438 --> 08:43.661
invisible . I would say everyday heroes

08:43.661 --> 08:45.883
behind the scenes , I'm very optimistic

08:45.883 --> 08:48.050
about where we're going and I can tell

08:48.050 --> 08:49.994
you what has made us the essential

08:49.994 --> 08:52.161
nation as Secretary Albright called us

08:52.161 --> 08:54.050
is the fact that we don't look at

08:54.050 --> 08:56.281
challenges and look to run from them .

08:56.291 --> 08:59.260
We tackle the issues . We see and I see

08:59.270 --> 09:01.492
that in my colleagues every day who put

09:01.492 --> 09:04.000
in enormous amounts of time , energy

09:04.010 --> 09:06.661
and effort to addressing impossible

09:06.671 --> 09:09.739
situations and making them better . So

09:09.750 --> 09:11.028
I'm optimistic . Yes .

09:25.669 --> 09:27.669
Thank you . I hope you enjoyed that

09:27.669 --> 09:29.613
trailer featuring some of the good

09:29.613 --> 09:31.780
friends who are here in this room . Uh

09:31.780 --> 09:34.113
And please please begin eating , please .

09:34.113 --> 09:36.330
I I'd ask you all to begin eating and

09:36.340 --> 09:38.451
now I am deeply honored . I'm sorry ,

09:38.451 --> 09:40.451
Mr Secretary , not for you . But um

09:40.451 --> 09:44.299
sorry , I am deeply honored to

09:44.309 --> 09:46.476
introduce our first speaker who really

09:46.476 --> 09:48.642
needs no introduction , you know , who

09:48.642 --> 09:50.865
I would describe as the hardest working

09:50.865 --> 09:53.030
man in Diplo Biz . Indeed , he is

09:53.039 --> 09:55.419
widely regarded as the James Brown of

09:55.429 --> 09:58.690
global diplomacy , both for his love of

09:58.700 --> 10:00.922
rock and roll and his tireless advocacy

10:00.922 --> 10:03.144
to safeguard our interests and make the

10:03.144 --> 10:05.033
world a better place . Ladies and

10:05.033 --> 10:06.811
gentlemen , please join me in .

10:06.811 --> 10:08.978
Welcoming Secretary of State Anthony J

10:08.978 --> 10:08.000
Lincoln .

10:15.250 --> 10:18.349
Thank you . Thank you very much .

10:20.159 --> 10:21.992
Thank you so much . Good evening

10:21.992 --> 10:25.739
everyone . And it is wonderful to see

10:26.260 --> 10:28.500
so many colleagues here tonight to see

10:28.510 --> 10:30.510
so many people as I look around the

10:30.510 --> 10:32.677
room that I've learned from and looked

10:32.677 --> 10:36.549
up to uh over these years . Um Welcome

10:36.559 --> 10:38.559
home to those of you who are coming

10:38.559 --> 10:41.690
back to the department this evening , I

10:41.700 --> 10:44.309
think uh as always , it's particularly

10:44.320 --> 10:46.409
fitting to be watched over by Ben

10:46.419 --> 10:49.359
Franklin , our nation's first diplomat

10:49.890 --> 10:52.112
who has been called the original father

10:52.112 --> 10:55.289
of the , the Foreign Service um in his

10:55.299 --> 10:57.410
presence tonight . But uh also in the

10:57.410 --> 10:59.410
presence of , of so many others . I

10:59.410 --> 11:01.859
just want to say a few words , mostly

11:01.869 --> 11:04.169
of gratitude for the extraordinary

11:04.179 --> 11:06.520
group that's here tonight , as well as

11:06.530 --> 11:08.030
the extraordinary group of

11:08.320 --> 11:10.760
professionals that you each represent .

11:11.070 --> 11:13.570
Um as I'm looking around , as I say , I

11:13.580 --> 11:16.549
see so many uh faces , so many people .

11:16.559 --> 11:19.070
I see my friend John TEF here , I

11:19.080 --> 11:22.109
started um in this department a little

11:22.119 --> 11:24.640
over 30 years ago . Uh in the EU R

11:24.650 --> 11:26.817
front office was then the European and

11:26.817 --> 11:29.109
Canadian affairs the office that I had

11:29.119 --> 11:31.286
then um its previous occupant had been

11:31.286 --> 11:34.090
a large safe John will remember this .

11:34.119 --> 11:36.341
So you get some idea of what the office

11:36.341 --> 11:38.119
was like . Um It had a big wine

11:38.119 --> 11:40.175
computer on the desk that barely fit

11:40.175 --> 11:42.849
into the room . And as I like to say ,

11:42.859 --> 11:44.915
it took me 30 years , but I moved up

11:44.915 --> 11:46.970
one flight and got some windows . So

11:46.970 --> 11:50.630
not bad , Tom . Thank you . Thank you .

11:50.640 --> 11:52.473
Thank you for your extraordinary

11:52.473 --> 11:54.418
leadership of the American Foreign

11:54.418 --> 11:56.473
Service Association , which has been

11:56.473 --> 11:58.696
such a champion for the Foreign Service

11:58.696 --> 12:00.918
and its members for 100 years . Uh Like

12:00.918 --> 12:02.918
your predecessor , my friend , Eric

12:02.918 --> 12:04.973
Rubin , who's here tonight as well .

12:04.973 --> 12:07.140
You and s have been wonderful partners

12:07.140 --> 12:09.739
to me uh to my team and on those

12:09.750 --> 12:11.861
occasions when we haven't always seen

12:11.861 --> 12:14.309
eye to eye , you've never been shy

12:14.320 --> 12:16.479
about letting us know . So thank you

12:16.489 --> 12:18.739
for that , but I truly , truly value

12:19.140 --> 12:21.479
the partnership that we've had . Um

12:21.679 --> 12:24.219
That's the role of unions and the fact

12:24.229 --> 12:27.900
that almost 80% of active duty foreign

12:27.909 --> 12:30.960
service members have chosen to belong

12:30.969 --> 12:33.140
to A F SA I think that suggests how

12:33.150 --> 12:35.210
well you do your job as the voice of

12:35.219 --> 12:37.330
the foreign Service . And I thank you

12:37.330 --> 12:40.700
for that . A major reason that our

12:40.710 --> 12:42.890
foreign service continues to recruit

12:43.619 --> 12:45.859
and to develop outstanding talent is

12:45.869 --> 12:48.091
because we have an outstanding director

12:48.091 --> 12:50.258
general in Marsha Beneke . Thank you .

12:56.799 --> 13:00.140
Thank you . Thank you for not just four

13:00.150 --> 13:02.739
decades of remarkable service . But for

13:02.750 --> 13:04.859
everything that you're doing now to

13:04.869 --> 13:07.200
strengthen our workforce , because that

13:07.210 --> 13:09.679
is what this institution is all about .

13:10.010 --> 13:12.121
And I want to thank Clinton White and

13:12.121 --> 13:15.039
everyone at USA ID . I get to see this

13:15.049 --> 13:17.160
as so many of you do going around the

13:17.160 --> 13:19.105
world . The place where the rubber

13:19.105 --> 13:21.530
really meets the road is with USA ID .

13:21.539 --> 13:23.483
I've seen the difference that it's

13:23.483 --> 13:26.130
making in country after country in

13:26.140 --> 13:28.251
genuinely changing people's lives for

13:28.251 --> 13:30.979
the better and advancing our diplomacy

13:31.159 --> 13:33.440
in the most concrete and so the most

13:33.450 --> 13:35.672
powerful ways possible . We're grateful

13:35.672 --> 13:37.950
to be in the trenches alongside of you .

13:37.950 --> 13:40.117
And then finally this evening , look ,

13:40.117 --> 13:42.117
I wanted to be known as the man who

13:42.117 --> 13:44.172
brought Bill Burns back to the State

13:44.172 --> 13:43.369
Department .

13:53.169 --> 13:54.836
Truly , someone who knows the

13:54.836 --> 13:57.989
introduction , my friend , my colleague ,

13:58.080 --> 14:00.669
someone who I've looked up to for so

14:00.679 --> 14:02.469
many years . Um He's doing

14:02.479 --> 14:04.590
indispensable , extraordinary work at

14:04.590 --> 14:07.030
the CIA , but I think everyone in this

14:07.039 --> 14:09.261
room knows that his home will always be

14:09.261 --> 14:12.450
here at foggy bottom . Bill . Welcome

14:12.460 --> 14:15.539
home . And it's wonderful to join so

14:15.549 --> 14:17.438
many champions and members of our

14:17.438 --> 14:19.493
foreign service family to honor what

14:19.493 --> 14:21.438
has been a century of excellence ,

14:21.438 --> 14:24.849
dedication and yes , sacrifice . I want

14:24.859 --> 14:27.650
to especially recognize as Tom did all

14:27.659 --> 14:30.030
the Children , all the spouses , all

14:30.039 --> 14:32.250
the loved ones who have made so many

14:32.260 --> 14:34.359
changes in your own lives so that a

14:34.369 --> 14:37.450
parent or partner could serve

14:38.640 --> 14:40.559
just weeks after taking office .

14:40.570 --> 14:42.792
President Biden came to this department

14:42.809 --> 14:45.500
to underscore as he put it . Diplomacy

14:45.510 --> 14:47.750
has always been essential to how

14:47.760 --> 14:49.593
America writes its own destiny .

14:50.039 --> 14:52.095
American diplomacy has indeed always

14:52.095 --> 14:54.609
been essential , but maybe not always

14:54.619 --> 14:57.070
quite so professional . Before the 20th

14:57.080 --> 14:59.590
century , our representatives abroad

14:59.599 --> 15:02.320
received essentially no training and

15:02.330 --> 15:04.497
very little guidance from Washington .

15:04.497 --> 15:06.830
Maybe that last part wouldn't be so bad .

15:06.830 --> 15:09.479
Today , the few envoys who sent

15:09.489 --> 15:11.656
dispatches home found their reports as

15:11.656 --> 15:13.600
one historian put it and I quote ,

15:13.830 --> 15:17.669
generally ignored and often lost . I'm

15:17.679 --> 15:19.846
sure no one in this room can relate to

15:19.846 --> 15:22.690
that . In 1889 a respected New York

15:22.700 --> 15:25.349
newspaper called for abolishing ,

15:25.650 --> 15:27.539
abolishing the diplomatic service

15:27.539 --> 15:29.539
entirely deeming it . And I quote a

15:29.539 --> 15:31.210
costly humbug and a sham .

15:32.979 --> 15:35.400
So I think we've seen the department's

15:35.409 --> 15:37.989
reputation improve considerably in the

15:38.000 --> 15:40.179
years after Congress passed the Rogers

15:40.190 --> 15:43.159
Act in 1924 unifying our diplomatic and

15:43.169 --> 15:45.390
consular service into a single foreign

15:45.400 --> 15:47.733
service with competitive entrance exams .

15:47.733 --> 15:49.840
As you heard , enhanced training ,

15:50.369 --> 15:52.900
merit based promotion , retirement

15:52.909 --> 15:56.460
benefits through hot and cold wars ,

15:56.739 --> 15:58.683
democratic waves and technological

15:58.683 --> 16:01.070
revolutions . Our diplomats , our

16:01.080 --> 16:03.549
development experts have adapted to

16:03.559 --> 16:06.409
meet every single challenge . And we

16:06.419 --> 16:09.369
haven't just grown from 633 foreign

16:09.380 --> 16:12.020
service members in 1924 to almost

16:12.030 --> 16:15.820
14,000 . In 2024 . We've

16:15.830 --> 16:17.719
also transformed ourselves in the

16:17.719 --> 16:21.440
process where we work , what we work on

16:21.979 --> 16:25.539
how we work on it . But the core

16:25.549 --> 16:27.549
mission that's animated the service

16:27.549 --> 16:29.771
that core mission has endured , helping

16:29.771 --> 16:31.882
our policymakers understand the world

16:32.010 --> 16:34.066
and helping the world understand the

16:34.070 --> 16:36.419
United States a little better and

16:36.429 --> 16:38.596
drawing on every possible tool to help

16:38.596 --> 16:40.707
make the American people a little bit

16:40.707 --> 16:42.485
more secure , a little bit more

16:42.485 --> 16:44.207
prosperous , a little bit more

16:44.207 --> 16:46.429
healthier , a little bit greater access

16:46.429 --> 16:50.010
to opportunity . Today , we find

16:50.020 --> 16:53.119
ourselves at an inflection point in so

16:53.130 --> 16:55.830
many ways , what we do now and in the

16:55.840 --> 16:58.140
months and and few years ahead will

16:58.150 --> 17:00.150
likely determine the future for the

17:00.150 --> 17:02.261
American people and for the world for

17:02.261 --> 17:04.206
decades to come . There is so much

17:04.206 --> 17:07.319
change in this moment and the way we

17:07.329 --> 17:10.040
adapt to it , the way we shape it , the

17:10.050 --> 17:12.217
way we adjust to it , that is going to

17:12.217 --> 17:14.494
have profound repercussions for a long ,

17:14.494 --> 17:16.550
long time , geopolitical competitors

17:16.550 --> 17:18.439
and emerging powers reshaping the

17:18.439 --> 17:20.550
strategic landscape problems like our

17:20.550 --> 17:22.717
warming planet , the threat of another

17:22.717 --> 17:24.439
pandemic food insecurity , the

17:24.439 --> 17:26.328
synthetic drug crisis , irregular

17:26.328 --> 17:28.949
migration displacement . These are just

17:28.959 --> 17:30.681
as transformative and they are

17:30.681 --> 17:32.792
affecting the lives , the livelihoods

17:32.792 --> 17:35.015
of Americans people around the world in

17:35.015 --> 17:37.170
profound and concrete ways . Emerging

17:37.180 --> 17:38.890
technologies like artificial

17:38.900 --> 17:40.844
intelligence , quantum computing ,

17:40.844 --> 17:42.844
holding both incredible promise and

17:42.844 --> 17:45.199
possibility but also posing serious

17:45.209 --> 17:48.589
risks to our security and to our values .

17:48.849 --> 17:51.849
In this moment in this moment , I am

17:51.859 --> 17:54.099
convinced that diplomacy matters more

17:54.109 --> 17:57.430
than ever . And so our diplomats matter

17:57.439 --> 17:59.383
more than ever . There's a greater

17:59.383 --> 18:01.495
imperative than at any time in the 30

18:01.495 --> 18:03.606
or so years that I've been doing this

18:03.606 --> 18:05.828
to find ways to work cooperatively with

18:05.828 --> 18:08.050
other countries , other partners . Uh ,

18:08.050 --> 18:10.500
we know two things . We know that if

18:10.510 --> 18:12.677
America is not leading , if America is

18:12.677 --> 18:16.160
not engaged , then likely someone else

18:16.170 --> 18:18.226
will do it in our place and probably

18:18.226 --> 18:19.948
not in a way that advances our

18:19.948 --> 18:22.059
interests and values or maybe just as

18:22.059 --> 18:24.114
bad or even worse , no one does it .

18:24.114 --> 18:26.170
And then you have a vacuum filled by

18:26.170 --> 18:25.959
bad things before it's filled by good

18:25.969 --> 18:28.136
things . But we know equally that we ,

18:28.136 --> 18:29.989
we need more than ever to find

18:30.000 --> 18:33.300
partnerships to find cooper , to find

18:33.310 --> 18:35.088
coordinations if we're going to

18:35.088 --> 18:37.254
effectively address these challenges .

18:37.254 --> 18:40.069
And that's exactly where our diplomats

18:40.079 --> 18:43.319
come in . You . They are the ones who

18:43.329 --> 18:45.540
are doing it . That's why we're

18:45.550 --> 18:47.606
investing in the future of the State

18:47.606 --> 18:49.717
Department and the Foreign Service so

18:49.717 --> 18:51.550
that we can meet these tests and

18:51.550 --> 18:53.550
actually seize the opportunities of

18:53.550 --> 18:55.989
these coming decades . And like Marsha ,

18:56.000 --> 18:58.167
like everyone you heard on the video ,

18:58.167 --> 19:00.000
I'm confident that we'll succeed

19:00.000 --> 19:03.410
because across 100 years of turbulence

19:03.420 --> 19:05.729
of transformation , one thing has

19:05.739 --> 19:09.270
remained constant . You , the women and

19:09.280 --> 19:12.449
men of the foreign service , your skill ,

19:13.140 --> 19:16.369
your intellect , your courage , your

19:16.380 --> 19:19.180
resourcefulness , your dedication to

19:19.189 --> 19:22.390
our shared mission . Now , unlike the

19:22.400 --> 19:24.890
foreign service exam a century ago , we

19:24.900 --> 19:27.011
no longer require a candidate to name

19:27.011 --> 19:29.178
the Greek minister who aided the Anglo

19:29.178 --> 19:31.380
French expedition at Salonica . Don't

19:31.390 --> 19:35.319
worry . No pop quizzes tonight , by

19:35.329 --> 19:37.739
the way , that person was Fre Benazir .

19:40.689 --> 19:44.599
But whenever I talk to one of our team ,

19:44.609 --> 19:46.665
whenever I talk to a foreign service

19:46.665 --> 19:49.449
officer , what strikes me is the

19:49.560 --> 19:51.671
extraordinary political intricacies ,

19:51.671 --> 19:54.290
you can analyze the cultural nuances .

19:54.300 --> 19:57.949
You can explain the quick effective

19:57.959 --> 20:00.589
problems solving that you do . And for

20:00.599 --> 20:02.655
good measure , you can offer share ,

20:02.655 --> 20:04.766
often share all of that in Hindi , in

20:04.766 --> 20:07.719
Arabic and Swahili alongside our civil

20:07.729 --> 20:10.719
service . And yes , our locally

20:10.729 --> 20:13.719
employed staff , the lifeblood of any

20:13.729 --> 20:16.050
mission anywhere around the world . Do

20:16.060 --> 20:18.060
you continue to do the hard work of

20:18.060 --> 20:20.282
diplomacy on the ground to offer expert

20:20.282 --> 20:22.589
advice , to think critically , to push

20:22.599 --> 20:24.710
everyone in this department to do the

20:24.710 --> 20:26.821
same thing , whether it's negotiating

20:26.821 --> 20:28.988
treaties or trade deals , whether it's

20:28.988 --> 20:30.599
delivering vaccines to rural

20:30.599 --> 20:32.821
communities , processing passports at a

20:32.821 --> 20:34.821
councilor window . Each of you is a

20:34.821 --> 20:36.766
testament to the power of American

20:36.766 --> 20:38.969
diplomacy at its best . As highlighted

20:38.979 --> 20:41.035
that impact with its foreign service

20:41.040 --> 20:43.650
proud centennial campaign , asking

20:43.660 --> 20:45.827
members to submit experiences in their

20:45.827 --> 20:47.993
careers that made them feel honored to

20:47.993 --> 20:51.260
serve some focused on helping shape

20:51.270 --> 20:53.619
events of historic significance ,

20:53.849 --> 20:55.793
supporting the Green revolution in

20:55.793 --> 20:57.627
agriculture in the Philippines ,

20:57.627 --> 20:59.682
assisting American citizens in China

20:59.682 --> 21:01.880
during the COVID crisis . Many of the

21:01.890 --> 21:04.057
submissions though were about the kind

21:04.057 --> 21:06.168
of exchanges that probably don't make

21:06.168 --> 21:08.260
it into the news . The small things

21:08.270 --> 21:10.270
that add up to something really big

21:10.270 --> 21:12.250
handing out food and water in the

21:12.260 --> 21:14.630
aftermath of a hurricane or an

21:14.640 --> 21:17.719
earthquake , holding the hand of an

21:17.729 --> 21:20.030
American expat in India during his

21:20.040 --> 21:22.630
final hours dressing up as Santa to

21:22.640 --> 21:24.696
bring holiday tear to Children at an

21:24.696 --> 21:26.918
orphanage in Croatia . And whether it's

21:26.918 --> 21:30.660
1924 or 2024 your ability to

21:30.670 --> 21:33.449
connect with people to immerse yourself

21:33.459 --> 21:36.229
in a country , to bridge cultures , to

21:36.239 --> 21:39.550
tap into our shared humanity . That is

21:39.560 --> 21:41.910
the unique and enduring strength of the

21:41.920 --> 21:44.300
foreign service . Um

21:45.599 --> 21:48.180
Many of us of a certain generation

21:49.260 --> 21:52.119
used to spend the holiday season doing

21:52.130 --> 21:53.797
the same thing because it was

21:53.797 --> 21:55.463
unavoidable . If you had your

21:55.463 --> 21:57.519
television on , at some point during

21:57.519 --> 21:59.630
the holiday season , one movie always

21:59.630 --> 22:01.790
came on every single year . It's a

22:01.800 --> 22:04.640
wonderful life . And for those of you

22:04.650 --> 22:06.872
who , who don't remember the movie , um

22:06.872 --> 22:09.039
It's probably my favorite movie of all

22:09.039 --> 22:13.020
time . Uh Jimmy Stewart plays George

22:13.030 --> 22:16.250
Bailey and George Bailey is about to

22:16.260 --> 22:18.371
take his life at the beginning of the

22:18.371 --> 22:20.316
film because he thinks he's been a

22:20.316 --> 22:22.427
failure , a failure to his family , a

22:22.427 --> 22:24.649
failure to his community , a failure to

22:24.649 --> 22:27.760
his town and an angel taps him on the

22:27.770 --> 22:30.270
shoulder and shows him through the

22:30.280 --> 22:32.369
course of the movie , what Bedford

22:32.380 --> 22:34.324
Falls would have looked like if he

22:34.324 --> 22:37.469
hadn't been there . And of course , we

22:37.479 --> 22:39.890
see a very different reality for

22:39.900 --> 22:42.011
Bedford Falls in his absence . And he

22:42.011 --> 22:44.233
realizes through the course of the film

22:44.233 --> 22:46.890
that in fact , for all that he thought

22:47.140 --> 22:49.307
of himself and his own failures , he'd

22:49.307 --> 22:52.479
been indispensable to his town to his

22:52.489 --> 22:55.550
community , to his family , to his

22:55.560 --> 22:58.599
friends . And I , when I think of that

22:58.609 --> 23:01.959
movie , that's really how I think of

23:01.969 --> 23:04.150
the foreign service and our diplomats

23:04.890 --> 23:07.910
as the George Bailey's or Georgette

23:07.920 --> 23:11.810
Bailey's of this world . Take us ,

23:11.819 --> 23:14.770
take you out of the picture . It looks

23:14.780 --> 23:17.930
very , very different with you in the

23:17.939 --> 23:21.869
picture . It's been , it is and it

23:21.880 --> 23:24.609
will remain so much brighter for all of

23:24.619 --> 23:26.563
us . And I thank you . Thank you .

23:26.563 --> 23:28.730
Thank you . Have a wonderful evening .

23:47.400 --> 23:49.511
Thank you . Secretary began for those

23:49.511 --> 23:51.678
inspirational words and for making the

23:51.678 --> 23:54.489
time to be with us tonight . Our next

23:54.500 --> 23:56.333
speaker is Clinton D White , the

23:56.333 --> 23:58.444
councilor and highest ranking foreign

23:58.444 --> 24:00.500
service officer at the US Agency for

24:00.500 --> 24:02.611
International Development . Councilor

24:02.611 --> 24:04.500
White is a 22 year veteran of the

24:04.500 --> 24:06.667
foreign service and has had a long and

24:06.667 --> 24:08.667
illustrious career in the Caribbean

24:08.667 --> 24:10.667
Africa and Central Asia , promoting

24:10.667 --> 24:12.833
sustainable development and democratic

24:12.833 --> 24:15.199
governance , addressing food insecurity

24:15.719 --> 24:17.663
and building resilience to natural

24:17.663 --> 24:19.979
disasters and climate change . Please

24:19.989 --> 24:22.156
join me in welcoming Councilor Clinton

24:22.156 --> 24:23.322
White to the stage .

24:34.770 --> 24:38.420
Good evening . Thank you , Tom for the

24:38.430 --> 24:40.579
kind introduction and thank you ,

24:40.589 --> 24:42.589
Secretary Blinken for the excellent

24:42.589 --> 24:45.119
remarks . I think I speak for all of us

24:45.130 --> 24:47.186
here to say we are grateful that you

24:47.189 --> 24:49.689
serve as this nation's top diplomat .

24:58.670 --> 25:01.079
How wonderful to celebrate the 100th

25:01.089 --> 25:03.256
anniversary of the Foreign Service and

25:03.300 --> 25:06.140
Afsa . It's great to see FS Os from all

25:06.150 --> 25:08.890
these agencies . It's great to see CIA

25:08.900 --> 25:12.160
Director Bill burns ambassador Linda

25:12.170 --> 25:15.010
Thomas Greenfield is also here . She's

25:15.020 --> 25:17.076
returned to public service after her

25:17.076 --> 25:19.459
long foreign service career to serve as

25:19.469 --> 25:22.109
the ambassador to United Nations . You

25:22.119 --> 25:24.160
are an inspiration to all of us

25:33.229 --> 25:35.920
and DJ DG Burnett , you have been a

25:35.930 --> 25:38.500
mentor to me and you have been a light

25:38.510 --> 25:40.369
where there's darkness and we

25:40.380 --> 25:42.547
appreciate and love you for everything

25:42.547 --> 25:43.991
that you continue to do .

25:49.660 --> 25:51.882
This day is very meaningful to me since

25:51.882 --> 25:53.938
I am a foreign service officer and a

25:53.938 --> 25:56.810
member of a FS A . I want you all to

25:56.819 --> 25:58.930
think about why you chose the path of

25:58.930 --> 26:01.270
the foreign service . I call it this

26:01.280 --> 26:03.839
12th moment where something has a

26:03.849 --> 26:07.420
profound impact on yourself , a society

26:07.489 --> 26:10.780
or a community . For me that 12th

26:10.790 --> 26:13.369
moment took place as a child and it has

26:13.380 --> 26:17.359
to do with Brussels sprouts . So let me

26:17.369 --> 26:20.030
explain . So my mother taught me an

26:20.040 --> 26:22.096
invaluable lesson about world hunger

26:22.096 --> 26:24.300
and poverty at a young age . Like most

26:24.310 --> 26:26.569
kids , I didn't like Brussels sprouts

26:26.579 --> 26:28.859
sprouts . So when I went to throw them

26:28.869 --> 26:31.091
away , she basically told me you better

26:31.091 --> 26:33.359
eat those Brussels sprouts , which I

26:33.369 --> 26:36.949
reluctantly did . But and then I'm also

26:36.959 --> 26:38.903
dating myself . She then cut off a

26:38.903 --> 26:41.599
front page of a time our life magazine ,

26:41.750 --> 26:43.917
you know , the ones that had the large

26:43.917 --> 26:46.530
covers and she showed the famine that

26:46.540 --> 26:48.596
was taking place in Eastern Africa .

26:48.839 --> 26:50.395
And then she hung it on our

26:50.395 --> 26:52.283
refrigerator door and she told my

26:52.283 --> 26:54.061
brother and I to remember these

26:54.061 --> 26:56.006
Children , anytime you think about

26:56.006 --> 26:58.300
wasting food , it was a life lesson

26:58.310 --> 27:00.421
that inspired me to collect money for

27:00.421 --> 27:02.810
UNICEF in those orange boxes . When I

27:02.819 --> 27:04.930
went trick or treating at Halloween ,

27:05.540 --> 27:08.500
that time life magazine cover struck me

27:08.829 --> 27:11.109
throughout my life . It eventually

27:11.119 --> 27:13.719
inspired me to one day work overseas ,

27:13.729 --> 27:16.939
helping to alleviate poverty . 22 years

27:16.949 --> 27:18.838
later , I've had the privilege of

27:18.838 --> 27:21.339
serving USA Id in Ghana , Senegal ,

27:21.349 --> 27:24.439
Pakistan , Egypt , Libya , not in Libya ,

27:24.449 --> 27:26.699
but in Tunis working on Libya and the

27:26.709 --> 27:29.880
eastern and southern Caribbean . Since

27:29.890 --> 27:32.112
our founding , more than 60 years ago ,

27:32.112 --> 27:33.839
USA ID has worked with partner

27:33.849 --> 27:36.849
countries to tackle many of the most

27:36.859 --> 27:39.030
urgent development challenges of our

27:39.040 --> 27:42.849
time . Our 1910 foreign

27:42.859 --> 27:45.369
service officers are posted in nearly

27:45.380 --> 27:47.979
every country in the world . Remarkable

27:47.989 --> 27:50.211
people who leave home to tackle some of

27:50.211 --> 27:52.322
the world's most difficult challenges

27:52.410 --> 27:54.780
including hunger , poverty , infectious

27:54.790 --> 27:56.910
diseases , outbreaks , and political

27:56.920 --> 27:59.569
unrest . At times , they have to face

27:59.579 --> 28:02.239
not only discomfort but even danger to

28:02.250 --> 28:04.640
accomplish their jobs . Something that

28:04.650 --> 28:06.539
I can attest to from my firsthand

28:06.539 --> 28:08.706
experience and assignments in Pakistan

28:08.706 --> 28:12.119
and in Egypt , Secretary Lincoln , I

28:12.130 --> 28:14.352
especially appreciated the remarks that

28:14.359 --> 28:16.869
you gave two years ago on the

28:16.880 --> 28:19.047
modernization of American diplomacy at

28:19.047 --> 28:22.969
F SI when you spoke about and I quote ,

28:22.979 --> 28:25.890
serving our national interest in what

28:25.900 --> 28:28.067
is a rapidly changing and increasingly

28:28.067 --> 28:32.040
complex world . Last year at A ID , we

28:32.050 --> 28:34.217
launched an initiative to help further

28:34.217 --> 28:35.939
strengthen our foreign service

28:35.939 --> 28:38.050
workforce and support our FS OS to do

28:38.050 --> 28:40.161
the difficult work we are asked to do

28:40.161 --> 28:42.729
overseas . And here in Washington , we

28:42.739 --> 28:44.961
have already made strides in augmenting

28:44.961 --> 28:47.072
training , mentoring and professional

28:47.072 --> 28:49.017
development . We've also increased

28:49.017 --> 28:51.295
transparency in our assignment process .

28:51.295 --> 28:53.461
We are going to continue this critical

28:53.461 --> 28:55.350
work and we'll continue this work

28:55.350 --> 28:57.770
together . When we think of USA ID ,

28:57.780 --> 28:59.780
sometimes we often forget about our

28:59.780 --> 29:01.613
roots and that the international

29:01.613 --> 29:04.069
development assistance was as part of

29:04.079 --> 29:07.709
the 1947 marshall plan , not only to

29:07.719 --> 29:09.941
rebuild Europe from world war one , but

29:09.941 --> 29:12.108
to diminish the threat of communism by

29:12.108 --> 29:13.886
helping countries prosper under

29:13.886 --> 29:17.180
capitalism . In 1961 Kennedy created

29:17.189 --> 29:21.119
Usaid . And in the 19 sixties USA

29:21.130 --> 29:23.849
ID invested in the Green Revolution

29:24.140 --> 29:26.390
where new seed varieties were then

29:26.400 --> 29:28.511
released in various countries in Asia

29:28.511 --> 29:31.489
and Latin America . USA ID implemented

29:31.500 --> 29:33.222
much of the program with local

29:33.222 --> 29:36.410
ministries of agriculture . The Green

29:36.420 --> 29:38.476
Revolution was a stunning success as

29:38.476 --> 29:41.290
both a humanitarian program because it

29:41.300 --> 29:43.522
ended famine and non-communist Asia and

29:43.522 --> 29:45.133
dramatically reduced chronic

29:45.133 --> 29:47.550
malnutrition as well as a strategic one

29:47.560 --> 29:51.010
tied to us foreign policy by containing

29:51.020 --> 29:54.319
communist expansionism . Today , the

29:54.329 --> 29:55.996
return on investment from our

29:55.996 --> 29:58.680
development work is immense . USA ID

29:58.689 --> 30:01.109
currently provides nearly 30 billion in

30:01.119 --> 30:03.890
foreign assistance each year . Fs OS

30:03.900 --> 30:06.239
overseas its implementation , make key

30:06.250 --> 30:08.760
decisions and build partnerships to

30:08.770 --> 30:11.439
ensure effective investment of this

30:11.449 --> 30:14.800
support . For example , we're fighting

30:14.810 --> 30:16.977
hunger and strengthening food security

30:16.977 --> 30:18.699
by leaving the feed the future

30:18.699 --> 30:20.810
initiative to strengthen agricultural

30:20.810 --> 30:23.180
led growth , nutrition and resilience

30:23.189 --> 30:25.800
in more than 40 countries across Africa ,

30:25.810 --> 30:28.079
Asia and Latin America . And the

30:28.089 --> 30:31.339
Caribbean . Our foreign service

30:31.349 --> 30:33.790
officers practice development diplomacy

30:34.250 --> 30:36.417
through USA I DS convening power . Our

30:36.417 --> 30:39.420
global footprint are standing in key

30:39.430 --> 30:41.939
multinational multilateral institutions

30:42.250 --> 30:44.849
and our links to the private sector and

30:44.859 --> 30:47.026
our strategic communication channels .

30:47.026 --> 30:50.079
We drive collective action far beyond

30:50.089 --> 30:53.400
the scope of our programming . We also

30:53.410 --> 30:55.880
support locally led development and we

30:55.890 --> 30:58.530
are enacting a set of internal reforms

30:58.540 --> 31:00.651
to work more closely with communities

31:00.651 --> 31:03.489
to lead , strengthen local systems and

31:03.500 --> 31:07.329
respond to local needs . What a

31:07.339 --> 31:09.739
wonderful video that we just previously

31:09.750 --> 31:12.780
saw . The longer version includes USA D

31:12.790 --> 31:15.339
Foreign Service Officer Jesse Gutierrez ,

31:15.800 --> 31:18.130
currently serving at USA Mission

31:18.140 --> 31:21.209
Somalia , but based in Nairobi , his

31:21.219 --> 31:23.780
story in the Absa Journal from

31:23.790 --> 31:27.119
undocumented to us , career diplomat is

31:27.130 --> 31:30.969
so inspiring like Jesse , our S OS look

31:30.979 --> 31:33.229
more and more like America and they

31:33.239 --> 31:35.640
represent the full spectrum of who we

31:35.650 --> 31:39.290
are as a nation . USA ID is a leader in

31:39.300 --> 31:41.467
the federal government in its approach

31:41.467 --> 31:43.467
to diversity , equity inclusion and

31:43.467 --> 31:45.467
accessibility , but we can still do

31:45.467 --> 31:48.839
better now as we know as diplomats and

31:48.849 --> 31:51.469
as in foreign service , we travel all

31:51.479 --> 31:54.099
the time . I just returned from Atlanta

31:54.339 --> 31:56.450
where we were hosting President Rutto

31:56.450 --> 31:59.520
of Kenya . And at this event , I was

31:59.530 --> 32:01.697
actually able to meet a mentor of mine

32:01.697 --> 32:04.369
Julius Coles , he is a graduate of

32:04.380 --> 32:06.410
Morehouse College and he began his

32:06.420 --> 32:10.109
career with USA ID . In 1966 he

32:10.119 --> 32:12.349
spent 28 years in the foreign service .

32:12.689 --> 32:15.540
Early in his career in the seventies ,

32:15.550 --> 32:17.859
he worked in Liberia , a country with

32:17.869 --> 32:20.750
only 50 miles of paved roads . At that

32:20.760 --> 32:23.329
time , many farmers were struggling to

32:23.339 --> 32:25.561
get through dense forests to sell their

32:25.561 --> 32:27.770
produce . Cole's . And the USA D

32:27.780 --> 32:29.891
mission worked with local communities

32:29.891 --> 32:31.780
to build farmer to market roads ,

32:31.780 --> 32:34.000
connecting farmers with towns and

32:34.010 --> 32:35.849
opening new opportunities for

32:35.859 --> 32:39.619
agricultural commerce . Fs Os embody

32:39.630 --> 32:41.859
the principles we promote equity and

32:41.869 --> 32:44.130
inclusion and we should never forget

32:44.140 --> 32:46.609
that we work alongside our foreign

32:46.619 --> 32:48.508
service nationals . Locally hired

32:48.508 --> 32:50.790
professionals who bring special

32:50.800 --> 32:53.170
expertise , language , skills and

32:53.180 --> 32:55.458
understanding of the country's context .

32:55.650 --> 32:57.709
We can't do our work without them or

32:57.719 --> 32:59.552
the civil service as well as our

32:59.552 --> 33:01.829
contractors , frankly , our entire

33:01.839 --> 33:05.219
workforce , our administrator Samantha

33:05.229 --> 33:07.562
Power , I had to put something in there .

33:07.562 --> 33:10.130
Recently stated that Fs Os form close

33:10.140 --> 33:12.040
connections with communities ,

33:12.060 --> 33:14.270
supporting their efforts to identify

33:14.280 --> 33:16.709
and dismantle the barriers standing in

33:16.719 --> 33:19.750
the way of progress . The true impact

33:19.760 --> 33:22.760
USA ID Fs Os have had across decades of

33:22.770 --> 33:26.280
service is impossible to quantify , but

33:26.290 --> 33:28.346
their stories give us a sense of the

33:28.346 --> 33:31.560
mark they've left around the world . So

33:31.699 --> 33:34.699
Afsa Happy 1/100 birthday . Thank you

33:34.709 --> 33:36.765
for representing the foreign service

33:36.765 --> 33:38.709
heroes that came before us and the

33:38.709 --> 33:42.030
scores of Fs Os who will come after as

33:42.040 --> 33:43.929
we continue to serve the American

33:43.929 --> 33:46.479
people abroad . And in closing , I'd

33:46.489 --> 33:48.378
like to thank all of you for this

33:48.378 --> 33:50.520
extraordinary work you do to advance

33:50.530 --> 33:52.560
our foreign policy and development

33:52.569 --> 33:55.560
goals , all of you for the marks that

33:55.569 --> 33:58.410
you have left the 12th moment that

33:58.420 --> 34:00.587
helps you save another person's life ,

34:00.989 --> 34:04.380
our new hope to an entire community and

34:04.390 --> 34:06.930
ultimately the world . Thank you .

34:20.610 --> 34:22.777
Thank you Clinton and thanks thank you

34:22.777 --> 34:24.979
to the USA ID teams on the front lines

34:24.989 --> 34:26.800
of the many humanitarian crises

34:26.810 --> 34:29.199
afflicting the world today . And now

34:29.209 --> 34:31.320
for our last speaker of the evening ,

34:31.320 --> 34:33.431
he is now the director of the Central

34:33.431 --> 34:35.376
Intelligence Agency . But for many

34:35.376 --> 34:37.487
years , he was one of us , one of our

34:37.487 --> 34:39.598
most skilled diplomats and beloved by

34:39.598 --> 34:41.487
many director , William J Burns .

34:57.188 --> 34:59.688
Good evening , everyone . I truly am

34:59.698 --> 35:02.158
honored to join all of you for this

35:02.168 --> 35:04.799
celebration of the first century of the

35:04.809 --> 35:07.039
modern foreign service and of the

35:07.049 --> 35:09.319
American Foreign Service Association .

35:09.888 --> 35:11.777
When I mentioned this event to my

35:11.777 --> 35:14.559
daughters last weekend , I told them

35:14.569 --> 35:16.979
that I think it's really cool that I've

35:16.989 --> 35:19.211
been a card carrying member of AFSA for

35:19.211 --> 35:21.118
almost half its existence .

35:23.010 --> 35:25.010
They made clear that they think I'm

35:25.010 --> 35:28.360
just really old . So thanks for

35:28.370 --> 35:30.699
inviting this old guy to this wonderful

35:30.709 --> 35:33.550
celebration and thanks for saving me

35:33.560 --> 35:36.929
15% on my car insurance all these years .

35:38.389 --> 35:40.199
And God knows how much of my

35:40.209 --> 35:43.669
professional liability insurance , as

35:43.679 --> 35:45.790
you can imagine . I need it more than

35:45.790 --> 35:49.320
ever in my current role . One of the

35:49.330 --> 35:51.419
great privileges of that role is the

35:51.429 --> 35:53.707
chance to serve with Secretary Blinken .

35:54.030 --> 35:56.080
Like all of you , I find enormous

35:56.090 --> 35:58.312
comfort in knowing that Tony Blanken is

35:58.312 --> 36:00.620
leading American diplomacy . At this

36:00.629 --> 36:03.500
crucial moment , Tony's skill , decency

36:03.570 --> 36:06.250
and integrity are incredible assets .

36:06.590 --> 36:08.919
His optimism about the power and

36:08.929 --> 36:11.719
purpose of American diplomacy is what

36:11.729 --> 36:14.110
Secretary Powell used to call a

36:14.120 --> 36:17.570
perpetual force multiplier . Tony cares

36:17.580 --> 36:19.729
deeply about America's diplomats and

36:19.739 --> 36:22.179
the future of this magnificent

36:22.189 --> 36:24.629
institution . So Tony , thank you for

36:24.639 --> 36:26.806
your remarkable leadership . Thank you

36:26.806 --> 36:28.917
for all that you do for the women and

36:28.917 --> 36:30.861
men of the Foreign Service and the

36:30.861 --> 36:33.083
Department of State . And thank you for

36:33.083 --> 36:34.861
our partnership over many years

36:34.861 --> 36:36.695
together in government and for a

36:36.695 --> 36:38.972
friendship that I will always treasure .

36:38.972 --> 36:38.929
Thank you .

36:47.959 --> 36:51.350
It was my extraordinary good fortune uh

36:51.360 --> 36:54.040
to serve for nearly 3.5 decades . As a

36:54.050 --> 36:56.520
career diplomat , the foreign service

36:56.530 --> 36:59.360
shaped my life professionally and

36:59.370 --> 37:01.760
personally , it began right here in

37:01.770 --> 37:05.110
this room 42 years ago when I was sworn

37:05.120 --> 37:08.250
in as a new fso . That was the same

37:08.260 --> 37:11.330
week I met my wife Lisa Cary . Thanks

37:11.340 --> 37:14.979
to the magic of alphabetical seeing in

37:15.000 --> 37:18.449
our a 100 class . Our two daughters

37:18.459 --> 37:21.000
grew up in the foreign service . They

37:21.010 --> 37:22.954
were little girls when I was first

37:22.954 --> 37:24.909
sworn in on this stage for an

37:24.919 --> 37:27.550
ambassadorial job and amazing young

37:27.560 --> 37:30.040
women . By the time I retired back

37:30.050 --> 37:32.719
again in this room as Deputy Secretary ,

37:33.350 --> 37:36.159
I cannot imagine a luckier ride in

37:36.169 --> 37:38.336
American diplomacy than the one that I

37:38.336 --> 37:41.260
had , I saw the end of the Cold War and

37:41.270 --> 37:43.492
the depressing road that Vladimir Putin

37:43.492 --> 37:45.969
shaped for Russia . I saw endless

37:45.979 --> 37:48.250
challenges in the Middle East with

37:48.260 --> 37:50.580
occasional glimmers of hope and more

37:50.590 --> 37:53.129
frequent dead ends . And by the end of

37:53.139 --> 37:55.679
my time , as a diplomat , I saw the re

37:55.689 --> 37:57.770
emergence of fierce major power

37:57.780 --> 38:00.139
competition and a revolution and

38:00.149 --> 38:02.879
technology that is changing how we live ,

38:02.889 --> 38:06.300
work , fight and compete . I shared

38:06.310 --> 38:08.421
that ride with an incredible group of

38:08.421 --> 38:10.669
professionals , many of whom are in

38:10.679 --> 38:13.250
this room tonight . Their commitment to

38:13.260 --> 38:15.899
doing hard jobs and hard places always

38:15.909 --> 38:18.800
inspired me . I continued to learn from

38:18.810 --> 38:21.629
them and draw from their examples right

38:21.639 --> 38:23.639
up until my last day in the foreign

38:23.639 --> 38:26.199
service . Not a day goes by when I

38:26.209 --> 38:29.219
don't think with pride about my time as

38:29.229 --> 38:31.649
a career diplomat and not a day goes by

38:31.659 --> 38:33.540
when I'm not reminded of the

38:33.550 --> 38:36.530
significance of American diplomacy on

38:36.540 --> 38:38.300
the most crowded competitive ,

38:38.310 --> 38:40.179
complicated and combustible

38:40.189 --> 38:42.790
international landscape I've seen in my

38:42.800 --> 38:45.989
lifetime . It has also been my

38:46.000 --> 38:48.167
extraordinary good fortune to serve as

38:48.167 --> 38:50.222
director of the Central Intelligence

38:50.222 --> 38:53.370
Agency for nearly 3.5 years . I share

38:53.379 --> 38:56.010
that ride with an equally exceptional

38:56.020 --> 38:58.131
group of professionals and patriots ,

38:58.131 --> 39:00.989
the men and women of CIA . In a new and

39:01.000 --> 39:03.820
uncertain era for American statecraft .

39:03.830 --> 39:05.629
We do all we can to supply the

39:05.639 --> 39:08.350
intelligence and conduct the operations

39:08.360 --> 39:10.830
that help American diplomats navigate

39:11.050 --> 39:13.800
the challenges before us that is what

39:13.810 --> 39:16.219
we have done in Ukraine , providing

39:16.229 --> 39:18.340
early and accurate warning of Putin's

39:18.340 --> 39:20.118
brutal invasion , helping brave

39:20.118 --> 39:22.770
Ukrainians to defend themselves .

39:22.780 --> 39:25.002
Supporting the efforts of the president

39:25.002 --> 39:27.002
and Secretary Blinken to mobilize a

39:27.002 --> 39:30.239
strong coalition and declassifying some

39:30.250 --> 39:33.050
of our secrets to deny Putin the false

39:33.060 --> 39:35.179
narratives on which he has so often

39:35.189 --> 39:37.820
thrived . Like the State Department .

39:37.830 --> 39:40.469
We're working hard at CIA to expand and

39:40.479 --> 39:42.770
deepen the network of partners and

39:42.780 --> 39:45.139
allies around the world that remains

39:45.340 --> 39:47.590
one of America's greatest assets .

39:47.800 --> 39:50.409
We're working hard at CIA to adapt and

39:50.419 --> 39:53.145
get ahead of emerging technology to

39:53.155 --> 39:55.784
prepare rapidly for an age of strategic

39:55.794 --> 39:58.655
competition with a rising China and a

39:58.985 --> 40:00.905
revanchist Russia to help promote

40:00.915 --> 40:03.344
American interest in unforgiving parts

40:03.354 --> 40:05.475
of the world like the Middle East and

40:05.485 --> 40:07.596
in the face of terrorist threats that

40:07.596 --> 40:09.925
will not disappear . And to make sure

40:09.935 --> 40:12.046
we're sharply focused on new national

40:12.046 --> 40:14.385
security frontiers from global

40:14.395 --> 40:17.125
pandemics to climate change , from

40:17.135 --> 40:20.699
cyberspace to space itself . And we're

40:20.709 --> 40:23.060
working hard to take care of our people

40:23.070 --> 40:25.292
and shape a workforce that embodies the

40:25.292 --> 40:27.939
richness and diversity of the country .

40:27.949 --> 40:31.590
We are sworn to protect my pride in the

40:31.600 --> 40:33.810
people with whom I serve at CIA is

40:33.820 --> 40:36.489
boundless . The sacrifices they make

40:36.500 --> 40:38.969
and the risks they take are rarely well

40:38.979 --> 40:41.312
understood , let alone well appreciated .

40:41.409 --> 40:43.687
They operate most often in the shadows ,

40:43.687 --> 40:45.742
out of sight and out of mind , their

40:45.742 --> 40:47.576
quiet bravery and ingenuity , an

40:47.580 --> 40:50.090
essential complement to the work of the

40:50.100 --> 40:53.070
diplomats with whom they serve . There

40:53.080 --> 40:55.080
is of course much that is different

40:55.080 --> 40:57.191
about life and work on either side of

40:57.191 --> 40:58.969
the river between our two great

40:58.969 --> 41:00.979
institutions . But most important

41:00.989 --> 41:03.979
things are the same courage , community

41:03.989 --> 41:06.540
and commitment to service . We share a

41:06.550 --> 41:08.840
conviction that it's only by staying in

41:08.850 --> 41:11.520
the arena that we can advance American

41:11.530 --> 41:14.260
interests and values , whether the tool

41:14.270 --> 41:17.409
is diplomacy or intelligence . Many

41:17.419 --> 41:19.641
years ago , when I was trying to figure

41:19.641 --> 41:21.641
out what to do with my professional

41:21.641 --> 41:24.139
life . My father , an exemplary career

41:24.149 --> 41:26.929
army officer sent me a letter . I

41:26.939 --> 41:29.429
remember one line vividly all these

41:29.439 --> 41:31.979
years later , nothing can make you

41:31.989 --> 41:34.239
prouder . He wrote than to serve your

41:34.250 --> 41:36.620
country with honor . I've spent the

41:36.629 --> 41:38.851
last four decades learning the truth in

41:38.851 --> 41:41.280
that wise advice first , as a foreign

41:41.290 --> 41:44.110
service , foreign service officer and

41:44.120 --> 41:47.320
now at CIA . So on behalf of all of my

41:47.330 --> 41:49.989
colleagues at CIA and from this very

41:50.000 --> 41:52.969
proud old guy , congratulations on the

41:52.979 --> 41:54.830
1/100 anniversary of the Foreign

41:54.840 --> 41:56.889
Service and of Afsa . And

41:56.899 --> 41:59.149
congratulations on the deep commitment

41:59.159 --> 42:02.129
to public service that we share . I

42:02.139 --> 42:04.306
cannot think of a more important thing

42:04.306 --> 42:06.629
to celebrate this evening and I cannot

42:06.639 --> 42:08.750
thank you enough for inviting me back

42:08.750 --> 42:09.806
home . Thank you .

42:28.659 --> 42:30.826
Thank you very much , Director Burns .

42:31.620 --> 42:33.620
And now it is my pleasure to invite

42:33.620 --> 42:35.953
Director General of the Foreign Service ,

42:35.953 --> 42:38.120
Marsha Benik to lead us in a toast . I

42:38.129 --> 42:40.129
do want to mention that the wine we

42:40.129 --> 42:42.149
will be toasting with is from Muse

42:42.489 --> 42:44.489
Vineyards of Woodstock , Virginia ,

42:44.489 --> 42:46.433
owned by a foreign service officer

42:46.433 --> 42:48.656
ambassador Sally Cole Cowell . Cowell .

42:48.979 --> 42:52.399
Are you there ? You are . Thank you . I

42:52.409 --> 42:53.409
did it .

42:59.469 --> 43:01.636
Thank you very much and husband Robert

43:01.636 --> 43:04.270
Muse . Um madam Director General .

43:08.030 --> 43:09.780
Right ? Yeah .

43:12.590 --> 43:13.590
Uh

43:18.409 --> 43:22.020
good evening , everyone and happy

43:22.030 --> 43:22.739
birthday ,

43:25.929 --> 43:28.879
Afsa colleagues and honored guests . I

43:28.889 --> 43:31.000
would like to propose a toast on this

43:31.000 --> 43:33.909
very historic occasion . The 1/100

43:33.919 --> 43:36.800
anniversary of modern American

43:36.850 --> 43:40.570
diplomacy . Thank you so much for

43:40.580 --> 43:43.540
allowing me to be a part of such a

43:43.550 --> 43:47.310
special evening as we celebrate this

43:47.320 --> 43:49.669
foreign service centennial . I'd like

43:49.679 --> 43:53.270
to raise a glass to Tom Yaz Gurdy and

43:53.280 --> 43:55.770
our AFSA colleagues who are

43:55.780 --> 43:59.000
extraordinary partners working with us

43:59.070 --> 44:01.429
to make the foreign service better and

44:01.439 --> 44:04.040
stronger and to the members of the

44:04.050 --> 44:06.879
State Department family . And yes , we

44:06.889 --> 44:09.969
are a family who are working to change

44:09.979 --> 44:13.169
things for the better for the world .

44:14.889 --> 44:17.489
I congratulate all of my colleagues ,

44:17.939 --> 44:20.750
past , present and future

44:21.889 --> 44:23.945
for the good work that you have done

44:24.649 --> 44:28.280
and continue to do every day . And

44:28.290 --> 44:31.719
finally , I , I salute to all of you

44:31.729 --> 44:33.729
who have joined us this evening .

44:34.290 --> 44:37.409
Please join me in a toast to the next

44:37.419 --> 44:41.030
100 years . May we be

44:41.040 --> 44:44.879
agile modernized and

44:44.889 --> 44:48.550
ever successful ? Cheers and best

44:48.560 --> 44:51.020
wishes to you all ? OK .

44:59.409 --> 45:00.409
No ,

45:04.120 --> 45:05.120
no .

45:12.320 --> 45:15.570
Thank you for your time . That

45:21.330 --> 45:22.774
what do you want to say ?

45:25.310 --> 45:27.979
Yeah . Yeah .

45:31.610 --> 45:32.100
If you want to