In the Nick of Time

Rumor has it that the May A-100 class has been cancelled.

A-100 is the casual name for the training course Dave begins on March 28th. After the March class, the next class scheduled was in May. However, apparently the lack of a 2011 budget means there is no money for hiring new diplomats in May.

The personal implications of this rumor are dramatic relief. Dave was likely one of the very last people invited to the March class, and he received the call in a last minute batch of invitations. Had he missed that call, we would not be on our way to D.C. anytime soon.

The implications for the Foreign Service as a whole are pretty bad. Staffing at each post relies upon new hires coming in at each class. Our bid list will detail enough positions for everyone in the class. Those positions will otherwise sit empty. I doubt there is a time when diplomats do not fill a very necessary function within a country's government. But in the current international climate, the State Department certainly seems like a place which ought to receive full funding.