Who We Are
U.S. Department of State employees, with their skills, character and commitment to public service, are the backbone of America’s diplomacy. They represent the American people, advocate U.S. interests to the rest of the world and are America’s first line of defense in a complex and often dangerous world.
Foreign Service employees respond to the needs of U.S. citizens in other countries, and they can be sent to any embassy, consulate, or other diplomatic mission anywhere in the world, at any time, to serve the diplomatic needs of the United States. These assignments can be to hardship posts, and some do not allow family members to accompany the employee.
While the Department’s Foreign Service employees travel far and frequently, generally rotating assignments every two to three years, Civil Service employees remain stateside. Primarily serving in Washington, D.C., Civil Service professionals are involved in every area of the Department – from human rights to narcotics control to trade to environmental issues. Some are the domestic counterparts to consular officers abroad, issuing passports and assisting U.S. citizens overseas.
Foreign Service National employees (often referred to as Locally Employed Staff, LE Staff) are citizens of the countries in which the Department maintains diplomatic posts and consulates. They are valued members of our mission teams, providing continuity for the transient American staff and possessing local language and cultural expertise.
STATE Magazine
| The Bureau of Human Resources (HR/SMG) publishes STATE Magazine monthly. The magazine features developments affecting operations and personnel worldwide and serves to facilitate communication between management and employees. |
Culture of Leadership
| The U.S. Department of State relies on all employees, regardless of rank and title, to represent its mission and to embrace a set of principles that encourages the highest degree of morale and productivity and sets an expectation of leading by example. |
Employee Videos
| U.S. Department of State employees, with their skills, character and commitment to public service, are the backbone of America’s diplomacy. They represent the American people, advocate U.S. interests to the rest of the world and are America’s first line of defense in a complex and often dangerous world. |
Community Involvement
| Our employees maintain an attitude of public service both at work and at home; the U.S. Department of State’s core values are based on the intent to strengthen both international and domestic communities. We offer Department-sponsored programs, resources and assistance to employees who want to find volunteer service or pro bono opportunities within the Department or their own communities. |
History, Authorities and the Interagency Process
| This resource provides an overview of the development of the Department of State, the current sources of Chief of Mission authorities and responsibilities overseas, and the evolving role of the Department of State in the contemporary interagency process. The resource also outlines some of the new interagency structures that have evolved over the last 10 years in response to foreign policy priorities. |