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Hungry Hippo posted:Yeah that'd be great, pm sent. As a second tour IMS if you have any questions feel free to let me know.
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Apr 21, 2016 19:14
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I'm just hoping to avoid having to take malaria medication for my whole first tour, but I guess four of us will be
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Apr 21, 2016 19:42
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HJE-Cobra posted:I'm just hoping to avoid having to take malaria medication for my whole first tour, but I guess four of us will be Welcome to the club 
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Apr 21, 2016 20:13
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Honestly, the malaria pills the peace corps gave me hurt my body way worse than malaria did. Hopefully State isn't cheap and actually pays for the good, few side effects one (malarone?). The cheap one I got forced to take had black box warnings, the kind you find on tobacco boxes.
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Apr 21, 2016 20:24
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HJE-Cobra posted:I'm just hoping to avoid having to take malaria medication for my whole first tour, but I guess four of us will be I've been on Malaria meds for like 3 years. My wife, son, and I are all starting it up again this weekend in preparation for our next Post. It's really not a big deal unless you're a crazy anti-vaccer or something. Slaan posted:Honestly, the malaria pills the peace corps gave me hurt my body way worse than malaria did. Hopefully State isn't cheap and actually pays for the good, few side effects one (malarone?). The cheap one I got forced to take had black box warnings, the kind you find on tobacco boxes. You get to choose whatever one you want. We always use mefloquine, but the whole suite is available.
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Apr 21, 2016 21:58
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Yeah, Mefloquine is the one they gave us. I have, admittedly minor, permanent balance problems now. But its good to know you can choose whatever you want.
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Apr 21, 2016 22:11
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Well, either way, successfully done the first week! Gotta prepare my location bid list with my wife this weekend. I'm glad that this is also my last week of my online classes for my master's degree. Once I pass and get a degree, I can get more money! And won't have to worry about class homework anymore!! I've been doing my final exam during the same week as my first week at this job, agh.
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Apr 23, 2016 13:03
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Most people went with Mefloquine because once a week is easier than every day (malarone), but I didn't want to deal with the dreams. I didn't notice any side effects with malarone and it was very inexpensive through the FSBP.
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Apr 24, 2016 09:46
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The wait for the list might kill me, but I'm feeling good about this week. Ready to put that equity to work (language, timing, and voodoo magic pending).
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Apr 24, 2016 15:32
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QuackAttackAggie posted:The wait for the list might kill me, but I'm feeling good about this week. Ready to put that equity to work (language, timing, and voodoo magic pending). Yeah where's that list??
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Apr 24, 2016 18:39
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Interviewing a large, 60-something applicant. "Can I see your passport please?" :pulls passport out from cleavage: The passport was warm and damp. Foreign Service: Where Dreams Come True!
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Apr 27, 2016 18:51
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When the lines are really short in hot climes you get a lot of sweaty passports. Better if they have to stand in line in the air conditioning for 20 minutes or so!
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Apr 27, 2016 20:31
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Bloodnose posted:When the lines are really short in hot climes you get a lot of sweaty passports. Better if they have to stand in line in the air conditioning for 20 minutes or so! I get sweaty passports all the time, it's just the first time that I got a boob sweaty passport.
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Apr 27, 2016 21:23
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qwertyman posted:I get sweaty passports all the time, it's just the first time that I got a boob sweaty passport. ....that you know of. 
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Apr 27, 2016 21:51
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Tyro posted:....that you know of. True story; when I first wrote that post, I had "(that I know of)" in there but deleted it before posting.
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Apr 27, 2016 22:52
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qwertyman posted:Interviewing a large, 60-something applicant. Did she get the visa?
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Apr 27, 2016 23:27
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qwertyman posted:Interviewing a large, 60-something applicant. A friend of mine asked an elderly woman at his first post to put her right fingers on the ten-print scanner. She nodded enthusiastically and popped our her left boob and pressed it against the glass window. Also I denied a visa to a guy who had been expelled from his university in the US for serial public masturbation, and I had security throw him out of the Embassy because his hand kept wandering towards is crotch during the interview. It could always be worse.
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Apr 28, 2016 02:42
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the_chavi posted:A friend of mine asked an elderly woman at his first post to put her right fingers on the ten-print scanner. She nodded enthusiastically and popped our her left boob and pressed it against the glass window. Also I denied a visa to a guy who had been expelled from his university in the US for serial public masturbation, and I had security throw him out of the Embassy because his hand kept wandering towards is crotch during the interview. I told a young, very nervous man that I liked his watch. He took it off and started to slide it into the window slot.
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Apr 29, 2016 03:10
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Flag day is this Tuesday! I'm hopeful! We'll see how it goes, I guess.
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Apr 30, 2016 23:17
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HJE-Cobra posted:Flag day is this Tuesday! I'm hopeful! We'll see how it goes, I guess. Godspeed goon. It's a roller-coaster!
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May 1, 2016 12:56
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So I received an unsolicited friend request from one of our ambassadors. It's a legit request from a real person. He is friends with one of my State CS contacts. What should I do?
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May 2, 2016 17:23
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Be his friend?
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May 2, 2016 20:25
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We had Flag Day! It was pretty stressful, they didn't call my name until pretty late. I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say or not say on internet forums exactly, but anyway, it's certainly safe to say that both of us new goons successfully got our #1 choices on our lists. Huzzah!
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May 4, 2016 00:55
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Hell that's awesome. Congrats!
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May 4, 2016 01:58
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SCRwM posted:As a second tour IMS if you have any questions feel free to let me know. I'm looking to bid on my 3rd tour this summer and looking at a job in Fiji, and would appreciate any thoughts you have on how its been there, especially after the storm. I tried to shoot you a PM but couldn't reach you. I am happy to take this off thread if you like.
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May 4, 2016 06:50
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Natural Ice posted:I'm looking to bid on my 3rd tour this summer and looking at a job in Fiji, and would appreciate any thoughts you have on how its been there, especially after the storm. I tried to shoot you a PM but couldn't reach you. I am happy to take this off thread if you like. Email me at work with any questions you have and I'll be happy to answer.
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May 4, 2016 07:56
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i heard of an office (in dc) currently testing a VR headset. You see, it keeps the screen private! 
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May 10, 2016 13:01
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Skandiaavity posted:i heard of an office (in dc) currently testing a VR headset. You see, it keeps the screen private! We saw one at FSI yesterday. They have a few 3d printers too.
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May 10, 2016 22:04
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It'll be great to use a VR headset to look at consular systems from 1990
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May 11, 2016 09:09
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I just got official notification that I've cleared MED and got my worldwide clearance. Yay. And now the waiting begins. Gotta get my current security clearance updated. By the way, how likely do you think it is for a first-tour officer to be assigned to the following places: 1. East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) 2. Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, etc.) 3. Eastern Europe/Russia (Baltic states, former Soviet-bloc countries) 4. Sub-Saharan Africa 5. Central Asia (Stan-land, not including Pakistan/Afghanistan) ? It's not like I'm aching to get to Frankfurt, London, Vancouver, Oslo, or Sydney.
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May 12, 2016 02:16
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Based on the last generalist's class bid list, you could end up at any of those places, with the exception of the locations that are unaccompanied tours (don't think those are available to entry level officers).
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May 12, 2016 03:09
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Yeah, the last generalist class had like 60 places on their list, all over the map. I'm sure that many of those places would show up on the list of possible places. Of course, the odds of actually GETTING a chosen place are more difficult to guess. That'd depend on a lot of things, like how the rest of the class bids, number of openings, whatever. But, don't expect that security clearance to be fast. For me, it took a little over a year from getting medical clearance to getting my security clearance all finished up and getting invited to an orientation class.
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May 12, 2016 03:39
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zzonkmiles posted:I just got official notification that I've cleared MED and got my worldwide clearance. Yay. Yes (to all of the above. Look at a map. All of that is potential assignment for you. Including the continental US. Realistically/statistically the only places where you likely Afghanistan, Antarctica, Andorra, Antigua, Bhutan, Comoros, Cook Islands, Cuba*, Dominica (not the republic, you can totes get/should sent to D.R.), DPRK, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Libya, Maldives, Monaco, Nauru, Niue, Pakistan, Samoa, St Kitts, St Lucia, San Marino, Sao Tome, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Yemen. ) * - Cuba is the exception, it's new. Right now they got folks, but 1 year from now they may need some  edit: people have got sent to Libya/Yemen/so on for their first tour, and for a good portion of those countries they are managed by embassy in another country... you may not be assigned there but can be tasked with it in a portfolio, basically. I am just throwing that out there. The usual It Depends applies. Skandiaavity fucked around with this message at 07:25 on May 12, 2016 |
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May 12, 2016 07:20
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Skandiaavity posted:Yes I think someone from the new generalist class got Havana as their post, so looks like that changed recently.
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May 13, 2016 02:39
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So... how long after not hearing back from my travel tech should I start to...push buttons. It's been 2.5 weeks and no updates on an amendment I need to make and no response to multiple emails, I'm PCSing in like a month.
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May 13, 2016 14:13
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Skandiaavity posted:
A good chunk of those are covered by my current Post......
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May 13, 2016 20:41
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problematique posted:So... how long after not hearing back from my travel tech should I start to...push buttons. It's been 2.5 weeks and no updates on an amendment I need to make and no response to multiple emails, I'm PCSing in like a month. Start pushing buttons immediately. They're terrible. On the other hand, the claims people in Charleston are attentive and good. They got my orders for me when I needed them for an OpenNetless claim that my travel tech failed to help me with.
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May 13, 2016 22:39
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Bloodnose posted:Start pushing buttons immediately. They're terrible. Agreed. Travel techs have been zero help to me since starting. In my experience, it helps to CC as many people as possible on an email with them because it increases accountability and the likelihood that somebody will decide to do something.
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May 15, 2016 03:53
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Bidding question. I need some clarity on bidding out of cone as a consular officer. Instructions say this We will make an in-cone assignment when possible. Because we prioritize giving people in-cone experience, we are unlikely to assign ELOs to “third cone” positions, e.g., a Management-coned officer to a PD job. Please see the chart below as a reference as to what we may consider. The table shows if you served in a consular job, you may be considered for a consular job or a rotation. So here's my question. Bidding on an Econ job for me would be "second cone" not "third cone." But the table makes it seem like I can only bid on consular jobs or consular rotations. The word "may" feels more flexibilble than a strict no out of cone rule. Think I can bid on 8-10 PD/ECON/POL jobs that really interest me and big the other 20 on consular jobs?
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May 15, 2016 16:50
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QuackAttackAggie posted:Bidding question. I need some clarity on bidding out of cone as a consular officer. I can't answer your question, obviously, but would you recommend your current post to a first-tour ELO? I've actually considered Nigeria (I know that's not where you're at) since I figure that's as close to a guarantee as you can get, thus freeing me up (hopefully) for someone I'd really enjoy being on my second tour.
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May 15, 2016 17:42
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