US Foreign Service & FSOT Megathread: Where Dreams Come True & Even Lawyers Get Jobs

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > US Foreign Service & FSOT Megathread: Where Dreams Come True & Even Lawyers Get Jobs

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SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Hi!

I just wanted to introduce myself. I've been lurking for some time. I'm getting ready to apply for the current IMS opening that closes this week. This will be my second time applying (technically third, but my last time got rejected since I hadn't waited a year). Anyway, I've been busting my hump working on my essays, proofreading, rereading etc and hopefully I've got all my bases covered.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 17:50

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 10:44

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

I applied for the IMS opening that closed back in Sept. Wednesday I got an email congratulating me on passing the QEP and I should keep my eyes open for the information on when I will be scheduled to travel to DC for the OA's. This is my third time applying and honestly I was expecting to get the "We're sorry but" email - plus I was really surprised I got it the day before Thanksgiving.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2012 16:10

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

problematique posted:

Same here. I've applied for FSO Management twice, passed exam but have not been invited to Orals. This is my second IMS application as well and the last one didn't pass the PN section. I'm pretty excited to get to Orals! Any ideas on when they might be occurring - does January sound likely? Have there been any big changes or trends in the hiring process over the last 3-4 years - my last application was IMS-2010-0001.

I briefly looked through the thread and it's incredible how it's evolved. I used to be a prolific SA member from since like 2004 [had another handle] but stopped using it when Digg/Reddit evolved. I was able to get some advice about the process from current a IMS when I'd first applied, I don't want to drop name but he was a DC based info. assurance focused IMS, acting CISO of a division (though I think he may have gone to civil service here). I also just looked over the posts about Vile Rat and had no idea that he was the IMS from September. Though I didn't know him personally, it truly a terrible loss for the community at large. drat.

My guess is it will be after the first of the year. Holidays are upon us and people will be taking time off, etc. I think DoS is just starting to send out notifications.

# ¿ Nov 24, 2012 02:43

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Tyro posted:

Congrats to both of you! No idea on the scheduling, unfortunately, but I'd be very surprised if it was before January.

Thanks Tyro. I agree I think it will be Jan/Feb for when they schedule the OA's.

# ¿ Nov 25, 2012 15:25

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

General question for the FS Goons while I'm waiting on the invite to the IMS orals. I'll preface this by saying if this falls under the "Fight Club Rules" category then no need to respond.

Do you utilize a VPN service at your "home" while overseas? Obviously some countries restrict sites, etc (ex: Google, Facebook) as well as maybe you want to watch content from the US while overseas (ESPN3.com, various broadcasters (NBC, CBS), Hulu etc) so connecting to an endpoint in the US would be required.

Oh, and Merry Christmas to everyone!

# ¿ Dec 24, 2012 14:43

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Thanks. I was talking about personal connections/personal computer/personal router/personal wireless access point. And in no way was I referring to/encouraging the use of a VPN connection for any illegal/illicit activities. I was thinking more of (examples):

- watch my fav. college football team on ESPN3.com
- wife watching her favorite tv show on CBS.com
- "possibly" keeping a Google voice number

Again in no way would I support/encourage illegal download of software/movies/music or circumventing local law.

# ¿ Dec 24, 2012 15:38

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

I believe I read AFN is not available at all posts (I could be wrong) and when I've looked at their schedule before, it is limited as to what they broadcast.

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 15:52 on Dec 24, 2012

# ¿ Dec 24, 2012 15:49

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

I was thinking of starting up a (state-only) VPN unit with a box / point of origin in oregon, so we could all effectively have home-bound VPN. would have to double check the protocols too. but the main issue i'm going to have to look at is bandwidth.

Anyway: Interest check? (Legality/FAH/FAM check?)

Probably your best bet will be to lease a server from a provier and use that as your vpn server (probably using OpenVPN or something of the like).

You "could" look at setting something up in someones house but the rub is going to be will their provider allow it. Running a server in your house on a residential connection could get you/your friend shut down so "if" you are going to go that route I would seriously look at a business class connection. If you wanted a simple solution (this won't be "true" VPN) is you could roll an SSH server at your friends house in the States and then just use HTTP over SSH to "possibly" get around filters. There are tutorials on this on the interwebz.

Truth be told it probably would be easier to go with a VPN provider and pay X per month/per year and let them worry about all the infrastructure. /endgeekrant

*edit* read you are talking about hosting in a datacenter so you can scratch pretty much everything I said.

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 21:08 on Dec 29, 2012

# ¿ Dec 29, 2012 21:00

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

psydude posted:

The biggest issue with residential fiber is that its upload speed is usually substantially slower than its download speed. In VPN implementations, the upload speed from the server is more important than the download speed. They might be running 100/100, but it's pretty rare. But if it's available in the area, then hey, problem solved!

The other issue is that ISPs run dynamic DHCP for residential customers, although this is remedied by paying a bit more for a static IP.

I've got res. fiber and it's 5/5. I could get higher speeds but #Iamcheap

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Dec 29, 2012

# ¿ Dec 29, 2012 21:03

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Homie S posted:

AF/Djibouti. I'm trying to research how decent the connectivity is there (for the moment I assume not very decent at all), but for now just trying to think about how I'd make it work on the CONUS side. Quick google searches doesn't really help me with much. This is extremely preliminary as I don't head to post for like another year

EDIT: I'm also most likely going to ditch this desktop in favor of a laptop + display sorta setup when I head out as well, as that probably makes more sense. It's hard to not start buying up all this stuff now though since I worked crazy amounts of overtime this year.

Out of curiosity, what do most of the FS Goons roll with? Laptop or desktop? Apple or Windows?

# ¿ Jan 1, 2013 21:20

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

1of7 posted:

I have a PC laptop. We were going to buy a MacBook Pro until we found out we were coming to China & decided to wait until after we leave here.

The only caveat I have about getting a Mac is that while they are popular overall, they are proportionally much less so amongst IMS. I wouldn't plan on asking your local IMS for help with it.

To me a laptop makes more sense since you can pack it in your luggage (unless you have a need for a more powerful desktop PC).

I'm also going to get a projector before my next post. Much more bang for your buck now than a TV & more portable so you don't have to wait on UAB or HHE or anything.

I am waiting on the date for my OA (I applied for IMS). Currently I have a MBP while my wife has a Dell laptop. If we get the call she will probably get a Mac too (possibly iMac). Any Windows work I need to do I have a Win7 vm I can fire up.

I thought a tv was provided in the housing? Bear in mind with projectors those bulbs can cost a couple of hundred $$.

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Jan 2, 2013

# ¿ Jan 2, 2013 14:13

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Diplomaticus posted:

Keep in mind too that some posts are LQA, meaning you find your own place, and would have to negotiate with the landlord if you want them to include a TV; then again those places tend to be nice enough that you could just get one locally.

My house came with a 18 inch CRT TV, probably 30 years old. I've never turned it on other than to test it. I have a 40 inch flatscreen that's about 6 years old that I shipped with HHE to handle all my TV needs.

How many locations are LQA (rough estimate)? I thought I read somewhere those tended to be in "pricier" locations ie Paris.

Going back to computers - what option do you guys use for data backup? USB drive, roll your own NAS?

# ¿ Jan 2, 2013 15:02

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

1of7 posted:

I believe a TV is usually included in a welcome kit but is typically expected to be returned once your shipments arrive.

I am aware of the cost of replacement bulbs & still think they are the best deal. For $800 (less on sale) I can get a 1080p projector & project a 100"+ image the night I move in. I talked to the guy I'm replacing at my next post to see if there was a good wall space for a screen (I will likely be taking his house) & he actually has one & sanded down & repainted a wall to give him about 125" screen.

Given the projected lifespan of the bulbs they should last at least a tour & by then I will probably be ready to upgrade anyway.

Very cool!

# ¿ Jan 2, 2013 15:41

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

AKA Pseudonym posted:

I think LQA is limited to Switzerland, Canada, Luxembourg, and one of the Central American posts (Quito I think)

But just because a post isn't LQA doesn't always mean it's furnished*, and just because it's furnished doesn't mean it comes with a TV. I knew somebody at my first post who had their TV taken away when GSO realized it was a part of their Welcome Kit that had never been retrieved.

*While it's technically possible for a post to have a housing pool but no furniture and such posts have existed in the past I'm not sure if there are any anymore, I just thought I'd mention the possibility

I guess I always thought a tv would be included, because (in my mind) who would want to carry their own tv? I would think constant packing/moving would limit the lifespan of those devices (I had a Play Station and a stereo received that were moved across the country and they didn't survive the move).

# ¿ Jan 2, 2013 15:44

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

I kinda roll my own NAS, except the sites are very geographically diverse. Locally, I just store & swap the ~18TB of drives I use in my array.

For cloud, I reccommend A3/AWS as I use it. Amazon basically has the market cornered and they're worth the investment. Catch is, you pay per GB so you have to decide what's important and what's not... but your data has crazy-good retention and I believe you can even limit where you want to pull the data from.

I have my own NAS (WHS) at the house now running on an old Dell desktop. We keep all of our stuff on it (audio, pictures, lots of personal/financial data). I think I have less than 1TB of data but I'm not sure. Music I know I can re-download from iTunes store (except for the cd's I've ripped - though I should look at iTunes match to see if that would resolve that issue). I think it's all of the personal/financial data I would want protected in the cloud. Possibly pictures too. I just wouldn't want to take the old server with me, if something happened I may not be in a position/location to get replacement parts (plus the OS has been EOL'd).

Skandiaavity posted:

If it's a furnished post then yes it would be. Most posts aren't exactly furnished and have temporary welcome kits which your HHE are shipped; TV's are included until yours arrives. If yours breaks in-transit you can probably work soemthing out with the GSO.

the lifespan is about the same regardless; I read most people replace their TVs every five years or so and it seems to be true. You can monitor the guys packing your stuff out and to their credit in DC, they can pack out stuff really well. For some stuff, like receivers, I kept all my original packaging (unrelated but I bought it a few months prior to joining); that probably helps tremendously. Also, if you tell them to pick it up straight from the store where you buy it (say, Best Buy or wherever), you can get sweet tax-exempt goods. You have to do that pretty close to packout and not months before, though.

(edit: speaking from experience, it also applies to major purchases like Cars. That can be more than several thousand dollars worth of savings, post negotiation.)

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize you could purchase items and have the movers pick them up directly. No concern that the item (s) would have problems but you didn't realize it until you got to post?

I hope I'm not annoying you guys with all of these questions (or going against the original spirit of this thread).

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Jan 2, 2013

# ¿ Jan 2, 2013 16:01

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Question for the FS Goons: What do you think is the best part of your job? On the flip side, what would you say is the worst/least desirable part (obviously without bashing the FS or DoS)? Also what is one thing that surprised you the most once you entered the FS?

# ¿ Jan 5, 2013 13:43

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

I got my OA date yesterday. I will be venturing to DC to be made to cry...I mean have my interview with the Board of Examiners on Jan.31 for the IMS track.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 14:03

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

Good luck! (it's not that hard, just stay on your toes)

Thanks! My big fear is that I completely freeze up or I come across sounding like a complete idiot.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 15:00

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

worry less about that. It's expected.

And FWIW, worry less about showing off and more about questions being asked. It's basically the actual job interview, treat it as such. If it's asked, it's okay to answer as such.

Study up on Server 2008, Business Continuity, maybe some mobile phones, and the like.

Basically any kind of IT Helpdesk job. But any kind of general business advice such as "follow rules, if unsure, look them up/talk to a supervisor" or "i don't know the answer to that yet, but I'd ask my manager and get back to you?" or "as a manager, to control morale, you have to maintain some flexibility with a few exceptions" also applies. For all cones, I think.

Actually read up on management concepts too, since that never hurts.

Again, can't emphasize enough, you're going to an actual job interview Best of luck.

Thanks for the tips. My current project has me working with 2003 so I've been hands off of 2008/r2 for about a year. I'll pull my books out to brush up. BCP/DRP I'm ok with as I have a good amount of experience with that. Mobile phones would be my weakest as I have no experience managing them on an enterprise level.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 18:37

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

problematique posted:

I'm still in the post-OA process but I believe only political appointees and civil service can be placed into higher positions from the get-go. Every career foreign service employee, from specialist to generalist, starts off at the same level as someone who is say, straight out of college, or has just a few years of experience. The only difference being that generalist can come in between FP-6 to FP-4 based on experience and as such may be up for promotions sooner than others. As far as initial EL bidding and jobs the work would be much the same.

You'll be fine. Just keep reminding yourself that you were selected for OA because you are qualified for the job. They want you, just show them you want it.

Biggest thing that helped me for my IMS OA SI was preparing before hand by correlating two or three life/work experiences for each of the dimensions. I wasn't thinking stuff up but already had a framework for responding. Another thing that helped was having a general idea of how to respond to situational interview question (x happened, what do you do) by remembering a flow chart of: gather more information, develop action plan, have alternative, communicate what your doing, action, follow up. It wasn't exactly that but the basic premise is to never give the work off to someone else, just assume you're in charge of everything and solve all the problems.

The OA SI was definitely challenging but if you remain calm and in control you'll do fine. Also, the OA FSS guide wasn't kidding around when they said the interviewers are trained to not give off any feedback, they seriously were super stone faced madly scribbling down notes . As someone who is a pretty social person, even in interviews, I'm used to casual chit chat around the meat but that was definitely not the case here.

The good news is if you pass you get to chat with the interviewers and find out that the Foreign Service doesn't consist of only robots and people are super friendly! In my case, I spent a good 15 minutes talking about the job with my guy and exchanged contact info for mentor type follow up questions.

First, congrats on passing the medical clearance :cheers:

That's the other part I'm kind of worried about. I have asthma, so I'm not sure how that will be viewed by the medical clearance board. But that is another concern for another day.

I'll have to start reviewing all of the dimensions and try to relate some work/life experiences to them. I've been tripped up in interviews before where I'll be asked "give an example where you have encountered X" and I can't think of anything. 30 minutes later I then remember something (ie "brain freeze"). Oddly enough, just the other day I had my annual review and my PM told me to have more confidence in myself. I'm going to paraphrase, but it was said "you know your stuff, you know what you are talking about. Don't second guess yourself so much."

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 20:36

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

problematique posted:

We actually got on that topic. Apparently, if you have a severe case of asthma they won't send you to certain areas with high air pollution, like Beijing or Dhaka. I won't speculate any further as it's all highly dependent on your personal situation and other factors.

Understood. I know with medical that standard reply of "it depends" does apply.

Out of curiosity, for those who are currently an IMS good or in the process of getting on the register (such as problematique) what is/was your IT background and for how long?

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 20:58

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

SCRwM posted:

Understood. I know with medical that standard reply of "it depends" does apply.

Out of curiosity, for those who are currently an IMS good or in the process of getting on the register (such as problematique) what is/was your IT background and for how long?

I guess I should answer my own question. BA in Political Science. Almost 13 years IT experience, including help desk (7 years) and Sys Admin and Security (98% Windows experience 6 years).

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 21:36 on Jan 18, 2013

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 21:24

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

psydude posted:

If you don't mind me asking, what drove you to apply for this, then? Based upon what everyone else has written, it seems like it'd be a huge step backwards in your career at a time when you could be moving into a senior admin or management role. Obviously money and seniority aren't the only reasons why someone takes a job; I'm just thinking about how much I would hate to be stuck doing entry level work again even if it was someplace cool overseas.

I don't mind your asking. When I first heard about working DoS in FS IMS goon, I talked it over with my wife for quite a bit to see if this job might be "right" for us and our kids. Before we were married, we both did quite a bit of travelling/working in various places and in some odd circumstances (ex: you know the show "Deadliest Catch"? She worked on one of those boats as an observer for the State of Alaska. For myself, I was living/working in LA during 9/11 and the company I worked for asked me to fly to NY to help reopen our office that was 2 blocks from the WTC. I was on one of the first flights to NY when the US reopened the skies).

For me personally, I'd really like to do something to serve my country. I always wanted to by in the Navy (Top Gun ftw!) but because I have asthma, as I mentioned earlier that is a scarlet letter for military service. Working for the DoS in the FS, I feel that would be a good way for me to server and give back to my country.

Plus, we feel that this would be an excellent way for us to travel and show our kids the world. We want to show and have them experience different cultures, and also for them to know how good we really do have it here in the US.

As for salary, it really wouldn't be that big of a pay cut for me. So that's not a big issue. Career wise, it wouldn't be a huge step backwards either (I think). I've done so many different things IT wise that I can easily adapt to different roles.

Plus, since I've had various family members work for the Postal service, the idea of getting to distribute the contents of the pouch (a role I heard IMS is responsible for) really excites me!!!

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 23:17

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

psydude posted:

Had you looked at being contractors at an embassy at all? It might be an option for you wife.

My wife is a chemistry teacher. She was at a science teacher convention last year and was talking to a rep whose company who manages/handles schools overseas. She pretty much told her that she would have no problem picking up a teaching gig overseas if she wanted one (science teachers are in short supply).

# ¿ Jan 18, 2013 23:42

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

You're in for quite a surprise then! It's not exactly entry-level work. Be prepared for two words, "additional duties", to become a sort of running joke.

Most of the contractor roles I have seen are someone involved in DS or basically domestic, or worst case they will hire someone local overseas.

Scrwm, you should do fine in both the orals and the FS.

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 03:10

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

I've got a couple of general questions for the FS goons.

1. Training. What are the training options like? I'm a gov. contractor, so I fully understand that training budgets can depend on the Federal budget. For the IMS goons, what are the IT training options available (generally speaking, courses [ex: Microsoft training, Cisco, ISC2, PMI, etc] Do you travel for training or do it online)? Does the DoS encourage training/additional education?

2. Again for the IMS goons. I was told a lot of the "heavy" work (configuration, etc) was done in the US. How much do you guys get involved with the "heavy" work? Does DoS IT mgmt consulte you guys on policy/planning (ex: OS security configurations).

3. During A-100, does the DoS offer any courses for family members? Something on the like of how to maneuver the paper bureaucracy (submitting paperwork for education for the kids for example) or how to budget your money overseas? Or language courses the wife could take after flag day and we know where we are going?

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 03:37

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

AKA Pseudonym posted:

I wish I had the authority to hire you over the Internet

My dad was a Sr VP at a bank he worked for and every day he walked to the post office and got the mail for the bank and then distributed it. I tell ya man, it's in our blood!

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 03:40

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Business of Ferrets posted:

Makes me wonder what he was trying to intercept before it got to the president.

Nothing like that. He just liked getting the mail.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 13:07

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

1of7 posted:

They have lots of self paced online training courses. I think you can also get access to Books24x7.

Initial IMS training is about 5 months. After you get to post, the amount of training you get will depend on your position, supervisor, post, funding, etc...

Generally, I think we are pretty lucky & have more training opportunities than most others.

Most of the training is Microsoft, but there are some more non-vendor, department specific classes too.

I would kind of figure that for IMS there would need/have to be more training opportunities given the nature of the job (ie technology is fluid).

The initial 5 months IMS training, does that include A-100 (3 mos I think?) and then an additional 2 for a total of 5? Or is it A-100 and then another 5 months IMS?

AKA Pseudonym posted:

Most classes our in-house rather than Microsoft or whatever, but those classes do exist and you get to take the test for free. Additional training is encouraged too, you can get 9% or 14% added to your pay by getting certain certifications.

And no, you aren't going to be doing much heavy work overseas as an IMS. But you might as an IMTS or maybe in a domestic position. And sometimes post needs or wants something special that neither DC or RIMC can help with much and you might need to figure it out on your own. Flexibility is the key here more than anything.

Thanks for confirming what I had heard (re heavy work). That's fine with me, I knew that going in to the position and I'm fine with "other duties as required". I can hang party streamers with the best of them!

AKA thanks for reminding me about the certification bump. I had actually forgotten about that until you posted it. Too bad what I currently have won't bump me up any initially.

I've always been a big fan of continuing education, so if I have opportunities to keep learning and what I learn can be applied to whatever I'm doing (perhaps DoS) then I'm really for it. Plus, I have my CISSP so I have CPE requirements I have to do in order to maintain the cert. I spent a long 3 months prepping for that beast so I don't want to loose it.

1of7 posted:

By the end of this tour, I will have had 1 week in Bangkok, 6 in Manila, 2 in DC, & probably 1 more in Frankfurt that isn't finalized yet.

So you've racked some serious FF miles in your first year. If you don't mind my asking, if you have a family, did they travel with you when you went "out" for training? If they stayed at home, how did the cope especially since this is your first duty location I believe?

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Jan 19, 2013

# ¿ Jan 19, 2013 13:25

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

1of7 posted:

Three weeks is orientation with other specialists (I've heard that its not the same as A100, but I don't know how it differs) & the rest is your "trade craft" & any additional training post wants you to get before before arriving.

When my wife wasn't working & my daughter wasn't in school they did go with me (at my expense, of course).

Only my last class was I away for a week while they stayed home (though I have another 2 weeks next month). It's kind of hard for her now, because she has an EFM position & doing that full time, plus getting our kid ready for kindergarten, bed, etc... & the other house work is pretty exhausting on her if I'm not around to help.

I am trying to get her to hire someone to help, at least part time, but she doesn't want to spend the money. Or, at least she wants to wait until after Chinese New Year so that we don't have to pay a bonus. :-p

Thanks for the info!

# ¿ Jan 20, 2013 13:36

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

For the IMS goons, what is your usual dress for work? Is it always coat and tie, or is it business casual (khaki pants and polo or long sleeve shirt)? I'm guessing you don't get to bust out the jeans and t-shirt to work.

# ¿ Jan 21, 2013 01:50

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Dear SF-86;

Thank you for remembering me and my information from the last time we met. This makes things so much easier.

Hugs and kisses!

# ¿ Jan 21, 2013 13:40

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Skandiaavity posted:

yeah, seriously. wear shirts.

Actually, gently caress. If you're in the FS you have literally no drat excuse to not get your clothes tailored.

Even the polos.

Thanks for the info/clarification. Back to reviewing the FSS OA study guide and keeping my nerves in check.

# ¿ Jan 22, 2013 16:13

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

I spent today reading over the forum, going back to the beginning. For IMS, it appears (from what I read/decipher and I could be wrong) is for the OA, it isn't that technical. To the point of someone with a few years help desk and/or sys admin should be just fine (more or less).

# ¿ Jan 22, 2013 23:07

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

1of7 posted:

I didn't even know polos could be tailored. Surely ignorance is a pretty good excuse.

I never knew it either.
::and knowing is half the battle::

# ¿ Jan 23, 2013 13:47

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Just got back from my OA in DC.
Add one more IMS-wannabe Goon who passed. On to the medical and security hoop!
My sincere condolences to those effected by the attack in Ankara.

SCRwM fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Feb 2, 2013

# ¿ Feb 2, 2013 03:07

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Diplomaticus posted:

Yeah, after being medically discharged from the Army, I did something of the same route. And State is paying to fly me back to Washington to go see a specialist for one of my medical issues. MED is not a perfect agency (which I can attest to) but they are miles apart from DoD's non-emergency medical support services.

Speaking of MED, how do you guys handle things like Dr's visits/dentist overseas? I'm guessing if the Embassy has a MED department you could go to them (?) or do you just deal with the local Dr/dentist? Or do you just plan a trip back to the States once a year to take care of things?

# ¿ Feb 2, 2013 13:44

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Thanks! I kind of figured it was all three but wasn't really sure (especially with something like dental/bi-annual teeth cleaning).

# ¿ Feb 2, 2013 14:28

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

Another question. What do you guys do for cell phone overseas? I'm going to guess any phone the DoS provides you is for business use only. Did you just got and purchase a phone in the US and then get a sim card wherever you are for voice/data service? Do any of you use an iPhone?

# ¿ Feb 2, 2013 17:36

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 10:44

SCRwM: Sep 17, 2012

From reading over the responses, is it best to bid on a hardship post for your first tour just to set your expectations and get you in the right frame of mind? It would seem that if your first post is say Vienna and then you go to say Kinshasa you would get your mind set to "hey this isn't so bad" to "holy crap what did I sign up for"?

Note: I've never been to Kinshasa so it may be a really awesome place.

Note II: I guess it would also depend on your personal situation. If (like me) you have school age kids and the schools in Kinshasa suck well you may not want to go there.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2013 14:01

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