Alumnus speaks about foreign service

A UA alumnus told students on Thursday how they can be involved in the foreign service as a member of the U.S. State Department after they graduate.

Greg Morrison, who received a master's degree at the University in teaching English to speakers of other languages, said he has traveled to Morocco, Syria and Honduras working for the U.S. State Department.

"I get paid to go where other people pay money to go," Morrison said.

Morrison said that foreign service consists of five divisions - office management, politics, economics, console and public diplomacy - and that public servants could work in any department or swap between divisions.

Morrison said he is currently working in management but was previously involved in politics in Honduras, where he assisted with stabilization and dealing with gang violence.

"To be a foreign service officer, the process is pretty straightforward," Morrison said.

He said students can start by going to www.state.gov to get information on specific career paths. A written exam and an oral exam are the next steps.

Morrison said that looking into a foreign service career can only help students.

"[The exam] is free," Morrison said, "so there's no harm in doing it. The most you can lose is a Saturday to take it."

Morrison said applicants can take the test once a year and previous attempts will not count against them in scoring. Applicants must be 21 years old and a U.S. citizen - naturalized citizens can apply, as well.

Living as a diplomat in a foreign country is a mixed blessing, Morrison said. Moving periodically from one region to another makes it hard for a person's spouse to have a career, so many families live on one income. However, he said, certain things are often provided, such as housing and furnishings.

Morrison also said exotic places offer eclectic leisure. When his family was living in Syria, he said, he took his children to a castle from the Crusades.

Living in Syria surpassed expectations and stereotypes that many people have of the region, he said.

"In the midst of the lead-up to and during the invasion of Iraq, and during Abu Ghraib, I never had an unkind word spoken to me in the two years I was there," Morrison said.

Morrison said he attributed foreigners' friendliness toward U.S. personnel to their ability to distinguish between a government and its citizens.

Susan Braden, a sophomore majoring in international studies who attended the event, said that Morrison's experience influenced her thoughts on foreign service.

"It seems a little less attractive," Braden said. "He talked about how you don't get paid all that much, and if you have a family, it's hard on them."

Morrison said he thinks that foreign service plays a significant role in foreign perception of the U.S., and therefore in national security.

"That's why I'm in it," Morrison said. "The more people know about the people that are engaged with them, the harder it becomes to demonize them."

To emphasize the importance of personal relationships and dialogue, Morrison gave the example of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, which was made worse because so few representatives at the time could speak Farsi.

"It's hard to wage war against humans," Morrison said. "The more they can see that Americans are real people, the safer we can be."