Members of The Foreign Service
The Foreign Service Act, 22 U.S.C. ยง 3903 et seq., defines the following members of the Foreign Service:
- Chiefs of mission are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
- Ambassadors at large are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.
- Senior Foreign Service (SFS) members are the senior leaders and experts for the management of the Foreign Service and the performance of its functions. They are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. SFS may come from the FSO or Specialist ranks and are the equivalent to flag or general officers in the military.
- Foreign Service Officers are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. These diplomat "generalists" have primary responsibility for carrying out the functions of the Foreign Service.
- Foreign Service Specialists provide special skills and services required for effective performance by the Service (e.g., Special Agents of the Diplomatic Security Service). They are appointed by the Secretary of State.
- Foreign Service Limited officers are hired for term-limited appointments to the U.S. Foreign Service to meet specific high-priority program needs in Washington and overseas.
- Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), also known as LES (Locally Engaged Staff), are personnel who provide clerical, administrative, technical, fiscal, and other support at posts abroad. They may be native citizens of the host country or third-country citizens (the latter referred to in the past as Third Country Nationals or TCNs). In some cases LES are Americans living abroad as expatriates.
- Consular agents provide consular and related services as authorized by the Secretary of State at specified locations abroad where no Foreign Service posts are situated.
Read more about this topic: United States Foreign Service
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