Jeffery Osweiler, the nonimmigrant visa chief of the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, spoke with students in ISU’s Political Science Club about his experience in foreign relations Wednesday.
Osweiler, a foreign service officer (FSO) with the Department of State since 2008, has served his entire career overseas. He is currently serving on his seventh overseas assignment.
“Our real central equity overseas [is] the protection of private U.S. citizens,” Osweiler said. “[It’s] making sure they have information and access to resources that help keep them safe overseas. If you’re arrested overseas, involved in an accident or natural disaster, or if there’s civil unrest, the role of our bureau is to help U.S. citizens in distress, help keep you safe and get you home, in the case that’s required.”
Osweiler explained how the FSOs specialize in specific areas despite being able to serve any function.
“We’re all generalists, but you begin with what’s called a ‘cone’, your specialization in the department or your home professional competency,” Osweiler said. “I’m a console. The other ones are political, economic, public affairs and management.”
People from all over the country with a wide range of backgrounds have become FSOs, serving domestically and overseas to gain an understanding of how the federal government works.
Along with American civilians or U.S. direct hires, FSOs work with local staffers.
“It’s also local employees who are from the host nation that work in every section and agency,” Osweiler said. “They’re very important for us to have a perspective on local conditions, to build contracts and also to have community. [We FSOs are] cycling every two to three years. Local input staff that work continuously are really the glue that keeps that organization tied together over time as we come and go.”
Osweiler shared how at many of the embassies he has worked at, FSOs help support U.S. enforcement and commerce agencies. The Bureau of Consular Affairs is in charge of issuing U.S. passports and several documents relating to U.S. travel and presence overseas. They also handle U.S. citizen deaths overseas, contacting and assisting families through the process.
Osweiler shared some of the more difficult aspects of his work that he believes people should consider on their own path to becoming a FSO.
“The first thing is, you move a lot, and you get very, very good at moving,” Osweiler said. “Even though I’m among foreign service officers who live in embassies, we have a very strong sense of community and collegiality. There’s a culture in the service. You don’t have very deep roots in any particular place.”
He also explained the difficulties of balancing your career interests and your personal interests. Every 2 to 3 years, his family had to uproot itself, and there are also challenges with health and safety.
“Not every place in the world is as safe as the United States,” Osweiler said. “I mean, a whole bunch of different things can end in an accident that might threaten your life. Here, you might be 15 minutes from emergency rooms. Other places, like Madagascar, have no emergency rooms. The embassy is it. You’ve got to think about the level of risk and what you’re comfortable with.”
The Political Science Club is a nonpartisan environment for students of all majors to come and engage in political discussion.
“People can talk about whatever concerns they may have about the world, or US politics, or they want to talk about First Amendment issues,” William Gordon, president of the Political Science Club and a junior majoring in political science and criminal justice, said. “Maybe they want to talk about even things in their classes that they’re learning… but they can only talk about the surface level in the class, so we’ll come to the club to talk about the more complex things they want to get into. We also try to prepare students to succeed in school and then after college.”
Gordon spoke further about this, detailing the purpose behind bringing in speakers like Osweiler.
“We try to give students perspectives about public service work as a whole, what government work looks like,” Gordon said. “We bring in people that are uniquely positioned to do that.”
Landon Marth, a junior majoring in political science and chief information officer for the Political Science Club, shared what he took away from the presentation.
“I thought it was very in-depth in the process of how you become a foreign relations officer,” Marth said. “I thought the bidding process was very interesting, how you get to choose where you want to go, but it’s ultimately competitive based on your skill set and who’s above you in rank.”
More information on the Political Science Club can be found on their student organization page and on their Instagram.