USAID: One year later

Posted on 27 February 2026 by twocrabs

It has been a year since the illegal shutdown of USAID. The damage inflicted did not stop overseas—it has hurt Americans at home.

One year ago, the administration began its attacks on USAID—an agency that for more than 60 years advanced American interests, saved lives, and strengthened U.S. leadership around the world.

This anniversary is about documenting the truth of what happened, acknowledging the cost to the United States, and honoring the patriotic public servants who powered the world’s leading development agency.

Tens of thousands of U.S. private-sector jobs were lost, farmers lost access to key markets, and billions in contracts were abruptly voided.

The decision to shut down USAID weakened the U.S. economy as well as our global standing. #USAIDOneYear

Critical humanitarian and development programs were halted and partnerships were broken. In less than a year, the loss of USAID has been linked to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths from infectious disease and malnutrition.

When USAID was shut down, more than 16,000 experienced public servants were pushed out of government.

They were not “criminals” or “wasteful bureaucrats.” They were dedicated professionals who served the United States, often in dangerous and difficult conditions.

Discarding that expertise weakened America.

This month, we honor their service and the contributions they made—and continue to make—on behalf of the United States.

USAID once made America strong; shutting it down has cost us relationships, credibility, and our global standing. #USAIDOneYear

FS FAQs: No handshake? No problem!

Posted on 21 January 2026 by twocrabs

In attempt to share my “institutional knowledge,” I’m starting a new feature: Foreign Service Frequently Asked Questions (FSFAQ). Scratch that, let’s call it Foreign Service Questions, or – “FSQs” for short! I’ll occasionally share my personal real-life experiences to frequently asked questions posed on FB and Reddit.

Q: Help! Bids were announced today and I did not receive a BLC — Bureau Leading Candidate — notification (previously known as an “air kiss”). What happens now? Do I keep bidding? What if I don’t get a job? I’m departing post in X weeks / months!

A: In short: you keep bidding. You will eventually get a job. On my first 03 midlevel bid, I was gutted when I did not receive an offer on handshake day. I submitted a new bid list, kept bidding, putting out feelers, but no dice. I expanded my search to places I never would have otherwise considered, and still no luck. I was a finalist for a 30% hardship post, then lost the job to an out-of-cone officer with less experience because they were part of a tandem couple courted by the FO. That really stung. Then I stupidly lost a good DC job because I made a newbie mistake of honestly telling the decision maker that they weren’t my top choice. Winter turned to spring. I was less than 2 months from my PCS date and in full panic mode when, out of the blue, I got a late-night call from my CDO asking: “Dream Post A or Dream Post B – whichever you pick, it’s yours!” Turns out that both posts had experienced sudden, unexpected curtailments. Their loss was our gain, as both jobs were in-cone, at-grade, and perfect timing. What followed became one of favorite tours ever (Calgary, Canada!) The point is: You never know what’s going to come on, or drop off, a bid list. Keep plugging away and networking. You will find a job, and it could unexpectedly become your favorite tour!

Mastering the Foreign Service Exam! (FSOT)

Posted on 10 December 2025 by twocrabs

(2025 NOTE: This ARCHIVED post was originally posted on Feb. 14, 2009, on my original, now defunct blog. This post is no longer updated and does not reflect the current format of the FSOT)

(2010 UPDATE: Since originally writing this post, I passed the Foreign Service Oral Assessment – FSOA – in April 2009. I received Final Suitability and was placed on the Register in November 2009. In January 2010, I received and accepted an invitation to join “THE LEGENDARY” 152nd A-100 Class. We graduated A-100 in April 2010, with Secretary Clinton herself administering the Oath of Office. I am now serving at my first overseas post.)

(Originally posted 14 FEB 2009) – Longtime readers of this blog will know that Mr. Crab has long dreamed of joining the U.S. Foreign Service (FS), and is now about 1/3 of the way through the hiring process. The “Foreign Service exam” is a bit of a misnomer as it’s actually a series of tests and background checks, all of which you must pass to advance to the next level. The entire process takes about 9-12 months (or longer) from the day you complete the online application until the day you are admitted to “A-100” — the Foreign Service Orientation Course, a sort-of boot camp for Foreign Service Officers (FSOs). The first major hurdle is the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), more commonly known by its previous name,the Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE).

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Mastering the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA)

Posted on 10 December 2025 by twocrabs

(DISCLAIMER: This ARCHIVED post was originally posted on April 2009 on my original, now defunct blog. This post is no longer updated and does not reflect the current format of the FSOA)

Note: This is a shorter and less technical version of my full recap I originally posted on the Yahoo FSOA group. After passing the OA on 4/14/09, it took six months to receive my security clearance and a few additional weeks of waiting for placement on the Consular register. In January 2010, I received and accepted an invitation to the 152nd A-100 class, beginning in late March 2010.

On 14 April 2009 — after two and a half years of testing, trying and re-testing — I finally passed final hurdle of the US Foreign Service Exam: the dreaded Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA), or OA for short. The OA is part role-playing exercise, part job interview…and part psychological battery thrown in for good measure. This was, without a doubt, the hardest and most grueling test I have ever taken. I would rather go through Army basic training course again than retake the OA. It’s a mind game for sure!

Since posting my original recap, a few folks have written me asking for tips & suggestions. So here it is:

Two Crabs Guide to Passing the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA)

1. Everything you need to know to pass the OA is in the State Department’s “Letter from the Director of Board of Examiners.” Download it, read it, re-read it, digest it, memorize it. It tells you EXACTLY how to pass, from the play-by-play schedule of the OA to the basis for scoring – the infamous 13 Dimensions. Now all you need to do is put it into practice.

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Still Here

Posted on 13 July 2025 by twocrabs

I have no words. Friday, July 11, was a bloodbath for the State Department. More than 1,100 Civil Service and 250 Foreign Service Officers were “RIF’d” – an acronym for “Reduction in Force” that is really a polite way of saying fired, laid off, kicked to the curb. These cuts were not based on work performance but instead based solely on what office an employee was assigned to on May 29, 2025. I’m survived the RIFs, only because I happen to be currently stationed overseas. Whether or not they will come for us next remains to be seen.

This Substack blogger said it best:

“How Do You Fire a Calling? How the State Department Ends a Public Service Calling. Diplomacy doesn’t end with a press release. It ends in silence, in erasure, in inboxes that no longer open. Quietly, Violently, and Without Ceremony.”

Read the full post here: https://stillinoticeeverything.substack.com/p/how-do-you-fire-a-calling-how-the