The United States Foreign Service is a personnel system established under the Foreign Service Act. It is used by the U.S. Department of State and other Foreign Affairs agencies for positions that require service abroad. Appointments in the Foreign Service are Excepted Service appointments, and therefore exempt from certain requirements of the Competitive Service. As part of the Diplomatic Service, members of the Foreign Service advocate American foreign policy, protect American citizens, and promote American business interests throughout the world. There are 20,588 persons employed in the Foreign Service.
Foreign Service members represent America; analyze and report on political, economic, and social trends in the host country; and respond to the needs of American citizens abroad. They are part of the Diplomatic Service and serve in Washington, DC and at nearly 265 U.S. embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world. Members of the Foreign Service include Senior Foreign Service (SFS), Foreign Service officers (FS), Foreign Service personnel (FP), Foreign Service nationals (FSN), and other categories.
Examples of functions performed by members of the Foreign Service include:
Medical
Security
Management
Consular
Public diplomacy
Political
Economic
Science and Technology
In addition to diplomatic postings, members of the Foreign Service can also serve in domestic positions. Members of the Senior Foreign Service, like the military, have ranks: new members are called counselors. Some move up to minister-counselor; typically less than ten percent move up to career minister, and a very small number become career ambassadors.
The United States ForeignService is part of the U.S. Department of State.
ForeignService officers represent America; analyze and report on political, economic, and social trends in the host country; and respond to the needs of American citizens abroad.
The ForeignService is distinct from the Civil Service; the State Department employs members of both.
The chief functions of the Postal Service are the collection and delivery of letters, parcel post, and printed matter, such as books, magazines, and newspapers, and the issuance of domestic and foreign money orders.
The Postal Service is directed by an 11-member board of governors, 9 of whom are appointed by the president on a bipartisan basis with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.
The Postal Service is authorized to borrow up to $10 billion from the general public, that is, from the Department of the Treasury, and can propose to the Postal Rate Commission changes in rates or classification of mail.
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