(applause)
ACTING FSI DIRECTOR OSTFIELD: Good afternoon colleagues and guests.
My name is Marc Ostfield. I am the -- please be seated --
I am the acting director of the Foreign Service Institute
and it is my great pleasure to welcome all of you here today
for the swearing in ceremony of the 146th Foreign Service Specialist Class.
Woo-hoo.
(applause)
First, I want to welcome the friends and family of the class that are here today
because we know that a foreign service career, a globally deployed profession, is not possible
without the support of all of the friends and family of the Foreign Service person.
And we know that you give up your friends or family members for nights or weekends,
and all kinds of things, and we are profoundly grateful for their service and for your support.
So thanks to all of you.
It is my great pleasure to actually congratulate the Specialist Class on the completion of your program.
It's only the beginning of your training as you know, but I'm really pleased you started out at
the Foreign Service Institute and that you are embarking on a career
and joining a family - and it is indeed a family.
I'm reminded at events like this of the words from more than a hundred years ago,
of Teddy Roosevelt who said that the best prize that life has to offer is the chance
to work hard at work worth doing.
And I can't think that anything that could be truer today as we swear in a new class.
You've heard from all of us repeatedly that we are one team, one mission.
Whether a civil service, foreign service, locally employed staff, we are indeed one team
advancing US foreign policy and national security interests around the world.
And I'm reminded every day in my work, and especially at events like this,
that public service is an honor and a trust.
The American people are counting on you.
As you can see by the people gathered on stage today,
this is an event that the institution of the Department of State takes very seriously.
So I'd like to take a moment to recognize the distinguished guests who've joined us for this ceremony:
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
Acting Director General of the Foreign Service
and Director of the Bureau of Human Resources Ambassador William Todd,
Director of the Diplomatic Security Training Center
and the mentor for the 146th Specialist Orientation Class Robert Wetzel,
Director of Human Resources Entry-Level Career Development and Assignments Division Caroline Chang,
FSI’s Director of Orientation Marc Grant,
and FSI Specialist Orientation Course Coordinator Rose Jackson.
It's actually quite fitting that the Secretary of State will be officiating for this swearing-in ceremony,
for this particular specialist class because it's composed primarily of
diplomatic security personnel and medical services personnel.
In other words specialties designed to ensure the safety, security, and well-being
of the USG foreign affairs community and workforce.
And it's fitting because of the Secretary's strong focus since his first day arriving in the Department
on making sure our people are safe.
In fact, I hope you won't mind what I'm about to tell you,
but, to let you know, every Monday morning the Secretary chairs a meeting
with the Deputy Secretary, the Under Secretary, and all of the assistant secretaries
in the conference room adjacent to the operations center
and he begins every single one of those Monday morning meetings with the very same question,
"Are our people safe?"
He takes our safety and security very seriously.
And so it's a pleasure and an honor to welcome to the podium
the 69th Secretary of State, Rex W. Tillerson.
(applause)
SECRETARY TILLERSON: Thank you.
(applause)
Thank you.
(applause)
SECRETARY TILLERSON: Please, please be seated, thank you.
And good afternoon, everyone.
It really is a privilege for me to be here with you today for a very special milestone event
for all of you, for your family members, your friends.
And I’m so pleased to see many of them here to share this with you.
This is truly an impressive group of people.
And I want you to think about other impressive people you know out there
and help bring them into this family as well.
Because I know all of you have a great network of other talent, as well.
This class includes former pilots, professors, law clerks, investigators, and a number of
other professions, which gives us a rich diversity of skills coming into this Department to help us.
The overwhelming majority of this class has spent significant time working, studying,
or volunteering abroad.
So being abroad is not going to be new to you.
And many of you are coming to the Department with prior government experience already,
including Peace Corps service and service in our military.
And importantly, some of you come with incredibly skilled languages, which are important to us:
Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Maltese, Farsi and Slovak.
Thank you.
Those are terribly important to us.
We are all grateful, truly grateful, that you have decided to use your skills
to serve the United States and this Department.
And obviously, like hundreds of others that have gone before you,
we require a constant stream of fresh talent.
You will learn from those more experienced Foreign Service officers that you’ll have
the opportunity to work with, but it’s your fresh eyes to things, your fresh energy
that are really important to the vitality of what we do.
In particular, this group of foreign specialists in many ways represent our first responders
in the face of security, health, and logistical challenges.
And the entire country is appreciative of your willingness to serve
and your dedication to be ready to take action.
It is an honor to officially welcome all of your family, friends, and others to the State Department, as well,
and with it a profession – and welcome you to a profession that offers a future
of opportunities to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests
the world over.
This time last week I was on my way to Beijing in preparation
for the President’s upcoming summit in Beijing and his trip to Asia.
And all the way along that trip I had very capable and important Foreign Service officers
helping me, some with some difficult logistics, in fact, on that trip.
It was kind of exciting to land in Beijing on a C-130.
That was not the aircraft of choice, but it was the aircraft that we were able to find
to go on in to the country.
But the Foreign Service officers and the support you provide, not just to the Secretary’s office,
but to our missions, our embassies around the world, our bureaus,
it’s just vital to our ability to deliver on our mission, day in and day out.
We need your dedication, we need your expertise, we need your energy.
So again, thank you for your willingness to take on this hard work.
I know you’ve worked hard to get to this point.
In many respects, though, that work is just beginning,
and I know you’re well aware of that.
So I want to offer just a few brief words of counsel to you as you begin.
First, remember that it doesn’t matter what your title or your job is;
what matters is how you do it
and how you work with the colleagues around you.
This group represents, as I said, a variety of skills and talents that the Department
requires to function properly, from managing our properties to protecting all of us,
to keeping us healthy.
So no matter the task, I know you will aim for excellence.
Second, I encourage you to fight complacency.
It’s very easy in many of the tasks we face to just say, “You know,
I’m just not going to move the needle, so I’ll just – I’ll get through this
and I’ll move to the next opportunity.”
Never accept that.
There is an opportunity in each one of these challenges to move the needle,
and you will move the needle with your perseverance and your dedication.
The other aspect is never conclude that you’ve finished growing.
I’m still learning, even at this ripe old age.
I learn something every day.
Learn from the people around you.
This is an institution with enormously rich talent and experience.
Please soak that up and never stop growing in your assignment and what you’re doing.
Every assignment you take, every location, you’re going to grow and continue to grow,
and you’re not going to stop growing until the day you leave and go on to other things.
The second part of that, I want to mention the redesign efforts of the Department
that are going on are a clear example of how we want to work as a team
to reshape the State Department to improve how we deliver on mission
here at the Department as well as USAID.
All of your colleagues – and you will learn as you go to work in your assignments
– know what we can do to improve the ability to deliver on mission.
What are the obstacles we need to clear?
What are the systems we need to change or adjust?
How can we make it easier for people to fulfill their responsibilities,
and also to fulfill them more effectively?
So don’t be afraid to share your ideas with us.
We have portals that are open.
We are getting terrific input from people throughout the Department.
We have teams that are tasked with addressing these ideas.
Please share your creativity, your innovative ideas with us, as well.
Again, you’re coming with fresh eyes.
You’re probably going to see some things that a lot of people that have
been here for a while may be looking right past, so encourage you to be an active participant
in this undertaking.
Third, please embrace and bolster a culture of personal accountability, honesty, and respect
for others.
These are tenets that I put in place the day I came into this office and spoke to the entire
organization.
It’s how we want to treat each other with that respect, how we want to treat each other
in an honest fashion.
If we’re honest with one another, we’ll be honest with the people we’re delivering
the mission to, countries around the world.
And finally, we have to hold ourselves accountable.
We can’t hold others accountable if we’re not holding ourselves accountable first.
This organization’s best asset and greatest strength is truly its people.
It really is the people.
It’s not about the size of our budget.
It’s not about the size of our infrastructure.
It’s not about anything.
It’s about: Do we have the right people?
If we’ve got the right people, we will deliver on the mission
with whatever tools we’re given.
I am quite confident of that.
So value one another, cherish one another, take care of one another.
This is required of all of us.
So again, we can do that by committing ourselves to accountability, honesty, and respect.
So as you now prepare to take the Oath of Office, and as your family, friends, and colleagues
bear witness to it, remember the special solemn nature of this Oath.
The Oath you’re about to take, it’s an important part of our nation’s history,
and you’re about to make it an important part of your history that is yet to be written.
The United States Congress prescribed the Oath as one of its first legislative acts
over two centuries ago – establishing a bond between the American people and those
who serve them.
The Oath you are about to take is the same Oath of Office all of our colleagues have
taken, myself included, as well as the Vice President, federal judges, Members of Congress,
military officers, and all cabinet members.
So now I would invite all 61 members of the 146th Foreign Service Specialist Orientation Class
to join me on the stage, and I’ll administer the Oath of Office.
That is a fine-looking group of people.
Someone should take a picture.
Oh, we are. (Laughter.)
Okay, good, all right.
Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.
I, state your name.
CLASS: I, [mixed voices]
SECRETARY TILLERSON: do solemnly swear --
CLASS: do solemnly swear --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States --
CLASS: that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States -
SECRETARY TILLERSON: against all enemies --
CLASS: against all enemies --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: foreign and domestic --
CLASS: foreign and domestic --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same --
CLASS: that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: that I take this obligation freely --
CLASS: that I take this obligation freely --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion --
CLASS: without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office --
CLASS: and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office --
SECRETARY TILLERSON: on which I am about to enter.
CLASS: on which I am about to enter.
SECRETARY TILLERSON: So help me God.
CLASS: So help me God.
SECRETARY TILLERSON: It's my honor to be the first to congratulate each of you
as members of the 146th Foreign Service Specialist Orientation Class.
Please join me in honoring them.
(Applause.)
COORDINATOR JACKSON: Ladies and gentlemen, class members,
please move into position for your photo.
Mr. Secretary. Please.
Now, for a bit of logistics.
I would like to ask family and friends to allow the official photographer to take three class photos
before taking pictures from your seats.
After all group photos are completed, our guest speaker, the Secretary, has departed
You're welcome to come forward and use the podium for individual photos.
So we're going to take three photos and then I'll ...
Family and friends please come forward.
I will count to ten (laughter) in reverse (laughter) to take photos.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen.
(applause)